Perkins & Gibbs Upholsterers

General information

“Perkins & Gibbs are two passionate upholsterers, Libby Eley and Tamsin Hannam. They set up a joint business in September 2014 in a beautiful barn workshop on Earsham Park Farm, Nr Bungay in Suffolk. Here they offer a full upholstery service and run various courses for eager upholstery students.

Libby and Tam met on the first day of the AMUSF Level 2 upholstery course that they attended in 2010, aiming to re-train, with a hope of escaping their previous careers. They clicked immediately, and on completing the course they kept in touch and supported each other in setting up their independent businesses. Libby set up Elizabeth Eley Upholstery in Denham, Nr Eye, and Tam set up Curious Upholstery in Harrogate.

They ran these successful businesses for 4 years, helping each other out when they took big jobs on and liaising almost daily on techniques, sharing problems and successes.

Having both honed their skills over the 4 years of working independently, they decided to set up a workshop together where they could, combined, offer the customer a stronger, wider skill set.

In addition to their upholstery skills, Libby and Tam bring an interesting mix of experience from their previous lives. Libby worked in the beauty industry, where she was highly respected as a beauty therapist trainer, helping to set up spas and design and teach treatments for companies such as Dove Spa and Aromatherapy Associates. Her training experience and her ability to engage students is one of the reasons that the Perkins & Gibbs courses have been such a huge success.

Tam has come from an Art & Design background, studying at Chelsea Art College and then De Montfort University, where she attained a Fine Art BA hons. This, along with a lifelong passion for sewing, has contributed to her expertise with fabrics and overall design.

The pair have a shared drive for excellence. They are passionate about the quality and finish of their work and always strive to do what is best for each piece of furniture that comes their way. They are careful to respect the shape and form of a piece and aim to help the customer make a fabric choice that will compliment it’s style and age.

In a nutshell, these girls love upholstery! And it is clear when you visit their lovely workshop. It is hard to not get excited when there is so much enthusiasm and inspiration around!”

Your Lifestyle Magazine 2015