Our Guild Members
A gaze around the website or showrooms of any of the Guild
companies reveals furniture of elegance and refinement which has
found its way to the residences of royals, aristocrats, ambassadors,
celebrities, movie stars and sporting legends all over the globe. They
also furnish leading hotels and ocean-going liners.
The largest luxury furniture manufacturer in the Guild is Duresta,
which supplies to over 65 countries. Chief Executive Clive Kenyon-
Brown points out: “Foreign customers, especially in the Far East,
positively embrace British heritage, craft and quality. For them, our
furniture exudes luxury and we get a real sense of them buying from
the best place. Buying upholstery from Long Eaton is like buying
beautiful shoes from Northampton or fine glass from Murano.”
The Long Eaton Brand
Recently, Long Eaton upholstery was made a brand so that the town’s
name could become as synonymous with furniture today as High
Wycombe was yesteryear. As part of a drive to raise recognition and
boost business, a smart new logo has been created consisting of a
Union Jack in the shape of a sofa. Underneath the name Long Eaton
are inscribed the words UK Centre of Quality Upholstery
Manufacture. “It’s time we let the world know that it’s official,” states
Andrew Mitchell, Managing Director of Artistic Upholstery, who
spearheaded the branding alongside the town’s Chamber of Trade
and borough council. He continues: “Long Eaton’s name has long
carried kudos in the furniture trade yet, to most customers, a Long
Eaton sofa has, up till now, been no better known than was Long
Eaton lace. With this new branding we can finally put Long Eaton on
the world map and in the minds of discerning furniture buyers. So,
when discriminating customers see our logo on a luxurious sofa in one
of the major retailers or design studios world-wide, they will recognise
this as a symbol of the best made British upholstery.”
There is also a fresh, contemporary logo for the Long Eaton Guild of
Furniture Manufacturers carrying the words “Luxury British
Furniture.” The eight Guild members –David Gundry Upholstery,
David Knight Collection, Duresta Upholstery, Artistic Upholstery,
Gascoigne Designs, John Sankey, Iain James Furniture and Steed
Upholstery – are companies awarded membership for attaining the
“highest levels of design, manufacture, ethical standards and customer
service.”
Iain Mitchell of Iain James Furniture, one of the few remaining
English cabinet makers in the UK, says: “The great thing about the
Guild is that our ethos allows me to create furniture that I genuinely
love, as opposed to churning out a commercial product with little or
no emotional attachment. As a result, we have unique, identifiable
collections.”
“We have a passion for furniture in Long Eaton” declares Suzanne
O’Flynn of John Sankey; “it’s a privilege to work amidst such fine
woodwork and tailoring skills, and see bespoke pieces handcrafted
with integrity, care and an artisan’s flourish. We’re the Savile Row of
upholstery.”
If you buy from David Gundry, you are purchasing “exquisite
furniture” from a family business “constantly pushing the boundaries
of precision and elegance.” That word “family” is a key factor, with
many Long Eaton companies run by second or third generation family
members. The Guild’s Chairman, Andrew Mitchell points out:
“Customers trust family-run firms as they feel a strong sense of us
looking after the business for the next generation.”
Another aspect of Long Eaton furniture that the Guild is keen to
emphasise is that it’s built to last and thus becomes an heirloom. As
one Guild member reveals: “Long-standing customers often tell us that
their 30 or 40 year-old sofa is as comfortable as the day it was bought.
Furthermore, because of the classic nature of our designs, we are
producing the antique furniture of the future.”