Sarah Louise Dix

Upholstery courses, services, fabric & furniture.  

Made in England

Biography

As a teenager Sarah took her inspiration from items of original vintage clothing, learning to make her own shirts, trousers and skirts.

Realising her love of clothing and design Sarah went on to study fashion design at Southend Technical College. Continuing to surround herself in a creative environment, she gained an exciting PR executive role at the fashion PR company, Jean Bennet PR, in the late 1980’s and helped organise client’s cat walk shows at London Fashion Week. The company’s accounts included Vivienne Westwood, who has since been and continues to be a great influence.

Sarah went on to work in music PR and then at the BBC World Service. Wanting a change in direction and a move back to a more creative environment, Sarah embarked on a part time upholstery course at her local adult education centre. After learning traditional and some modern skills during the next four years she flourished and took on a space with two others at the trendy Bussy Building in Peckham, London.

Sarah then began designing and producing unique one off pieces influenced by her background in fashion, sometimes incorporating actual pieces of clothing onto chairs.

Sarah went on to sell her furniture through her website and other retail outlets in London and the South East. Her signature piece is the Corset Chair, which was put into production and was seen in the Observer Magazine.

On moving out of London to Surrey in 2011, Sarah started teaching and set up her unique ten week upholstery courses. Sarah initially put all the tools, equipment (including the big compressor for the staple guns), materials and Barley the dog in her car and taught in local halls. She also had a residency at National Trust property, Dapdune Wharf in Guildford running summer courses with all the doors of the barge barn opening right onto the river Wey.

After taking on ever bigger spaces in Godalming, one was called Studio 22 and had a silver glittery toilet seat, she moved into a lovely, substantial space with a shop front, teaching area and workroom on Farncombe high street near Godalming in 2017.

Dec 2020