# Saverys of Broadway — Full Site Content > Complete text content of saverys.co.uk for AI indexing. Luxury interior design studio established 1942 in Broadway, Cotswolds. ## Homepage Luxury Interior Design | Saverys of Broadway — Cotswolds & Ludlow Saverys of Broadway creates luxurious, timeless interiors for private residences and luxury hotels. Hand upholstery workshop, premium fabrics showroom, and expert design service. Established 1942. Studios in Broadway, Ludlow and Chelsea. Rooms composed with care A luxury interior design studio rooted in the Cotswolds, crafting considered spaces since 1942. A studio of quiet intention At Savery's, we believe the most beautiful rooms are those that feel as though they have always existed. Our approach is one of restraint and consideration — where every fabric, finish and form is chosen not for trend, but for truth. The Old Mill, Broadway Newtown Cottage Full interior design Complete room and property schemes, from concept through to final styling. Fabric and material sourcing Access to the finest mills and makers — linens, wools, silks and beyond. Furniture curation Handpicked antiques and contemporary pieces, chosen for character and quality. Begin a conversation Get in touch ## About / Our History Our History | Saverys of Broadway — Interior Design Since 1942 Established in 1942 in the heart of the Cotswolds, Saverys has been creating exceptional interiors for discerning clients across the UK for more than eighty years. Broadway, Ludlow and Chelsea. A room that remembers Savery's was established in 1942 by a family with a deep love of beautiful things — not for the sake of beauty alone, but for the quiet comfort it brings to daily life. Over more than eighty years, the studio has cultivated a philosophy of restraint. We do not follow trends. We listen — to the architecture, to the light, to the people who will live within the spaces we shape. Based in the village of Broadway in the Cotswolds, our studio sits within one of England's most cherished landscapes — a place that reminds us, daily, of the value of things made well and built to last. How we work Every project begins with listening. We take time to understand not just the brief, but the rhythms and rituals of the people who will inhabit the space. We compose schemes with the care of a curator — balancing colour, texture and form until the room feels inevitable, not designed. We work with the finest makers and craftspeople, ensuring every detail is executed with precision and care. See our work View projects ## Services Interior Design Services | Saverys of Broadway — Cotswolds Full interior design, fabric and material sourcing, furniture curation, colour consultation, and project management. Luxury design service from Broadway, Cotswolds. We begin every project by listening. Before a single fabric is chosen or a colour considered, we take time to understand the architecture, the light, and the lives that will unfold within the space. Full interior design Complete room and property schemes, from initial concept through to final styling. We manage every detail — spatial planning, colour palettes, furniture selection, soft furnishings, and finishing touches. Fabric and material sourcing Access to the finest mills and makers across Britain and Europe. Linens, wools, silks, velvets — each chosen for quality, character, and how they feel beneath the hand. Furniture curation A considered mix of antique and contemporary pieces, handpicked for their craftsmanship and character. We source from trusted dealers, estates, and artisan makers. Colour and light consultation Colour is the foundation of every room we compose. We consider how light moves through a space at every hour, selecting tones that feel natural and enduring. Project management From initial concept to final installation, we oversee every aspect of the project. Our clients are free to enjoy the process, knowing every detail is in careful hands. Every project begins with listening Start a conversation ## Interior Design in the Cotswolds Interior design in the Cotswolds | Savery's of Broadway Full interior design, bespoke upholstery, curtains and soft furnishings from a Cotswolds studio established in 1942. Room schemes and whole houses, designed and made by our own workshop. Interior design in the Cotswolds Saverys is an interior design studio rooted in the Cotswolds, established in 1942. We design complete rooms and whole houses, and we make much of what we design: upholstery bench-built in our own workshop, curtains and soft furnishings sewn in-house, furniture built from the frame up. What we do Our work covers full interior design, from first conversation to final styling, alongside the individual services that sit inside it. Bespoke sofas and chairs, hand upholstery and reupholstery, made-to-measure curtains and blinds, cushions, headboards and the soft furnishings that finish a room. Clients come to us for a single beautiful chair as often as for an entire house, and both are welcome. Designing for Cotswolds houses The houses of this region ask particular questions. Stone walls hold colour and light differently to plaster. Older cottages have low ceilings, deep windowsills and small openings that change how fabric behaves. Many properties are listed, which shapes what can be fixed, hung and altered. We have spent decades designing for these buildings, and our schemes are built around how a room actually receives light through the day, not how it photographs. That is also why fabric decisions happen in your rooms rather than ours. We bring samples to your house and look at them in your light, at the times of day you use the room, before anything is ordered. Designed here, made here Most design studios specify; we also make. When a scheme calls for a sofa, it is built by our own upholsterers on seasoned hardwood frames with hand-tied springs. When it calls for curtains, they are cut and sewn in our Ludlow workroom. Keeping the making close to the design means quality is checked by the people who will answer for it, lead times are ours to control, and nothing is lost between the drawing and the finished piece. How a project works Every project starts with listening. We talk about how you live, what the room is for and what it should feel like, then develop a scheme with fabrics, finishes and furniture, presented in a way that is easy to react to. From there we handle the ordering, the making and the installation, and we stay involved until the room is complete and feels as though it has always been there. If you are considering a project in the Cotswolds or beyond, get in touch to arrange a conversation. There is no charge for the first one and no obligation to go further. ## Projects Interior Design Portfolio | Saverys of Broadway — Cotswolds Browse the Saverys portfolio of luxury interior design projects — from private Cotswold residences to high-end hotels. Timeless spaces crafted with care and precision. The collection Each project is a collaboration — a conversation between our studio and the spaces, materials and people we work with. No two are alike, because no two lives are alike. Ready to begin? Begin a conversation ## Contact Contact Us | Saverys Interior Design — Broadway, Ludlow & Chelsea Get in touch with Saverys of Broadway. Visit our interior design studios in Broadway, Ludlow or Chelsea. Call 01386 858941 to discuss your project. Get in touch 27 High Street Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7DP 01386 858100 4 King Street Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1AQ 01584 877588 Chelsea Harbour Design Centre London SW10 0XE studio@lyndseysavery.co.uk Full interior design project Fabric & material sourcing Furniture curation Initial consultation ## Broadway Workshop & Store Workshop & Store | Saverys — Hand Upholstery & Luxury Fabrics, Broadway Visit the Saverys workshop and showroom in Broadway, Cotswolds. Hand upholstery by expert craftspeople, premium fabrics, exquisite rugs, and bespoke furniture. Over 50 years of combined expertise. The Workshop & Store Broadway, Cotswolds — Where Craft Meets Design A Dying Art, Kept Alive in Broadway In the heart of Broadway, behind the showroom floor, there is a workshop where things are still made properly. Frames are built by hand. Fabrics are cut and stretched with the patience that good work demands. It is a quieter way of doing things — and an increasingly rare one. Hand upholstery is a dying