ROSE RAW-REES IN CONVERSATION
A piece in progress at the Rose Raw-Rees workshop in Grantham.
Working across both traditional and modern upholstery, Rose Raw-Rees rebuilds furniture with a clear sense of structure, longevity and use. Her practice moves between restoration and bespoke work, from reviving older pieces to shaping new ones, each built up in layers and finished with precision. There’s a physicality to it, a process that is as much about understanding what sits beneath as what is seen on the surface.
Her path into the craft began in 2012, working in a renowned traditional upholstery workshop in West London. After moving back to her native Lincolnshire, she went on to train in both traditional and modern upholstery before establishing her own studio in Grantham. What holds her there is the variation, the shift from one piece to the next, and the satisfaction of a well-resolved finish.
Rose discusses the rhythm of her studio, the appeal of transformation, and the instinct that underpins both her work and the homes her pieces go on to inhabit.
What does a typical day in your studio or workshop look like?
It is rare that any two days are the same, as every piece varies so significantly. I switch from rebuilding a pair of armchairs into to recovering a sofa, into making a deep buttoned stool. There is a constant changing of scenery in the studio and I love that.
How did you first get into your craft and what keeps you doing it.
Before I trained, I spent nearly a decade managing a team of upholsterers, and I marvelled at their skill and the tangibility of their work. I loved watching them stitch the stuffing and lash the springs, it looked like wizardry, so I decided to take up a diploma and make a go of it myself. The learning never ends, and the best jobs are those that teach me something new.
What do you love most about your work and why?
There is something incredibly satisfying about creating something from start to finish. I also love a transformation story or makeover piece.
What object in your home or workshop would you never part with, and what’s its story?
My fabric shears, a gift from my husband when I started my diploma, engraved with my initials. Precious.
The best advice you’ve ever got or given?
Trust your instincts. I tell my clients this when they are choosing fabrics, which can be such a difficult decision. If you instinctively love something, not because of a trend or influence, but because it feels right, then it will always be the true choice.
What does good craftsmanship look like?
It’s all in the finish. My work is built in layers, so for the finish to be flawless, every layer under the last needs to be perfect, otherwise the next layer won't be. The attention to detail isn't just for aesthetics, it’s to ensure longevity and sustainability for a piece that can withstand time.
What brought you to the Notswolds and what keeps you here?
We left the City to give the children more space to roam, and the roots seem to have grown really deep.
Where do you live and what do you love about it?
We live in Grantham, in a Georgian town house which was love at first sight. We have always filled it with people, and with that comes endless memories.
Rose’s recomendations for living in the Notswolds
Walk “Tall Trees” as we affectionately call it - behind Belvoir Castle
Pub Chequers at Woolsthorpe
Cafe The Garden Yard, Grantham
Lunch Finch’s Arms in the summer
Dinner Langar Hall
Shop Rutland Nursery. Impossible not to spend money there.
Day out Burghley House. There’s something to meet each member of the family's needs
