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Bespoke Design and Upholstery


Rachael creates bespoke upholstered furniture using both traditional and modern upholstery techniques. She designs and renovates from her home studio in South Oxfordshire. Utilising her background in design, she takes an holistic, artistic, design approach to each bespoke piece of work, considering carefully the construction methods, materials used and design aesthetics.

Rachael received a distinction in a Master’s Degree in Fashion & Textiles Design from Nottingham Trent University in 1999 and retrained with distinction in upholstery in 2011. During her training she won awards from Kobe Fabrics UK in both 2011 and 2012 and the Heico Fasteners UK Design Award  for innovative design of a children’s chair in 2012.

She was also invited to join members of the Worshipful Company of Upholders in attending the Diamond Jubilee luncheon given for Her Majesty The Queen by the Livery Companies of the City of London in Westminster Hall as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June 2012.

Rachael is available for commission to design beautiful and unique pieces of furniture. If you have something in mind, or are interested in something similar to any of the pieces below, please drop her an email on hello@rachaelstevenson.co.uk


Jubilee Chair

A miniature chair for a child. Winner of the Heico 2012 competition. Constructed using modern techniques and using Heico’s powder coated and crystal nails. Fabric sponsored by Kobe UK. 

Zebra Stool

A child’s stool - this is constructed using rubberised horse hair for the seat stuffing and real black and white horse hair for the mane and tail.

Dressing Table Stool

Re-upholstered with modern construction using rubberised horsehair, covered with Designers Guild fabric and tassel trimming.

"Wing"chair

1960s Parker Knoll Chair Model 749/1014, reupholstered with rubberised horse hair back, foam seat cushion and covered with Bute, 100% wool Melrose fabric. Tattooed with wings on the back legs. 

"All Your Base Are Belong To Us"

The name of this piece derives from a geeky, computer gamer's 'in joke' and now, popular internet meme.
A pair of 1940s armchairs, utility in style, commissioned for Kettle - an animation studio. Designed in Kettle colours and with a tongue in cheek take on traditional suiting fabrics – an oversized pinstripe and a oversized dogtooth to give them a ‘cartoon’ feel.  Both are constructed with traditional methods: sprung arms, back and seat with independent sprung edge, stitched black fibre and horsehair second stuffing. Placed side by side the turquoise arms bind the chairs together.

The oversized nature of the chair and the exaggerated proportions (which are made even more prominent by altering the frame e.g. increasing the arm angle) add further to the cartoon-like appearance.

Fabric by Kobe UK.

A-list Bunny

1950s Ercol style sideboard sanded and re-varnished, original fixtures replaced with hand painted knobs and decorated inside for a bunny-loving client.

Traditionally Upholstered Edwardian Nursing Chair

Constructed with traditional hand stitched methods, horsehair, sprung seat and covered with Designers Guild fabric and tassel trimming.

Telephone:07748794494