art in Britain. The number of workshops practising traditional techniques has dwindled to a handful. At Savery's, we are one of the few studios keeping this craft alive — not out of nostalgia, but because we know that nothing machine-made can match what skilled hands produce. Our team brings over fifty years of combined expertise in hand upholstery, fabric selection, and bespoke furniture making. Every piece is crafted on-site by expert hands — not outsourced, not mass-produced. This is real making, done with real care. An Exquisite Showroom The Savery's showroom, set within the Cotswold Design Centre in Broadway, is a destination for those who appreciate considered design. It is not a conventional shop — it is a curated space where premium fabrics, rugs, wallpapers, and finishes can be experienced as they are meant to be: in person, by touch. Here, clients compare silks against linens, feel the weight of a velvet, and see how a colour shifts in natural Cotswolds light. There is no substitute for this tactile experience — it is how the finest interiors begin. Our team is always on hand to guide selections, drawing on decades of experience with the world's most prestigious fabric houses. Crafted by Hand, Built to Last Step behind the showroom and you will find a working workshop — the kind of place that smells of timber and fabric, where progress is measured in careful, unhurried hours rather than production targets. Frames are constructed from seasoned hardwoods. Springs are hand-tied. Fabrics are precisely cut and stretched over forms built to last generations. This is traditional upholstery as it has been practised for centuries — and as it should continue to be. Clients are welcome to visit and see their furniture being crafted. There is something deeply reassuring about watching skilled hands at work — upholsterers, seamstresses, and finishers who have dedicated their careers to this quiet, exacting art. The Finest Fabrics & Rugs Savery's sources from the world's most prestigious fabric houses — names trusted by the finest decorators in Britain and beyond. Our showroom holds an unrivalled selection of premium textiles: silks, linens, velvets, wools, and performance fabrics suited to every application. Choosing the right fabric is an art in itself. Our team offers expert guidance on durability, drape, colour fastness, and texture — ensuring every selection is not only beautiful but entirely fit for purpose. Alongside our textile collection, we hold handpicked rug collections available to view and feel in the showroom. From hand-knotted wool to antique kilims, each piece is chosen for its character and quality. Guided by Expertise The Savery's team offers a consultative, personal service that begins with listening and ends only when every detail is right. From initial concept through to final installation, clients work with experienced designers who understand fabric, form, and function. With over fifty years of combined expertise across the team, there is very little we have not seen, solved, or made. Whether furnishing a single room or an entire country house, the level of care and attention remains the same. Visit the Workshop & Store We welcome visitors to the showroom and workshop by appointment. Come and experience our fabrics, see our craftspeople at work, and begin a conversation about your next project. Cotswold Design Centre, Kennel Lane Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7DJ 01386 858941 By appointment Get in touch ## Ludlow Store Our Ludlow Store | Savery's of Broadway — Luxury Interior Design Visit Savery's of Broadway in Ludlow — our carefully curated interiors store at 1 Tower Street, in the heart of this historic market town. Fabrics, furnishings & design consultations. Our Ludlow Store 1 Tower Street, Ludlow A destination for exceptional interiors Nestled in the heart of one of England's finest market towns, our Ludlow store brings the Savery's experience to the Welsh Marches. Set within a beautifully appointed space on Tower Street, it's a place to explore our curated collection of fabrics, wallpapers, furniture, and decorative pieces — each chosen to reflect the quality and craftsmanship that defines everything we do. Whether you're embarking on a full renovation or searching for that one perfect finishing touch, our Ludlow team is on hand to guide, inspire, and bring your vision to life. Fabric Library Browse an extensive collection of the finest fabrics from leading British and European houses — available to view, touch, and take away as samples. Wallpapers & Finishes From hand-printed wallpapers to artisan paint finishes, discover the materials that bring walls to life with character and depth. Furniture & Pieces A changing selection of furniture, lighting, and decorative accessories — sourced for quality, beauty, and that unmistakable sense of place. Design Consultations Book a one-to-one consultation with our team to discuss your project. Whether it's a single room or an entire property, we're here to help. Curtain & Soft Furnishings All our curtains and soft furnishings are made in-house at our own workroom — ensuring impeccable quality and a truly bespoke result. Gifts & Home Thoughtfully chosen candles, ceramics, and homeware — perfect for gifting or adding a considered finishing touch to any room. Step inside Visit us in Ludlow 1 Tower Street Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1RL 01584 708381 07415 065580 Monday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm Sunday: By appointment Castle Square car park is a short walk away Start a conversation Get in touch ## Portfolio Projects ### The Old Mill, Broadway, Worcestershire The Old Mill sits on the edge of Broadway village, its honey-coloured stone walls dating back three centuries. Our brief was to honour the building's character while creating a home that felt effortless and modern in its comfort. We sourced fabrics from British mills, commissioned bespoke curtains in botanical prints, and dressed every room with antiques that earned their place through proportion and provenance. ### Newtown Cottage, The Cotswolds Newtown Cottage is a characterful Cotswold property where the owners wanted interiors that felt collected rather than designed. We layered rich velvets, golden botanical-print drapes, and a mix of vintage and contemporary cushions to create spaces that invite you to stay. Every room has its own personality, united by a shared sense of warmth and texture. ### Manor Farm, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire Manor Farm is a Grade II listed farmhouse on the outskirts of Chipping Campden. The owners sought a home that honoured the building's agricultural past while offering every modern comfort. We mixed antique painted furniture with hand-blocked fabrics, and let the building's original features — flagstone floors, low beams, deep windowsills — guide every decision. ### The Dower House, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire The Dower House is a handsome Georgian property where simplicity was the guiding principle. Every room was composed around the extraordinary light that floods through the tall sash windows. We chose natural linens, muted botanical prints, and a palette of soft creams and sage greens that shift gently through the seasons. The result is a home of uncommon calm. ## Journal Articles ### The Anatomy of a Hand-Sprung Seat Sit on a well-made sofa — one with a hand-sprung seat — and something registers immediately, even if you can't quite articulate what. The seat responds to you. It gives, but it supports. There's a resilience underneath that holds its shape without rigidity. It feels, in a word, right. Now sit on something built with a serpentine spring unit or a foam slab on a webbing base. The difference is not subtle. One feels engineered for comfort; the other feels engineered for price. In our Broadway workshop, we still build seats the way they were built a century ago — with individual coil springs, hand-lashed in an eight-way tie pattern. It takes longer. It costs more. And it produces a seat that no modern shortcut has managed to replicate. ## The layers, from the bottom up A hand-sprung seat is built in layers, each with a specific purpose. Understanding what's inside helps explain why the finished piece feels the way it does. **The webbing.