Proudly British. Designed by Someone Who Has Spent His Life in the Trade.
Howard grew up in south-east London, around Bermondsey, among railway arches, avenues and alleyways full of independent antique and furniture shops. That's where his interest in furniture began. He opened his first second-hand shop in 1985, selling antiques, furniture and gifts, and had grown it to five stores within a few years. He then started designing and manufacturing his own armchairs and sofas, several of which are still available to order today. By the mid 2000s, he had built the UK's largest online furniture retailer, before stepping back from the trade.
Our Leather: Developed by Howard
In 2017, Howard created the semi-aniline distressed vintage leather still used across the collection today. It's made from European cattle hides, a by-product of the farming industry rather than something farmed specifically for leather, and left to show its natural scars, creases and markings rather than the coated, uniform finish found on most mass-market sofas. It takes people time to understand this approach. Once they do, most prefer a leather that changes with use over one that stays artificially perfect.
Alongside the leather, pieces are upholstered in genuine Harris Tweed and vintage-style velvets, chosen for how they wear rather than how they photograph.
Built by Hand, to Order, in Britain
Every sofa and armchair starts with a solid hardwood frame, built by specialist frame makers in Wales, then upholstered by hand in Lancashire using traditional methods. Both workshops run genuine apprenticeship schemes, training the next generation of upholsterers rather than letting those skills disappear. Nothing is imported, flat-packed or mass-produced. Each piece is built to order and typically takes four to six weeks to complete.
Howard designs every piece himself, drawing on a career built across some of the most respected names in British furniture. What's made now is a small, considered range rather than a wide catalogue, built properly and designed to be lived with for a long time.