Stalybridge workshop
The people behind the pieces.
The business was established in 1978 as J.P. Hirst Upholstery. The name has changed; the work is now done from a proper workshop on Grosvenor Street, by people who know when a piece needs rebuilding, recovering, repairing or leaving alone.
The workshop is accredited by the Guild of Master Craftsmen and carries ThreeBestRated Best Business recognition for 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
How we work
A workshop, not a sales script.
People usually come to us with a piece they are unsure about. A sofa that fits the room but not the new fabric. A chair that belonged to someone important. Pub seating that has to be back in place before trading starts. A treatment chair that needs wipe-clean, fire-rated materials and paperwork to match.
The job starts with judgement. John helps shape the brief and price it clearly. Alan and Karl bring senior bench experience to the rebuild, recover and fit. Fiona handles the sewing-room detail that makes covers, seams, cushions and pattern work sit properly.
That is the promise: straight advice, the right method for the piece, and a finished result that looks considered rather than rushed.
Who you will meet
Meet the team.
Quotes, fabric advice, bench craft and sewing work happen under the same roof. That keeps the job joined up from the first photo to collection or delivery.
John Leah
Managing Director
Often the first person you speak to. John handles advice, pricing, fabric direction and the practical detail that turns photos into a clear quote.
Karl Chandler
Principal Craftsman
Workshop craft and site handling. Karl is trusted with the practical work customers notice: fit, finish, care in collection and getting pieces back safely.
Alan Bigwood
Senior upholsterer
Bench craft, rebuilds and careful finishing. Alan is one of the people making the judgement calls that decide whether a piece needs repair, recovery or a deeper strip-back.
Fiona Dyson
Machinist
The sewing-room detail: covers, seams, pattern direction, cushions and the parts of a job where millimetres and fabric behaviour matter.
Advice before spend
Some pieces deserve a full traditional rebuild. Some only need foam, webbing or a careful recover. If the work is not worth doing, we'll say so before you commit.
Method follows the piece
Hand-tied springs and traditional materials where the frame warrants it. Modern foams, fire-rated fabrics and contract specification where the job needs durability or compliance.
Quoted clearly
Photos, measurements, fabric choices and access details become a written price. Home customers know what they are spending; commercial teams know what they can sign off.
“Most upholsterers today are furniture wrappers. They stretch fabric over foam and call it a day. Real upholstery is hand-tied springs, horsehair stuffing, frame restoration, and fabrics chosen to last decades, not years.”
What proves the work
Small details, public places and pieces with meaning.
The same team handles quiet home work and demanding commercial jobs. A family wingback can need as much thought as a room full of Crib 5 banquettes; the difference is the material, schedule and paperwork around it.
Home customers ask us to preserve shape, comfort and memory. Commercial clients need reliable quoting, durable materials and work planned around trading, term dates or production deadlines.
Home story
A father’s police uniform, rebuilt into a wingback.
A sentimental commission where fabric placement, badges and stripes mattered as much as comfort.
Commercial story
Pub seating recovered around opening hours.
Banquettes, booths and bar seating planned so the venue could keep trading.
Specialist story
Aircraft seats and production work.
Bespoke upholstery where finish, fit and unusual constraints have to be solved together.
John Leah is the owner and Managing Director. Fiona, Alan and Karl have all worked at the workshop for many years. We’ve been based on Grosvenor Street since 2023.
John Leah, Managing Director
Bring us the piece, photo or brief.
We’ll tell you what is worth doing, what materials suit it, and what the sensible next step is.