Introducing RhubarbLondon, creators and manufacturers of eclectic, handcrafted furniture. At the heart of every RhubarbLondon design lies its distinctive upholstery, sourced from original archives by the brand’s founder and head creative, Shaun Brownell.
Proudly crafted in Britain, each individual piece embodies a slice of history, blending rare fabrics and antique uniforms with exquisitely applied upholstery techniques to create truly unique designs. RhubarbLondon’s team of expert tailors, seamstresses and leather workers ensure that when you purchase a RhubarbLondon chair, you can be certain that you’re acquiring a one-off piece of furniture.
The Dapper Tweed Armchair
Dating back to the early 1900s, this rare and unusual mahogany French chair features the original upholstery costings, date and craftsman’s signature, handwritten in pencil on the rear wooden rail.
RhubarbLondon has left this delightful discovery exposed as a memento to the history of the piece for all to enjoy. Using traditional methods and materials, The Dapper Tweed armchair has been exquisitely reupholstered using a pair of vintage Dunn & Co Harris tweed houndstooth country jackets, which feature the original tan suede arm caps.
The look is suitably dressed with an equestrian stock neckpiece, teamed with a snaffle bit stock pin to give the chair a true sense of riding influence. RhubarbLondon then commissioned a traditional local cobbler to create the chair’s distinctive tan plaited leather arm supports, finishing off the piece with double piped leather detail and vintage leather football button fastenings.
To complete the RhubarbLondon look, the original jacket labels are hand-stitched onto the chair alongside the Harris Authentic label, topped off in a final flourish with a set of pheasant feathers in the button hole alongside a vintage papier-mâché ‘Judge’ badge.
Meet the Maker
Passionate about traditional trades and maintaining classical upholstery techniques, Shaun thinks beyond the obvious, creating pieces of unique furniture as an art form that subtly reveal the history of the piece. As a committed recycler, Shaun rebuffs against our ‘throwaway’ society, taking the time to consider the materials he’s using and up cycling at every opportunity.
Shaun Brownell
This means that Shaun will never reproduce a chair; each piece is entirely unique. Originally trained as an aeronautical engineer, he was taught to repair, restore and recreate rather than replace. A creative flair passed down from his mother encouraged this self-taught designer to be different from the rest, combining his passion for traditional trades with an unrivalled support for non-mass produced furniture. Shaun’s ethos is to think behind and beyond the obvious, resulting in unique furniture designs that reveal a piece of history alongside a captivating narrative.
Meet Shaun at the Hotel Designs Meet Up on the 16th November at the Grange Hotel, St Paul’s, London
