The Story Behind Slow
Why I started Slow, and why we build sofas the way we do.
Slow began with a simple idea: furniture should be made properly, from materials you can trust, by people who care about what they’re building.
I grew up around furniture
I grew up around upholstery and furniture making. It was the family trade, and from a young age I saw what good workmanship looked like. I also saw how much pride people took in making something properly. Over time, I noticed the industry changing. Furniture was being made faster, with cheaper materials, and often designed to be replaced rather than repaired. The connection between maker and product started to disappear. That never sat comfortably with me. So Slow began as a simple decision: to build furniture the way it used to be built – carefully, honestly, and with materials that last.
Why I started Slow
I didn’t start Slow to reinvent furniture. I started it because I believed the standards had slipped. Many modern sofas rely heavily on synthetic foams and chemical treatments. They can look good at first, but they’re often difficult to repair and rarely built to last decades. I wanted to create something different. A sofa that feels comfortable from day one. A sofa that holds its shape over time. A sofa that can be repaired, reupholstered, and lived with for years. Not disposable furniture. Proper furniture.
Built by our own team, here in Yorkshire
Slow is based in the Yorkshire Dales, and every sofa we make is built by our own team. We don’t outsource production, and we don’t run assembly lines. Each piece is made by skilled upholsterers and frame makers who take responsibility for their work. That approach is slower. It requires more care and more time. But it produces furniture you can rely on. And in my view, reliability matters more than speed.
The materials inside matter
The inside of a sofa determines how it performs. How comfortable it feels. How long it lasts. And what you’re bringing into your home. That’s why we focus on natural, proven materials: Solid timber frames, Natural latex cushions, Wool and cotton layers, Traditional upholstery methods. These materials have been used for generations because they work. They’re durable, breathable, and repairable. We didn’t choose them because they sound good in marketing. We chose them because they perform well over time.
We believe in being open about what we build
One of the principles behind Slow is simple. I believe people deserve to know what’s inside the things they buy. So we try to be as open as possible about how our sofas are made, what materials we use, and why we use them. No vague language. No hidden components. No shortcuts. If someone asks what’s inside one of our sofas, we can explain every layer. That level of transparency builds trust, and trust matters more than anything in a business like this.
A personal note
I started Slow because I believed furniture could be made better. That belief hasn’t changed. We’re still learning, still improving, and still refining how we work. But the core idea remains the same: Make furniture properly. Use materials you can trust. Stand behind what you build. That’s what Slow is about.