** The foundation is a grid of jute webbing, stretched taut across the bottom of the seat frame and tacked in place. This is what the springs sit on. The webbing must be tensioned correctly — too loose and the seat will sag; too tight and there's no give for the springs to work against. Getting this right is a matter of feel and experience. **The springs.** Individual double-cone coil springs are positioned on the webbing grid, spaced evenly across the seat. The gauge and height of the spring are selected based on the intended firmness and the depth of the seat. We use heavier gauge springs for seats that need more support and softer gauges where a gentler sit is required. **The eight-way tie.** This is the defining technique. Each spring is tied to its neighbours and to the frame using strong laid cord, in eight directions: front to back, side to side, and on both diagonals. This creates a unified sprung platform where every spring works in concert with its neighbours. When you sit down, the load is distributed evenly across the entire seat rather than concentrated on the springs directly beneath you. Tying springs is skilled, physical work. Each knot must be secure, each cord tensioned to the right degree. Too tight and the springs can't compress properly. Too loose and the seat feels uneven. An experienced upholsterer ties by feel, adjusting tension as they work across the seat, checking the surface with their hand for consistency. **The hessian.** A layer of heavy hessian is stretched over the tied springs and stitched down. This creates a stable surface for the layers above and prevents the filling from working down into the springs. **The filling.** Traditionally, this is horsehair — teased and layered to create an even surface. Horsehair is naturally resilient: it compresses under weight and springs back when the weight is removed, and it doesn't flatten permanently the way synthetic fillings can. We still use horsehair on commissions where the client wants the firmest, most traditional seat. For a softer feel, we layer combinations of hair, cotton felt, and wadding. **The calico.** A layer of unbleached calico is stretched over the filling, pulled tight, and tacked to the frame. This shapes the seat — pulling in the edges, creating a smooth, even surface. The calico stage is where the upholsterer's eye matters most. Small adjustments here determine whether the finished seat looks crisp and intentional or lumpy and approximate. **The top cover.** Finally, the chosen fabric is applied over the calico. On a hand-sprung seat, the fabric sits on a surface that has been meticulously shaped and tensioned. It lies flat, it doesn't pull, and it ages evenly because the structure underneath is sound. !Upholsterer hand-working fabric at the cutting table in the Saverys workshop ## Why it matters The honest answer is that most people will never see any of this. The springs, the horsehair, the eight-way ties — they're hidden the moment the top cover goes on. But you feel them every time you sit down. And you'll still feel them in twenty years, which is more than can be said for most modern alternatives. A serpentine spring — the S-shaped wire used in most factory-made furniture — does a reasonable job for a few years. But it fatigues. The wire loses its tension, the seat develops soft spots, and eventually the support becomes uneven. A foam block on webbing is cheaper still, and it degrades faster. The foam oxidises, compresses permanently, and after five to seven years the seat is a shadow of what it was. A hand-sprung seat, properly built, will outlast the fabric on top of it many times over. We regularly re-upholster pieces where the frame and springs are decades old and still perfectly sound. The client gets a sofa that looks and feels entirely new, on bones that have already proved themselves. ## A disappearing skill Hand-springing is not taught widely. It takes years to learn properly, and few young upholsterers have the opportunity — or the patience — to develop the skill. Most modern upholstery training focuses on techniques suited to factory production: pre-built spring units, staple guns, and machine-cut foam. We're fortunate to have upholsterers in our workshop who trained traditionally and who have passed their methods to the next generation within the team. It's not a romanticised notion — it's a practical reality. If these techniques aren't practised and taught, they disappear. A hand-sprung seat built in our workshop in 2026 is made the same way a seat was built in 1926. We think that's worth preserving. ### How to Choose Upholstery Fabric for a Country House Choosing upholstery fabric is one of the most consequential decisions in any interior scheme. The fabric you select will determine how a room feels to sit in, how it ages, how light plays across its surfaces, and — practically — how it holds up against the realities of daily life. A poorly chosen fabric on a beautifully made sofa is a waste of good craftsmanship. A well-chosen one becomes more beautiful with time. In our Broadway workshop, we've been upholstering furniture by hand for more than eighty years. We've seen what lasts, what fades, what pills after a season, and what still looks impeccable after a decade. This guide draws on that experience — not theory, but the accumulated knowledge of working with fabric every day. ## Start with how the piece will be used Before considering colour or pattern, ask a more fundamental question: how will this piece of furniture actually be lived with? A sofa in a family kitchen that absorbs the full force of children, dogs, and Sunday lunches needs a very different fabric from an occasional chair in a formal drawing room that might be sat on twice a week. Both deserve to look beautiful, but they have entirely different jobs to do. We always begin here with our clients. It sounds obvious, but the most common mistake we see is choosing fabric with the eyes alone. The second question — how will this wear? — is the one that saves heartache later. ## Understanding the Martindale rub test The Martindale test is the industry standard for measuring fabric durability in the UK. A mechanical arm rubs the fabric under controlled pressure until the fibres begin to break down. The result is expressed as a number — the higher the number, the more resilient the fabric. As a rough guide from our experience in the workshop: **Under 10,000 rubs** — decorative use only. Cushion covers, bolsters, pieces that are admired rather than sat on. Fine silks and delicate printed linens often fall here. **10,000 to 20,000 rubs** — occasional use. An armchair in a bedroom, a window seat in a guest room, a decorative stool. Pieces that see gentle, intermittent use. **20,000 to 30,000 rubs** — everyday domestic use. The family sofa, dining chairs, a reading chair by the fire. This is where most residential upholstery should sit. **30,000 rubs and above** — heavy domestic and light commercial use. Pieces in high-traffic areas, mudrooms, boot rooms, or for clients who simply want the most durable option regardless of setting. Hotel lobbies and restaurant seating typically specify here. A number alone doesn't tell the whole story — weave structure, fibre content, and finish all play a role — but it's a sensible starting point. We always check the Martindale rating before recommending a fabric for upholstery, and we'd encourage you to do the same. !Upholstery craftsman working with fabric at the Saverys workshop in Broadway ## Natural fabrics: the options In a country house setting, natural fabrics are almost always our first instinct. They age with character, they feel good to the touch, and they sit comfortably within interiors that lean on texture and warmth rather than high-gloss finishes. **Linen** is the fabric we reach for most often. It has a beautiful dry hand, it softens with use, and it takes dye in a way that produces the most wonderful muted, chalky tones. The natural creasing is part of its appeal — a linen-covered sofa looks relaxed and inviting rather than rigid. We typically recommend linen-cotton blends for upholstery, as pure linen alone can be too soft for structured seating. Look for a Martindale rating above 20,000. **Wool** is exceptional for durability. It's naturally resilient, resistant to pilling, and has an inherent warmth that makes it ideal for colder months and stone-floored rooms — which, in the Cotswolds, is most rooms. A good wool tweed or flannel will outlast almost any other natural fibre on a working sofa. We use wool extensively