Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2017 | Page 31

Prestige Property
New life for old sofas
They have worked for some of the
biggest and best-known furniture
companies in the business – but
now Island-based upholsterers Emily
Pritchard and Aaron Anderson offer
a more personal and bespoke service
to customers closer to home.
The creative couple - who met in
Nottinghamshire, the centre of the UK’s
upholstery industry –
launched their Ryde
Upholstery business in
East Street almost four
years ago.
With its promise to “love
furniture back to life”, it has
attracted a steady stream
of customers, bringing
their much-loved old
sofas and chairs for expert
transformation.
Emily, who grew up
on the Island, has a BA
honours degree in Furniture
and Product Design
from Nottingham Trent
University, and worked
for 12 years for top-end
businesses including Wade
and Parker & Farr.
Her partner Aaron, who
is from Nottinghamshire,
went straight from school
into an apprenticeship,
and then worked for Laura
Ashley and Sofa Workshop, among others.
After returning to live on the Island, they did one-off
upholstery jobs for friends before deciding to get back
to what they love, and launching their own business
towards the end of 2013.
Emily said: “We see lots of people who are reluctant
to throw out a good quality sofa just because it’s a few
years old. It’s amazing the transformation that can be
made just with a new fabric.
“Reupholstering can certainly cost less than buying
new, and once we’ve put a piece back together it will
often be better quality than a brand new one”.
You can find Ryde Upholstery at Unit 6A 12, East
Street, Ryde, call 01983 616616 or 07900 803521, or
visit the website at www.rydeupholstery.com
www.visitilife.com
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