The Start of Fox & Furb: Crafting Dreams & Finding Upholstery.

About the start of Fox & Furb - How I found Upholstery.

Writer: Founder, Hayley Poulter

A little over a decade ago, my Fox & Furb journey began with the birth of my daughter, alongside my already two-year-old son in Hampshire, UK with an unplanned gift from Martin....

A vibrant orange beanie hat adorned with a fox face and ears, a thoughtful gift to keep me warm on the preschool runs. Little did we know, that playful hat would become the cornerstone of inspiration (and name) for our family business venture eight years in the future.

Pics: working in my original upholstery cabin, our dog Flash on a foldstool & the famous fox hat.

Lockdown, building & Slim innovation.

During lockdown, we embarked on a big self-build and our home underwent major renovations. This big project was when we first knew we wanted to be working together in some capacity in the future.

Pics: Working on our house re-build, the first Slim Jim Foldstool Prototypes.

The need for comfort with limited space during the rebuild, led Martin and I to design a folding stool that we could store away from the brick dust in the day when working.

Prototypes for the Foldstool began to take shape, and this seed of an idea sprouted into something tangible. Little did I know, our simple solution to a space constraint in our personal lives would mark the beginning of our business future.

The turning point came when Martin suggested I should give upholstery a proper go after he saw how much I enjoyed upholstering our own Slim Jim Foldstool.

So I signed up to some local classes and reupholstered my first significant project – a bespoke dog bed for our cherished whippet, re-invented from an old bench seat picked up on Facebook marketplace.

Pics: My first real project as local community upholstery class.

The satisfaction of creating something beautiful by hand ignited a passion within me I wanted to continue to explore more.

With my children heading towards secondary school and a newfound freedom, I continued on to a full diploma at London Met University, delving into AMUSF Stage 1 & 2, to gain my accreditation from the Association of Master Upholsters and Soft Furnishings.

I even won an award with The Worshipful Company London Upholders for my traditionally reupholstered nursing chair!

Pics: My traditionally re-built award winning nursing chair from my London Met, AMUSF course.

Alongside my studies, I continued to build upon my knowledge by working on reupholstery projects with personal and commissioned projects. Martin and I would sit and dream up ideas for the future and talked about potentially working together one day making our own furniture

Recognition & BBC One TV debut

This year’s milestones didn’t stop at graduating from the AMUSF. Not long after, I got a call from the BBC— choosing me to film our story for an upcoming series. It was an incredible experience, giving me the chance to work alongside the brilliant Micaela Sharp and meet the wonderfully talented Dominic Chinea from BBC One’s The Repair Shop, as part of his business bootcamp show.

Pics: Make it at Market, May 2023, Hayley with Dom Chinea & Micaela Sharp, Hayley & Martin Make it at Market.

Make It at Market is a BBC series that follows makers at a turning point — those ready to take their craft from passion project to sustainable business. Led by Dominic, and supported by expert mentors, the show dives into the reality behind building a creative business, from refining your product to understanding what it really takes to make it commercially viable.

The next chapter

Whether you're a fan of our Foldstools that transform spaces or a connoisseur of bespoke upholstery and unique furnishings, there's always something extraordinary brewing in the Fox & Furb workshop.

Join us as we continue to weave a tale of creativity, uniqueness, and the enduring spirit of creative collaboration. Take a look at our online shop, to place your order for bespoke and handmade furniture direct from our family to yours.

Pic: Hayley & Martin co -founders Fox & Furb Design Studio, Upholstery & Design, Hampshire.

Be sure to follow me us Instagram to see our latest commissions, project sneak peeks, latest TV and events news.

This was re posted to new website:

Re-visit BBC show "I Made it at Market" due to air BBC iplayer 7th April 2023, BBC One 13th 3.45 GMT.