for pieces in hallways, studies, and family rooms. **Velvet** — specifically cotton velvet — brings depth and richness to a scheme. The way it catches and reflects light is unmatched. The common concern is that velvet marks easily, and with cheaper velvets this can be true. But a well-made cotton or viscose velvet with a Martindale rating above 30,000 is surprisingly hardy. We've used it on family sofas that look as good five years on as they did on day one. **Silk** we use sparingly and with clear intent. It's exquisite on a formal dining chair or an antique bedroom piece, but it has no place on a sofa that sees daily use. We'll always advise clients honestly about where silk will thrive and where it will simply suffer. ## The case for performance fabrics There's a perception that performance fabrics — the new generation of stain-resistant, fade-resistant textiles — are somehow inferior to natural fibres. In our experience, that's increasingly untrue. The technology has advanced considerably, and several fabric houses now produce performance linens and velvets that are virtually indistinguishable from their natural counterparts in appearance and feel. For families with young children, for pieces near kitchen areas, or for clients who entertain frequently, we often recommend a performance fabric without apology. A sofa that can be wiped clean after a glass of red wine is not a compromise — it's intelligent design. The key is choosing performance fabrics from reputable houses where the hand and drape have been carefully considered, not the stiff, plastic-feeling textiles of a decade ago. We stock several in our Broadway showroom, and we always invite clients to feel the difference for themselves. !Fabric being cut and prepared at the upholstery workbench ## Colour, pattern, and the scheme Once you've established the practical requirements — rub count, fibre type, performance needs — you can begin thinking about colour and pattern. Here, context is everything. A fabric doesn't exist in isolation. It exists in relation to the walls, the floor, the light, and every other surface in the room. We always recommend seeing fabrics in situ before committing — a colour that looks perfect under the fluorescent lights of a sample book can look entirely different in a north-facing Cotswold sitting room on a grey February afternoon. Large-scale patterns work best on generously proportioned furniture where the repeat has room to express itself. A bold floral on a compact two-seater will look cramped; the same fabric on a deep three-seater can be magnificent. Conversely, a ticking stripe or small geometric can bring quiet interest to a smaller piece without overwhelming it. We tend to advocate for a considered palette of no more than three or four fabrics within a single room — a primary upholstery fabric, a secondary for accent pieces, and one or two for cushions and window treatments. Discipline here produces calm, cohesive rooms rather than rooms that feel busy. ## What we'd suggest If you're starting from scratch and want a single, reliable approach: choose a heavy linen-cotton blend in a neutral tone for your main seating, add depth with a wool or velvet on an accent chair, and bring personality through cushions and throws where the commitment is lower and the fabric can be more adventurous. If you'd like to discuss fabric options for a specific project, our showroom at the Cotswold Design Centre in Broadway has an extensive library of samples from the fabric houses we work with. You're welcome to visit — seeing and touching the fabric is always better than choosing from a screen. ### What Happens When You Commission a Bespoke Sofa There's a moment, early in most projects, when a client asks about a sofa. Sometimes they know exactly what they want — a Howard, a Knole, a deep-seated chesterfield. More often, they know how they want it to feel: generous, inviting, something the family will gravitate toward. The specifics — dimensions, depth, arm height, cushion fill — come later, through conversation. Commissioning a bespoke sofa is not the same as buying one from a showroom. It's a collaborative process that typically takes eight to twelve weeks from first discussion to delivery, and the result is a piece of furniture made specifically for your room, your needs, and your taste. Here's how it works in our Broadway workshop. ## The conversation Every commission begins with a discussion about the space. We want to understand not just the room's dimensions but its character — how light falls through the windows, what the flooring is, what other furniture will share the space, and how the room is actually used. A sofa for a formal drawing room that hosts occasional guests is a fundamentally different proposition from one in a kitchen-living space where three children do homework while supper is being made. We'll talk about proportions. Seat depth is one of the most overlooked dimensions — anything below 800mm feels restrictive, and we generally aim for 950mm and above for real comfort. Arm height matters too, particularly if people like to lie down and read. Back cushion firmness is personal. These are the details that separate a sofa you tolerate from one you love. At this stage, we'll usually sketch out the piece and discuss frame options. We build frames from kiln-dried beech — a hardwood that takes the strain of daily use without warping or creaking over time. ## Choosing the fabric With the shape and scale agreed, we move to fabric. This is where the showroom earns its place — clients come in, sit with us, and work through the options with the actual material in their hands. A swatch in a book gives you colour and pattern. A full metre draped over a frame gives you drape, weight, and the way light moves across the surface. There's no substitute for seeing fabric at scale. We'll advise on practicality — the Martindale rub count, whether a fabric benefits from a stain treatment, how it will age — and we'll be honest if we think a particular choice won't serve well in the intended setting. We'd rather guide a client toward a fabric they'll still love in ten years than agree to something we know will disappoint. ## Building the frame The frame is constructed by hand in our workshop. We don't use staple guns on structural joints — frames are dowelled, glued, and screwed. The corner blocks are reinforced. It sounds like a small thing, but these details determine whether a sofa frame lasts five years or fifty. The base is sprung using traditional coil springs, hand-tied with an eight-way pattern. This is the element that gives the seat its response — that gentle, supportive give when you sit down, without the bottoming-out that foam alone produces. Hand-springing takes significantly longer than modern drop-in spring units, but the difference in comfort is immediately apparent. !Upholsterer working on fabric at the Saverys workshop cutting table ## Upholstering With the frame built and sprung, the upholstery begins. Layers of hessian, wadding, and filling build up the shape. We use a combination of materials depending on the commission — horsehair for firmness and structure, feather and down for softness, or foam-and-feather wraps for a middle ground that maintains its shape without daily plumping. The fabric is then cut, matched if patterned, and applied by hand. On a patterned fabric, this requires particular care — the pattern must run consistently across the seat, the back, and the arms without interruption. A well-upholstered sofa shows no puckering, no pulling, and no compromise in how the fabric sits on the frame. The final details — piping, trim, feet, castors — are fitted last. We keep a range of finishes in the workshop, from turned oak legs to brass cup castors, and we're always happy to source something specific if the scheme demands it. ## Delivery and beyond We deliver within the Cotswolds and across the UK. For larger pieces, we always check access beforehand — there's nothing worse than arriving with a sofa that won't fit through the door. If access is tight, we'll discuss options in advance: removable legs, a delivery through a window, or in some cases a slight adjustment to the frame dimensions at the design stage. A well-made bespoke sofa should last decades. When the fabric eventually tires — and all fabric does, given enough time — the piece can be re-upholstered on the same frame. Several of our clients have had sofas re-covered after