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THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
co-founder of British design studio Feldspar; and Ricky Partner, Chief Marketing Officer at Sofas & Stuff.
At a recent exclusive trade event, Sofas & Stuff brought together voices from furniture, craft and the performing arts to explore what goes into creating exceptional work.
Excellence is an easy word to use, but rather harder to define. Is it found in the finished piece, or in everything that went into making it? In technical mastery, originality, attention to detail – or simply the determination to keep making something better?
These questions were at the heart of a recent conversation hosted by Sofas & Stuff at its Islington showroom. Led by Livingetc Editor Pip Rich, the discussion brought together Sophie Wybrew-Bond, Chief Commercial Officer at the Royal Ballet and Opera; Jeremy Brown,
Coming from different creative worlds, their perspectives suggested that excellence has less to do with achieving perfection than with the process of pursuing it. Experience and technical skill matter, certainly, but so do curiosity, resilience and an openness to feedback – the willingness to question what you know and continue learning.
Experience brings confidence, but it can also create the freedom to experiment – to question familiar ways of doing things, test new ideas and learn from what doesn’ t quite work. That willingness to keep developing came through strongly in the conversation. It is underpinned by deep, accumulated knowledge. At the Royal Ballet and Opera, performers, musicians, costume-makers, prop-makers and scenic artists bring specialist expertise to a production. At Sofas & Stuff’ s Preston workshop, frame makers, pattern cutters, sewers, upholsterers and finishers bring theirs to furniture. At Feldspar, an understanding of material and process sits behind objects whose apparent simplicity belies the thought and experimentation involved in making them.
Perhaps that is where the distinction between perfection and excellence becomes most interesting.
Perfection suggests an end point; excellence leaves room to keep looking, learning and improving. And while individual skill matters, so does the exchange of ideas and experience with others – something that conversations between different creative disciplines can make particularly rewarding.
Bringing together different voices from across design and the wider creative world is something Sofas & Stuff is keen to continue through its relationship with the trade, including events and conversations such as this.
That wider relationship is supported by The Upholstery, Sofas & Stuff’ s trade membership for interior designers and design professionals. Members benefit from competitive trade pricing and dedicated project support, alongside partner discounts and invitations to selected trade events. Register for a trade account to discover more.
There will be an opportunity to meet the Sofas & Stuff team at Decorex, from 11 – 14 October 2026, where an exciting new collection of furniture and fabrics will be unveiled. Visit the stand to discover the new designs, discuss upcoming projects and find out more about The Upholstery. www. sofasandstuff. com Instagram @ sofasandstuff | LinkedIn @ sofas-and-stuff