Story time: the UniqU of it
Once upon My time...
...there was a Media Associate Director who, after 16 years in her career, left to be a carer.
She always crafted in her rather rare moments - thoughtful gifts, adjustments to vintage clothes & adaptions to her home. Finding calm in the chaos with crafting.
Evolving skillsets to be a mum-eacher, she had to adopt a solutions based mindset to deal with her new reality = anything is "figureoutable" with the right approach & persistence.
Once upon His time...
...there was a little fella who got lost in the SEN system.
With so much love, patience & effort, He developed into a fabulous, independent dude who could flourish in his own life (& full time education).
Never losing his love of learning he was a true inspiration.
With his mamma-bear in the background, they both needed to find thier own paths...looking toward a fullfilled future!
My curiosity for reclaimed pieces began pre uni, rifling through charity shops, salvage yards & weekend markets...this carried on into adulthood - strolling along Moulsham Street & into the city centre or further afield across Europe. I was drawn to the potential of discarded chairs & antiques...a torn velvet seat could, with careful work, become a lasting, useful piece again.
Those early finds set me on a path from keen observer to hands‑on maker alongside my love of interior design & styling. It all laid the foundation for what would become UniqU.
I formally trained as an upholsterer's apprentice in a workshop that sat nestled at the back of Baddow Antiques Centre in 2026. Under Steve (my mentor) I immersed myself for a full year. Found myself heading to the workshop as frequently as life would allow ; come rain, come shine, come broken collarbones & heartache.
Under Steves' guidance, I learnt traditional techniques such as sprung seating, webbing, needlework, padding & french polish frame repair...all of which became a mindful meditation for me. Making the transformations - it's so fullfilling!
The apprenticeship was deliberately practical: days spent stripping frames (yes, a running joke of the essex girl stripping for free was banded around alot - it was all taken & dished out in good humor...everything there was). I lost hours like seconds dedicating my new found headspace into replacing springs, playing with all the tools ; staple & glue guns, foam cutters & all sorts! Steve just let me loose. I didn't say no to anything & with time, built my way up to using his Dads' vintage industrial singer...then spent evenings that the kids were in clubs practising tight piping & roll cushioning & all sorts! That sustained, methodical exposure to every stage of restoration taught me how materials, technique & patience combine to create enduring pieces.
But as always, life throws curveballs & my new sensei was to semi-retire. The centre to close. Life to move forward. So on my year of learning & after long conversations with my lovely hubby...we decided to keep going. Start up. Why not build a life where I was called boss? (ek).
UniqU grew from that apprenticeship into a small, independent workshop, dedicated to bespoke upholstery & restoration.
My aim was simple: offer carefully restored & reupholstered furniture using reclaimed & sustainable materials, while providing personalised consultations for clients who wanted to repair rather than replace.
& so the story of UniqU continues!