fifteen or twenty years, and the frame underneath is as sound as the day it was built. That's the point of commissioning something made properly in the first place. If you'd like to discuss a commission, we're at the Cotswold Design Centre in Broadway. Come and see the workshop — it's the best way to understand what we do. ### The Cotswold Design Centre: A Destination for Interiors in Broadway Broadway has long been one of the Cotswolds' most visited villages. People come for the honey-coloured stone, the wide high street, the walking, and the general sense that things here move at a pace more suited to the thinking mind. What fewer visitors realise is that tucked just off the high street, along Kennel Lane, sits one of the most comprehensive interior design destinations in the region. The Cotswold Design Centre is where Saverys has been based since the early days of the practice. It's not a shop in the conventional sense — though you can certainly buy here. It's a working environment where design happens: fabrics are selected, schemes are developed, and furniture is made in the workshop that sits behind the showroom. The two activities — making and advising — happen in close proximity, and that proximity shapes everything about how we work. ## What you'll find The showroom itself is arranged not as a retail display but as a working library. Thousands of fabric samples from the houses we've built relationships with over more than eighty years line the walls and fill the drawers: linens from Belgium, silks from Italy, wools from the Scottish Borders, and cottons from English mills that have been weaving since the Victorian era. These aren't curated to look impressive on a shelf. They're here because we use them — because we've tested them, upholstered with them, and watched how they behave over years of use in our clients' homes. Beyond fabrics, the showroom holds our rug collections — handknotted pieces sourced from workshops we trust — alongside wallpaper books, trimmings, and the smaller details that bring a scheme together. A passementerie that finishes a pelmet. A gimp braid that defines the edge of a chair seat. These are the details that most people never notice consciously but that register as quality when they enter a well-made room. !Premium fabric sample books in the Saverys showroom ## The workshop next door What makes the Cotswold Design Centre unusual is that the showroom connects directly to a working upholstery workshop. When a client selects a fabric for a sofa or an armchair, that piece is built and upholstered on the premises — by the same team they've been speaking to. There's no intermediary factory, no six-week wait for a container from overseas. The making happens here, by hand, and clients are welcome to visit and see their furniture taking shape. This arrangement is increasingly rare in British interior design. Most studios specify furniture that is then manufactured elsewhere. We've always done it differently, and the workshop is the reason. It gives us control over quality that simply isn't possible when you're relying on a third-party manufacturer working from a specification sheet. !Craftsman at work in the Saverys upholstery workshop, Broadway ## Visiting The Cotswold Design Centre is open to visitors — you don't need to be an existing client or have a project underway. If you're renovating a property, furnishing a new home, or simply want to spend an afternoon looking at beautiful materials, you're welcome. We find that the best design conversations often start informally, over a cup of tea, with a client running their hand across a piece of cloth and saying "something like this." If you'd like to discuss a specific project, we'd recommend booking a consultation so we can give you proper time and attention. But for a general visit — to see the fabrics, to look at the rugs, to get a sense of what's possible — simply come along. We're at the Cotswold Design Centre, Kennel Lane, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7DJ. If you're coming from the high street, turn down Kennel Lane opposite the Crown and Trumpet — you'll find us within a couple of minutes' walk. ### Designing for a Cotswold Stone House Cotswold stone has a way of setting the terms. Its warmth — that particular honeyed tone that shifts from pale cream to deep amber depending on the quarry and the light — is not a neutral backdrop. It's a presence in the room. Any interior scheme for a Cotswold stone house needs to acknowledge this from the outset, working with the stone's character rather than attempting to override it. We've been designing for these properties since 1942, and the buildings themselves have taught us more than any design manual. Each house has its own light, its own proportions, and its own quirks. A seventeenth-century cottage on the high street in Broadway behaves entirely differently from a Georgian rectory on the edge of Chipping Campden. What they share is an architectural honesty that responds best to interiors of equal sincerity. ## Light comes first The single most important factor in a Cotswold stone interior is light. These houses were not built for large windows — mullioned openings, deep reveals, and small panes are characteristic features, and they control how daylight enters a room. In winter, when the Cotswold sky is low and grey, rooms can feel markedly darker than their summer selves. In high summer, a south-facing room can be flooded with warm, golden light that changes every surface it touches. This means colour decisions must be tested across seasons and times of day. A paint colour chosen on a bright June afternoon will look entirely different on a dark November morning. We always recommend living with large paint samples on the wall for at least a week, observing how they behave as the light shifts. What looks soft and warm in the evening can look flat and cold by morning. Stone walls amplify this effect — they reflect and absorb light differently from plaster, and the texture of the stone creates its own pattern of highlights and shadows. ## Colour and the stone The Cotswold stone palette — those creams, buffs, and warm greys — naturally harmonises with certain colour families and resists others. Earth tones, muted greens, warm whites, and soft blue-greys tend to sit comfortably alongside the stone. They feel of a piece with the landscape outside the window. Stronger colours can work beautifully, but they need confidence and purpose. A deep teal or a rich terracotta in a room with enough light to carry it can be magnificent against stone walls. What tends to fail is the middle ground — colours that are neither bold enough to make a statement nor quiet enough to recede. In a Cotswold house, commit to the colour or don't use it. We find that the most successful schemes draw their palette from the immediate surroundings: the lichen on a stone wall, the green of the valley in spring, the washed blue of a winter sky. This isn't sentimentality — it's practical. Colours drawn from the landscape tend to sit well in rooms that look out onto it. ## Proportion and scale Many Cotswold properties have rooms with lower ceilings than their Georgian or Victorian counterparts. Ceiling heights of seven feet are common in older cottages, and even in larger houses the rooms are often more intimate than their footprint might suggest. This has implications for everything from curtain headings to furniture scale. In a low-ceilinged room, a full gathered curtain heading can feel oppressive. A simpler heading — a wave, a pencil pleat, or a neat hand-sewn pinch — allows the fabric to hang without crowding the top of the window. Similarly, furniture needs to respect the room's vertical proportions. A tall wing chair that looks perfectly at home in a Georgian drawing room with ten-foot ceilings can feel overbearing in a cottage sitting room. We always measure and assess rooms in person before specifying any furniture. Photographs are misleading — they flatten the space and mask the relationship between ceiling height, window size, and floor area. There's no substitute for standing in the room. ## Working with period features Original features — stone fireplaces, oak beams, flagstone floors, mullioned windows — are the architectural inheritance of a Cotswold house and should be treated with respect. This doesn't mean the interior must be a period recreation. Some of the most successful schemes we've worked on combine