Chiana Dickson
In an exclusive interview with upholsterer and tutor Vanessa Butt, she offers a glimpse into her independent sustainable business Vanessa Butt Upholstery.
Vanessa Butt is an upholsterer based in South West London known for her focus on sustainable practices and innovation. In 2020, Vanessa started designing and producing her own sustainable cushion filling from coconut husk fibres and hasn’t looked back since.
Now, Vanessa is starting to expand her business. She hired an assistant earlier this year to help with her increasing workload. To celebrate, I interviewed Vanessa to learn more about her process and why she thinks sustainability is so important in modern interior design. Here is what she had to say.
How did you get into upholstery?
“I was looking for a career change after working as a Mental Health Support Worker during the recession; it was taking its toll on me. At first, I was interested in interior design, but then I decided to start with a part-time course in upholstery at the Rycotewood School of Furniture in Oxford where I was living at the time.
“I enjoyed it so much that I went on to work for a mixture of larger and smaller upholstery firms before setting up on my own. I grew up on a farm so during my childhood, things were very ‘hands on’. The upholstery trade or craft is all about working with your hands, so I find the process very harmonious and the end result very satisfying.”
Why did you decide to go down the sustainability route?
We are without doubt in a climate crisis, so taking responsibility for how we can make small changes that have a big impact collectively is incredibly important.
“Upholstery is in of itself, already a sustainable craft. What I mean by this is that we as upholsterers are practising a skill that is counter to the ‘throwaway society’ by enabling furniture to have its continued life. During the pandemic, there was a shortage of TDI which is a petrochemical used in the manufacturing of foam and therefore foam was in short supply.
“It was in fact a blessing in disguise, as it made me challenge how sustainable my practice really was. I analysed everything I did in the workshop and made any changes where possible to ensure I was being more planet conscious.
“This was everything from business cards to packaging, and of course all my upholstery materials. We are without doubt in a climate crisis, so taking responsibility for how we can make small changes that have a big impact collectively is incredibly important.”
Why do you think sustainability is so important in the interior design world?
Our role is to share this knowledge, education is the key.
“Interior designers have a platform they can use. People are always looking for new ideas and styles, and if interior designers can use their platform to shine a light on eco-friendly alternatives or options then it will help educate those who aren’t necessarily in this sphere. We cannot make assumptions that people know what is necessarily good and bad regarding decisions they are making about their home environment.
“In addition to this, we need to think about the impact of certain products on our health. Foam, for example, is found on our mattresses, sofas, and armchairs, and creates off-gassing – the emission of noxious gases which can easily go undetected. The chemicals that are involved are detrimental to our well-being but many people are oblivious to these facts. Our role is to share this knowledge, education is the key.”
How have you developed in your career?
“After studying, it was important for me to work in a variety of upholstery workshops in order to see how other people run their businesses. I could use the good (and the bad) elements to help me work out what was important for me and my own practice. Being my own boss has definitely taught me a lot of skills, from being better at maths (!) to being more assertive.
“Like most start-ups, Vanessa Butt Upholstery started off by being funded by my other part-time jobs and running about trying to find extra hours in the week! It became such a big part of my life that I would do whatever it takes to help it grow and become successful, in parallel with growing and developing my own skills as needed. For example, public speaking was not something I would link to being an upholsterer, but I was recently invited to a panel discussion in Bristol to talk about sustainability in upholstery and I found it really gratifying.”
Tell me about the project you are most proud of and why.
“It’s got to be my Thought-fill™ cushion. It has taken me 2 years to get to this stage and I am so happy to have created something that can solve a problem that the furniture industry faces with regards to becoming carbon zero. I am very excited about what the future holds for this project.”
How did you come up with the Thought-fill cushion?
“It was part of my journey towards making a more environmentally friendly workshop. In the 1960s and 70s, developments in upholstery meant that polyurethane foam was the most common upholstery filling for new furniture being made. This is what we call ‘modern’ furniture. I wanted to create an alternative filling for seat and back cushions that are so commonly used in modern furniture, and one that was made from natural materials. After prototyping for a couple of years, I came up with a good solution using rubberised coconut fibre and plenty of wool. The process involves tufting the materials together to create resilience and the use of wool for comfort and to make a nice shape.”
Is there anything you are currently working on that you can tell us about?
equests are becoming more commonplace for my business as my customer base becomes more planet conscious.
“There is always a huge variety of work in the workshop which I love. I currently have a couple of traditional Louis chairs covered in silk, some cushion covers sewn for a customer’s sofa, and a very sweet little child’s chair finished in a lovely sky blue wool. For the next project, the customer has specifically asked for all-natural fillings for their sofa and we will be working with recycled leather. These requests are becoming more commonplace for my business as my customer base becomes more planet conscious.”
What is your goal for Vanessa Butt Upholstery? Where do you see the business in 5 years?
“To keep doing more of the same! I love my workshop and the neighbourhood of South West London which I look after. At the moment it’s just me and my Office Assistant, Minnie. However, when the Thought-fill™ cushion does become more popular I imagine I will need to take on another assistant in the workshop to help with the manufacturing!”
Find out more and see Vanessa’s work at: Vanessa Butt Upholstery
Featured image courtesy of Vanessa Butt with permission. No changes were made to this image.
Chiana
Chiana is a third-year English Literature student at Lancaster University who also has a passion for interior design. She aspires to one-day work full time as a content editor for one of her favourite home magazines.