The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2021 - Issue 29

Sofa Workshop captivates Cristina Lloyd’s attention with its beautifully curated and extraordinary fabric and palette sofas and other furniture. biteliving S ofa Workshop rightfully describes the sofa as "the heart of every home: where we collapse at the end of the day, draw closer to those we love, and relax.” In addition to its long-term collaboration with design extraordinaire Timothy Oulton, Sofa Workshop's passion is perfecting the world's best sofas. "The way we design them, the way we hand make them, and the way we help you find the perfect fit for your lifestyle" with the expertise of artisanal craftsmanship techniques from around the globe. All their designs are developed in-house by their international design team. “We study designs from all over the world, think- ing through how different design approaches can change the way people feel and experience a product. We combine that learning with our understanding of how modern lifestyles are changing and evolving.” Every home is different, every room, every lifestyle and every family, so the brand ensures they fea- ture various styles, seating contours, sizes and finishes to suit these criteria. “From traditional sofas and classic sofas to contemporary sofas with sleek designs, we offer the perfect style and comfort for every home. And we make every sofa to order, so you can rest assured it’s made just for you.” Together with Timothy Oulton, they have combined 80 years of experience in making beauti- ful furniture. “Sharing decades of expertise, there’s nothing we don’t know about creating the perfect sofa.” Founded in 1985, Sofa Workshop opened its first store in Maidstone the following year. Timothy Oulton's roots date back to 1976 with his father's store, Halo Antiques in Man- chester that ignited his appreciation for traditional craftsman- ship. He expanded into reinventing antiques for the wholesale market and ventured into designing bags, hospitality interiors, and sofas. Thanks to his creative energy, leather mastery and global design sensibility, authentic craftsmanship blends with a passion for exceptional design. The process of creating an extraordinary sofa starts with raw materials and proprietary finishes, such as the brand’s unique hand-finished leathers and exuberant printed velvets devel- oped in its tanning, fabric dyeing and printing workshops. The fabrics and leathers are cut by hand, allowing for the suitable material amount to achieve the perfect fit for a fixed or loose covered sofa upholstery. “Doing things the traditional way means everything takes longer, but that’s part of what makes our pieces special.” Everything from the frame construction to the upholstery fin- ishing is skilfully made by hand, using simple tools, time-hon- oured methods and generous amounts of beautiful, natural materials. Sofa Workshop has a tannery in Brazil where they engineer a unique, technically advanced water management system that uses 85% less water and 40% fewer chemicals dur- ing the tanning process, in a drive to create sustainably pro- cessed leathers with zero impact. The brand warns that not all leathers are the same. Today, whilst most of the world’s leathers are processed, pigmented, painted and corrected, they are often done with heavy layers of artificial coatings and treatments. “Poor quality leather is often hidden underneath uniform artificial coatings that make them look more appealing. But while they look good when new, they do not last. Scratches, stains and stretching can quickly degrade the surface, and the furniture soon wears out.” Thankfully, Sofa Workshop collections use unique selections of top quality hides that are finished by hand, with a process that can take up to three days for each hide. They do not use heavy pigmentation or grain correction; instead, they invest in Sofa Workshop by Timothy Oulton Find The Perfect Sofa