original features with contemporary furniture and modern comfort, creating rooms that feel both rooted and alive. The key is coherence. A contemporary sofa can sit beautifully in a beamed cottage if the fabric, the scale, and the colour are right. An antique piece can look extraordinary in a room with clean, modern walls. What breaks a scheme is inconsistency — when the different elements feel as though they've arrived from different houses and different centuries without any conversation between them. Stone floors deserve particular attention. They're beautiful but cold, and in the Cotswolds the temperature underfoot is a real consideration for much of the year. Well-chosen rugs — properly sized, properly placed — transform the comfort of a stone-floored room without hiding the floor entirely. We keep a considered selection of handknotted rugs in our Broadway showroom, and we're happy to bring pieces to a client's home so they can see them in context. ## The Cotswold interior, honestly The best Cotswold interiors share a quality that's difficult to name but immediately recognisable: they feel settled. Not designed to impress, not straining for effect, but comfortable in their own skin. The stone has been there for centuries. The beams have weathered and darkened. The windows frame a landscape that hasn't fundamentally changed in a very long time. The interiors that work best within these walls share that quality of quiet permanence. This doesn't mean they're old-fashioned. It means they've been considered with the same patience and care that went into building the house in the first place. That's the standard we aim for — interiors that feel as though they've always been there, even when every element is new. ### Linen, Velvet, Wool: A Guide to Natural Upholstery Fabrics Walk into our Broadway showroom and run your hand along the fabric drawers. You'll feel the difference between materials before you see it — the dry crispness of a Belgian linen, the dense pile of a cotton velvet, the springy warmth of a Scottish wool. Each fabric has its own character, and understanding that character is the starting point for choosing well. We work almost exclusively with natural fabrics. Not out of ideology, but because in more than eighty years of making we've found that natural fibres produce the most beautiful, most comfortable, and most enduring results. They age with grace rather than deterioration. They feel better against the skin. And they bring a depth and texture to a room that synthetic alternatives struggle to match. Here's what we know about the fabrics we use most. ## Linen Linen is the fabric we recommend more than any other for upholstery. It has qualities that make it almost uniquely suited to the task: it's strong, it's breathable, it softens with age, and it takes dye in a way that produces colours of remarkable subtlety — those chalky, muted tones that feel inherently Cotswold. The natural creasing of linen is part of its appeal. A linen-covered sofa looks lived in from the first day, in the best possible sense. It doesn't pretend to be something it's not. This relaxed quality makes it the natural choice for country houses, informal sitting rooms, and any space where comfort matters more than formality. For upholstery, we generally recommend linen-cotton blends rather than pure linen. The cotton adds structure and improves the Martindale rub count — a pure linen at 15,000 rubs becomes a linen-cotton blend at 25,000 or above. The feel remains distinctly linen; the performance improves meaningfully. Our preferred weight for upholstery is around 350–450 gsm. Lighter linens work beautifully for curtains and cushion covers but lack the substance to hold their shape on a structured piece. When in doubt, go heavier — you lose nothing in appearance and gain considerably in longevity. **Where it works best:** Family sofas, deep armchairs, window seats, informal dining chairs. Anywhere you want warmth and texture without pretension. **Where to be cautious:** Very formal settings where a crisper drape is needed. Pure white or very pale linens in households with young children (a linen in putty or stone, however, hides everyday life remarkably well). ## Velvet Velvet brings depth to a room in a way nothing else quite manages. The way it absorbs and reflects light — shifting tone as you move around a piece — gives upholstered furniture a richness and presence that flat-weave fabrics can't achieve. A velvet armchair by a fire on a dark evening is one of the great pleasures of domestic life. The common anxiety about velvet is marking. And with cheaper velvets — particularly viscose pile on a lightweight backing — this concern is justified. They crush, they mark where you sit, and they show every brush of a hand. But a well-made cotton velvet or a mohair velvet with a Martindale rating above 30,000 is a different proposition entirely. These fabrics are genuinely hard-wearing. We've used them on family sofas that look as good after five years of daily use as they did on the day of delivery. The weight and pile density matter enormously. A good upholstery velvet should feel dense and substantial in the hand, not thin or papery. The pile should spring back when you press your thumb into it. We stock several cotton velvets in the showroom that meet these standards, and we always encourage clients to handle them before committing. **Where it works best:** Feature armchairs, chesterfield sofas, bedroom headboards, dining chairs in more formal settings. Velvet loves a room with good light — natural or artificial — where its tonal shifts can be appreciated. **Where to be cautious:** Very sunny rooms where prolonged direct light can cause uneven fading. Households with cats, who find velvet irresistible. !Fabric sample books from leading British and European houses ## Wool Wool is the workhorse of British upholstery and has been for centuries. It is quietly exceptional: naturally resilient, resistant to pilling, flame-retardant without chemical treatment, and warm to the touch even when the stone floor beneath it is freezing. In a Cotswold house, where stone floors and draughty windows are facts of life, wool earns its place. A good wool tweed or flannel is extraordinarily durable. Martindale ratings routinely exceed 40,000, and the fabric maintains its appearance far longer than most alternatives. Wool also accepts dye beautifully — the depth of colour in a well-dyed wool is richer and more complex than the same shade in a cotton or linen. We use wool extensively for pieces that need to work hard: hallway benches, studies, boot rooms, and kitchen seating. It's also our recommendation for anyone who wants a plain upholstery fabric that won't show every mark and crease — the natural texture of a wool weave is forgiving in a way that smooth fabrics are not. **Where it works best:** High-traffic seating, cold rooms, country house studies and libraries, any piece where durability is paramount. **Where to be cautious:** Bedrooms and spaces where a softer, more relaxed feel is wanted. Wool can feel too structured for a casual reading chair — though a wool-and-linen blend softens this considerably. ## Cotton Cotton is the foundation fabric — versatile, workable, and widely available. On its own, a heavy cotton canvas or duck cloth makes perfectly serviceable upholstery, though it lacks the distinctive character of linen or the depth of velvet. Where cotton excels is in blends: cotton-linen for added strength, cotton-velvet for pile fabrics, and cotton-wool for softened worsteds. We use cotton most often for loose covers — the removable slipcovers that can be washed and replaced as needed. For a house with children or dogs, a beautifully cut loose cover in a washed cotton is one of the most practical choices available. It can be removed, cleaned, and put back without any loss of appearance. **Where it works best:** Loose covers, casual sofas, slipcovers for seasonal change. Cotton chintz remains a classic for cottage-style curtains and lighter upholstery. ## Silk We use silk deliberately and sparingly. It is beautiful beyond question — the lustre, the drape, the way it catches even the faintest light — but it is not a forgiving fabric. It fades in direct sunlight, it marks with moisture, and it wears at pressure points. In the right setting, silk is unmatched. An antique dining chair recovered in a heavy dupion silk. A bedroom cushion. A bolster on a daybed in