The Chairwoman is a family run upholstery and interiors business that has been trading in Edinburgh for almost 30 years. As our name suggests, my passion is for chairs and we have specialised exclusively over the years in selling antique and old chairs that we reupholster  in the fabric of our customer’s choice. We also provide a service for sourcing antique, retro and vintage chairs and over the years have had the honour to work on a plethora of styles and designs from throughout the ages.

Over the years we have built up a strong reputation for excellent workmanship. We are proud to have a solid repeat customer base and to have attracted a number of well-known and prestigious customers.

Our workmanship

The quality of our work is reliant on the experience and skill of our master upholsterer, and my husband, Colin Cunningham. He was born on the Isle of Harris where he trained as an upholsterer in a small workshop in Scalpay, close to the where they make the sought after Harris Tweed. He was trained in traditional methods of upholstery under Ben Burgin and Eileen Scalpaigh Co-op. Since his training he has lived in Edinburgh but for the last 30 years has continued to work with the Hebredian tweeds and linens. His love of heritage and respect for tradition has been the inspiration for the range of chairs that we have designed and developed.

Rullion Chair Designs

In 2014 we decided to design and create our own chairs. Our designs are inspired by the styles, shapes and construction methods used in the chairs that we have been upholstering throughout the years. They are styles that we have grown to love and know work in contemporary, classic and eclectic interior settings. We have called our new range of chairs the ‘Rullion Range’ and to reflect Colin’s heritage and connection to the Isle of Harris we have used Harris Tweeds combined with velvets, linens and leather to create individuality and texture. Each chair has its own identity and is handmade in our workshop at Rullion.