Bringing life back into furniture and favourite pieces
One of the enjoyable aspects of new ventures is meeting interesting people who would not otherwise have crossed your path.
Slight confession here though as I first met Claudia Spens of Family Seats at a pop-up event where she bagged some great festival gear from me.
We seemed to hit it off so imagine my delight when I discovered she also has a retail space at Homemade in Bassingbourn, which is now home to the Trash Chic Boutique.
With Family Seats, Claudia Spens specialises in upcycling and re-upholstery, bringing life and love back into furniture and favourite pieces. She also creates personalised needlepoint cushions and footstools and other unique items celebrating births, birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.
How did it all begin?
Claudia’s most treasured item as a child, and still to this day, is a present from her godfather. It’s a small footstool with a needlepoint tartan cover featuring her initials and date of birth.
She grew up in Scotland, and when all her friends started to get married, have children, and celebrate significant birthdays she wanted to give them a special present. Thus began the making of needlepoint cushions and footstools featuring their tartan and family crest/initials.
Commissions started pouring in, so she founded her business ‘Family Seats’ … a play on words. You sit on a personalised cushion/footstool that features your own design, tartan and initials.
London calling
When Claudia moved to London the ‘day job’ took over and Family Seats was pushed into the background. What an interesting and varied career she’s had: cooking, advertising, cheese, maps, Duchy Originals … and working for the Royal Family for over 25 years. Claudia managed all the correspondence for The King and his immediate family (at that time he was The Prince of Wales).
Family Seats takes front of stage
More changes and a new chapter. Claudia now lives in Cambridgeshire and is focussing on being creative again. Welcome back Family Seats.
“I absolutely hate waste” says Claudia, “and at the local tip I am continually appalled by the items people throw out. I love sourcing and rescuing pieces of furniture and other items, giving them some love and bringing them back to life.”
By her own admission she is happiest re-upholstering and upcycling. In the evening she’ll curl up on the sofa with her dog Max and do some needlepoint in front of a film.
A new festival for East Anglia
Her latest project is organising Cornucopia, a festival of artisan, epicurean and musical delights, celebrating all that is wonderful about East Anglia and beyond. Set in the magnificent parkland and terraced garden of Kimberley Hall, the festival is celebrating, supporting and promoting small producers and businesses, with over 80 handpicked stalls showcasing makers and creators from Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and further afield, there will also be a programme of live music throughout the day and much more. Of course Trash Chic will be there!
With plenty of space at Kimberley Hall more stalls can be accommodated if required. For more information email claudia@kimberleyhall.co.uk or visit www.kimberleyhall.co.uk.
You can view some of Claudia’s work at Homemade at the Barn,
Old North Road, Bassingbourn, SG8 5JL. Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm
For commissions email claudia.spens@yahoo.com
Follow her on Instagram: @familyseats.