a room that gets gentle, filtered light. These are the applications where silk earns its place — as a considered accent, not a primary upholstery fabric. We would never recommend silk for a sofa or any piece subjected to daily use. But for the right moment, in the right room, nothing else comes close. ### How We Approach a New Interior Design Project Every project begins with a visit. Not a questionnaire, not a mood board exercise, not a video call — a visit. We come to the house, we walk through the rooms, we look at the light, we sit where the family sits. We want to understand the building before we start drawing. This isn't efficiency — it's necessity. A room cannot be designed from photographs. Photographs flatten space, distort proportions, and mask the quality of light that gives a room its particular character. We need to stand in the space, feel its scale, and understand how the architecture shapes what's possible. We also need to understand the people. How does the family actually use this house? Where do the children do homework? Where does everyone gather on a Sunday morning? Which room do you retreat to when you want quiet? These are the questions that determine whether a scheme works in practice, not just on paper. ## Listening before designing Our first meeting is almost entirely about listening. We want to understand your taste, your priorities, and — just as importantly — what you don't like. Sometimes the most useful thing a client can tell us is what they want to avoid. "Not too formal." "Nothing dark." "We had floral curtains in the last house and never again." These instincts are valuable because they're honest. We'll discuss budget openly and early. Good design is possible at many price points, but it requires honesty about what's realistic. We'd rather design a beautiful scheme within a defined budget than present something aspirational that causes anxiety. If a client wants to phase the work — one room now, another next year — we'll plan accordingly so the pieces connect when the scheme is eventually complete. ## Developing the scheme After the initial visit, we return to the studio and begin developing ideas. This stage is not about presenting a finished vision on a silver tray — it's a conversation that evolves through several rounds of discussion and refinement. We'll typically start with the floor plan, thinking about furniture placement, traffic flow, and how the room will be used day to day. Then we move to materials — fabrics, finishes, paint colours, flooring — bringing samples together on a board so you can see how they relate to each other. We always work with physical samples rather than digital swatches. Colour on a screen is unreliable. Texture doesn't translate through a photograph. The moment a client holds a piece of fabric and sees it against a painted sample in the actual room, the conversation changes — you can feel the scheme becoming real. ## Sourcing and making Once the scheme is agreed, we begin sourcing and commissioning. Some elements we make ourselves in the Broadway workshop — bespoke upholstered furniture, curtains, cushions, and soft furnishings. Others we source from makers and suppliers we've worked with for years: cabinetmakers, lighting specialists, rug dealers, antique houses. We manage every element of the procurement process. Clients don't need to chase deliveries, coordinate tradespeople, or troubleshoot problems — that's our responsibility. We keep a detailed schedule and communicate progress regularly, but we try to spare clients the operational detail unless they want to be closely involved. For commissions made in our workshop, clients are welcome to visit and see the work in progress. There's something satisfying about watching your sofa being built — seeing the frame, the springs, the layers of filling take shape under skilled hands. It connects you to the piece in a way that unwrapping a delivery box never quite manages. ## Installation We don't deliver furniture and leave. We install schemes — which means we're present when everything arrives, we position every piece, we dress every cushion, we hang every curtain, and we step back only when the room is complete. This final stage is where the scheme comes alive, and it requires the same care and attention as every stage that preceded it. We'll often make small adjustments on the day — moving a lamp, re-angling a chair, swapping two cushions — because a room in reality never behaves exactly as it did on the plan. This is not a sign of imperfect planning; it's a sign of paying attention. ## After A completed project is not the end of the relationship. Fabric needs care, furniture needs maintenance, and tastes evolve. We're always available to advise — whether a client needs a sofa re-covered after fifteen years, wants to refresh a room with new cushions and curtains, or is ready to tackle the next phase of their home. Many of our longest-standing clients have worked with us across multiple projects and multiple houses over decades. That continuity is something we value deeply. It means we understand not just the house but the people in it — what they love, how they live, and what will make them happy. ### Ludlow: A Design Lover's Guide to Shropshire's Finest Town Ludlow doesn't shout. It never has. While the Cotswolds draws coaches of visitors and the Lake District fills Instagram feeds, this small market town in south Shropshire goes about its business with a quiet assurance that suits it perfectly. The medieval street plan is largely intact. The castle stands on its promontory above the River Teme. The timber-framed buildings along Broad Street are among the finest in England. And the food — Ludlow's reputation as a food town is thoroughly deserved and shows no sign of diminishing. What's less widely known is that Ludlow has become, in its understated way, a genuine destination for anyone interested in design, architecture, and the making of beautiful things. We opened our Ludlow studio at 1 Tower Street because we recognised what many of our clients already knew: this town has a particular quality that rewards attention. ## The architecture Ludlow's built environment is its greatest asset and its most eloquent design statement. The town is a catalogue of English architectural history: Norman castle walls, medieval timber frames, Georgian townhouses, and Victorian shopfronts coexist within a few hundred yards. Walking from Broad Street to the Buttercross, you pass through five centuries of building without effort. For anyone designing interiors, this architectural variety is instructive. It demonstrates how different periods handled proportion, light, and material — and how the best buildings of every era share a commitment to craft and honesty that transcends style. A Ludlow timber frame and a Ludlow Georgian facade are built in entirely different languages, but both speak with clarity and confidence. The residential streets offer their own lessons. The terraced houses along Lower Broad Street, the merchants' houses in the town centre, the detached villas on the approach roads — each demands a different approach to interior design, and each rewards the designer who takes time to understand its particular character. ## The makers and independents Ludlow supports a concentration of independent makers, craftspeople, and retailers that belies its modest size. This is a town where skill is valued and where the handmade is not a marketing conceit but a daily reality. The food producers are the most celebrated — and rightly so — but the same ethos extends to other trades. There are furniture makers, potters, and artists working in and around the town whose output is of exceptional quality. The monthly Ludlow Market and the regular antiques and vintage events bring additional layers of interest for anyone furnishing a home. For our clients in Shropshire and the Marches, Ludlow serves as both inspiration and resource. We often suggest that clients beginning a project spend a day in the town — not specifically looking for anything, but absorbing the quality of the environment. The proportions of a well-made Georgian doorway, the colour of local stone against a green hillside, the texture of a hand-thrown pot in a studio window — these observations feed into design decisions in ways that browsing a website never can. ## Our Tower Street studio The Saverys studio at 1 Tower Street is a short walk from the castle, on one of