Creative duo Alison Dickie and Amy Sawers launched Stonehaven-based Flock.HOME back in 2016 following their passion for upholstery.
Ali has a degree in fashion and textiles and Amy, although from a musical background, was brought up in and around the art of upholstery and furniture for generations. By joining forces, they felt the business could be made stronger!
Ali initially converted her garage into a studio space then by the time they were ready to launch their business, their furniture was displayed throughout it. Since then, Flock.HOME has gone from strength to strength, both with commissions and pop up shops throughout the North East.
We caught up with Alison and Amy to find out what drives their passion for upholstery, how they keep the challenge of their work enjoyable and tips and advice for the residents of Chapelton…
Where do you source all the furniture to transform and what piece of furniture is your favourite to upholster?
“We believe in using what people already have and creating bespoke pieces they will admire and love in their homes for years to come. We pick up pieces from charity shops or online but often rescue things that would otherwise end up in the tip. It’s a great feeling to be able to do this.
“We are always inspired when we truly transform a piece. When customers are brave enough to trust our judgement and go with something maybe a bit unusual or unique. There are so many amazing fabrics to work with. Some examples of our favourites are Timorous Beasties, Bute and Emma Shipley.”
What do you think has led to the success of business to date?
“We try our best to go over and above to create our pieces. We work closely with our clients, listen to what they want and offer advice where we can. We feel people trust in our style and brand. And attention to detail is extremely important to us.
“We both laugh at each other because every time we paint a piece we still comment on what a difference the paint makes! But it really does. It’s always a pleasure to see the transformation of something broken into beautiful.”
Do you have set costs or does it depend on the piece of furniture?
“Sometimes it’s challenging to explain the cost of work and reupholstering quite honestly might not always be the cheapest option.
“However you’ll get a bespoke and tailored design, and hopefully rescue your grannies chair from the loft in the process. We both love mid-century design. The likes of G plan and Ercol have got such well-made structure and style. We also like all things feather, hence the name Flock.HOME.
“Also we have managed to secure a second studio space which gives us a lot more storage. The future dream is to have a working studio or shop – watch this space!”
What is the highlight of Flock.HOME for you both?
“Our pop up shops are always a highlight for us. We are lucky enough to work with our lovely clients for commissions and also really enjoy the opportunity to create our own collections of furniture and wares for the home at the pop ups.”
How do you think Flock.HOME could benefit from the Chapelton community or are there any tips you would give to budding upholsters?
“Chapelton is a great new town and I think the combination of new and old would certainly suit Flocks ethos. And some lovely houses to rehome preloved furniture. We’re both from Aberdeenshire and both enjoying the rise in artistic design/culture in this area just now.
“Get in touch with us for all your furniture and upholstery needs but if you’ve got the time and space yourself give it a go! Our advice would be to spend time on prep… sand, sand and then sand again! It makes a huge difference to the finished product and quality paint. We use fusion mineral paint.”
Find Flock.HOME on Facebook and Instagram or get in touch with Ali or Amy by emailing info@flockhome.co.uk.
