British luxury bedmaker restores 100-year-old Shropshire family heirloom
Family-owned British luxury bedmaker, Harrison Spinks, has refurbished a bed which was passed down by the original customer through three generations. The family heirloom belongs to Abigail Reeve from Broseley, who inherited the bed following her mother’s recent passing, and believes it to be around 100 years old.
Abigail, from contacted the Yorkshire bedmaker after discovering the 180-year-old company’s original Somnus branding on the bed.
Proving the lasting quality of British-made furniture, the handmade solid wood and steel sprung bed was in incredible condition beneath the outer material. The bedmaker has now refurbished and reupholstered the antique to look as good-as-new for Abigail to cherish and pass on for years to come.
Abigail said: "The bed at my mum’s house was so beautiful – I loved it and wanted to use it at my own place, so I was delighted when Harrison Spinks said they could restore it for me. It’s a genius design, built to fit a mattress directly onto the frame, and something you can’t replace.
“It was originally bought from Wylie and Lochhead of Glasgow. I did some research to find they were involved in the interiors for the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth liners! It was then passed down to my mum when she moved to London and has been at her home ever since.
“There’s a logo on the mahogany frame which says ‘By special appointment to the King’, so we’ve looked into it, and estimate it to be early 1900s just after Victoria died – making the bed at least 100 years old.
“I’m thrilled that Harrison Spinks could restore this bed to its former glory, but also touched at how much care and passion they have put into the project. It means so much to see this heirloom brought back to life and shows the quality of British craftmanship that the bed has lasted amazingly over a century in such good condition. Now I have something that is truly one-of-a-kind, and I know my mum would have loved to see this.
“Watching the bed being reupholstered back where it started its life and meeting the skilled craftsmen who have put a lot of love into this project was an honour and something I won’t forget. Seeing the Harrison Spinks factory in all its glory was incredible, and I love how everything is made responsibly with a sustainable ethos in mind.
“We decided on fabric that was close to the original colour, and they gave me back the original fabric, which I’ll be making some cushions out of as a nod to the old bed that still lives on. I’m now confident that I can have this fantastic piece of furniture in my family for another 100 years.”
The Harrison Spinks team that restored the bed include Manjit Kaushal, Karen Firth, and Dean Wilkinson, who have over 50 years’ combined experience.
Dean, Master Bedmaker at Harrison Spinks, said: “It’s an amazing feeling to be able to do this, not only for Abigail, but also from a trades perspective as it has been fascinating to examine and restore a bed with so much history. It’s an amazing piece of furniture and in such good condition for its age. It was made so well, with original dove joints and 42 original steel springs, that we’ve been able to leave intact inside the bed, and even the metal feet which we have sanded down and repainted.
“When I first started my career at the Harrison Spinks factory 30 years ago, we were making similar designs to this, so it really took me back to starting out in this job that I absolutely love."
By Emma Bishop - Contributor