Ludlow's most characterful streets. It serves clients across Shropshire, Herefordshire, and the Welsh Marches — a region rich in beautiful properties that deserve interiors of equal quality. The studio operates as an extension of our Broadway practice. Clients in the Ludlow area have access to the same fabric libraries, the same design expertise, and the same workshop. Pieces commissioned through the Ludlow studio are built in Broadway by the same team, using the same methods and materials. The standard is identical; only the geography differs. We find that many of our Shropshire clients are working with properties that share characteristics with Cotswold houses — stone construction, period features, rooms that have evolved over centuries — but with their own distinct regional character. The stone here is different: greyer, sometimes red sandstone, with a quality of light that shifts from the Cotswold warmth toward something cooler and more dramatic. The interiors we design for these houses respond to that difference. ## Why Ludlow People occasionally ask why we chose Ludlow for a second studio rather than a larger town with a bigger catchment. The answer is simple: Ludlow is where our clients are. Many of the finest houses in the Marches are within half an hour's drive, and the town's quality attracts the kind of people who care about how their home looks and feels. They don't want to drive to Birmingham for a design consultation. They want a studio they can visit easily, run by people who understand the local architecture and the local landscape. Ludlow also shares something fundamental with Broadway: it's a town that values craft, quality, and independence. That alignment matters to us. We feel at home here, and our clients tell us they feel the same when they visit the studio. If you're in Ludlow or the surrounding area and you'd like to discuss a project, the studio is at 1 Tower Street, Ludlow, SY8 1RL. Call us on 01584 708381, or simply drop in. ### How to choose an interior designer in the Cotswolds Appointing an interior designer is a strange purchase. You are committing a serious budget to someone before you have seen what they will make for you, and the industry does not make comparison easy. Some designers charge by the day, some take a percentage, some make their money on furniture. Some will design your whole house and some will not get out of bed for less than a full refurbishment. If you own a home in the Cotswolds and you are weighing this up, here is what we would tell a friend to look for. Some of it points towards a studio like ours. Some of it does not, and we have said so where that is the case. ## Start with the property, not the portfolio Cotswolds houses make specific demands. Thick stone walls that swallow light. Low ceilings and small window openings in older cottages. North-facing sitting rooms where a colour that looked warm in the sample book turns grey by mid afternoon. Many properties are listed, which limits what you can do to walls, floors and openings, and shapes everything from curtain fixings to radiator choices. A designer who works mainly on London flats or new-build projects can produce a beautiful scheme that fights the building. So before you look at anyone's portfolio for style, look at it for property type. Have they worked with stone, with period joinery, with rooms that have evolved over centuries? Ask them directly how they handle a listed building consent conversation, and listen for whether the answer sounds lived-in. ## Understand the three ways designers charge Most UK interior designers use one of three fee models, sometimes in combination. A flat design fee or day rate covers the thinking: concept, drawings, schemes, specifications. Day rates in this market run from a few hundred pounds to well over a thousand depending on the studio's standing. This model is transparent but the fee can grow if the project drifts. A percentage of project spend, typically somewhere between ten and twenty per cent of the furnishing and decoration budget, is common for full-service work. It aligns the designer with the scale of the project, though you should ask what happens when the budget changes. Margin on product is the quiet third model. The designer charges little or nothing for design time and earns on the furniture, fabric and pieces they supply. There is nothing wrong with this in principle, but you should know it is happening, because it shapes what gets recommended. Whichever model you are quoted, ask for it in writing before work starts, ask what is excluded, and ask how changes are handled. A good studio will not flinch at any of those questions. ## Ask where the making happens This is the question we think matters most and the one people ask least. When your designer specifies a sofa, a pair of curtains or a reupholstered chair, who actually makes it? For many designers the answer is a chain of trade suppliers they have never visited. That can work. But every link in the chain adds cost, lead time and a place for quality to slip, and when something arrives wrong, you find out how much control your designer really has. We are biased here, and openly so: Saverys has run its own workshop since 1942, and our upholstery is bench-made by our own people, with curtains and soft furnishings made in-house at our Ludlow workroom. When a client sits on a sofa we made, every decision from the frame timber to the stitching happened under our roof. Not every project needs that. If your job is a colour scheme and some well-chosen retail pieces, a decorator without a workshop may serve you perfectly well and cost less. But if the project involves bespoke furniture, upholstery or made-to-measure window treatments, ask the making question early. The answer tells you more than the portfolio does. ## Look for evidence they will listen The best predictor of a happy project is whether the designer designs for you or for their next photoshoot. You can test this in the first meeting. Do they ask how you live, who uses the room, what happens in it on an ordinary Tuesday? Or do they arrive with a look? A designer with a strong signature style is not a problem if you love that style. It becomes a problem when your house is being conscripted into their brand. Ask to see two finished projects that look nothing like each other. If everything in the portfolio could be the same house, you know whose taste is in charge. ## Practical questions worth asking Before you appoint anyone, we would want answers to these: - Who will actually work on my project day to day, and how often will I hear from them? - What does the process look like from first meeting to finished room, and how long does a project like mine usually take? - Can I see fabric and finish samples in my own rooms, in my own light, before committing? - What happens if something arrives damaged or wrong? - Can I speak to a past client with a similar property? None of these are aggressive questions. Any established studio has been asked them all before and will answer without hesitation. ## What working with us looks like For transparency, since this whole piece has argued for it: Saverys is an interior design studio rooted in the Cotswolds, working across full room and property schemes, bespoke upholstery made in our own workshop, and curtains and soft furnishings made in our Ludlow workroom. Every project starts with a conversation about how you live, usually over a cup of tea in the showroom or in your own sitting room. Fabric decisions happen in your rooms, in your light, because that is the only place they can honestly be made. If you are at the start of a project and want a second opinion, even if you are not sure a full design service is what you need, get in touch or visit us. We have been having these conversations since 1942 and we are happy to tell you if we think you do not need us. ## Locations - Broadway: Cotswold Design Centre, Kennel Lane, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7DJ — 01386 858941 - Ludlow: 1 Tower Street, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1RL — 01584 708381 - Chelsea: Suite 9, 405 Kings Road, Chelsea, London — 020 3668 1000 ## Services - Residential interior design - Hotel and hospitality interior design - Hand upholstery and bespoke furniture - Premium fabric sourcing and consultation - Rug selection and supply - Soft furnishings, curtains, and blinds - Full project management from concept to installation