Chameleon Upholstery, Craftsmanship at its best.

Have you ever looked at old pieces of furniture and realised that they last so much longer than modern pieces and are far better quality?  Have you inherited that amazing old chair from your Gran but it doesn’t fit in with your style or have you ever considered that you could own a bespoke sofa instead of that tired old thing that is identical to everyone else’s sofa?

A re-upholstered piece of furniture is a fabulous way to wake up a tired piece, to make use of that stool that has been in the family for decades but has that nasty old pattern or to finally have a chair to match that brightly coloured sofa that you bought on a whim.  

Chameleon Upholstery in Guildford, Surrey is a fabulous business that can turn your tired old furniture or junk shop find into a magnificent statement piece for your home or office.  This rapidly growing business is owned by Mark Stanley, a very talented craftsman who has been in the upholstery trade for 20 years. He will carry out all aspects of upholstery from cushions up to full sofa revamps. Mark can re-upholster a loose seat, re-cover a whole three piece suite and even touch up or refurbish the woodwork on a piece.

 Mark’s work is exceptionally professional as you can see by the pictures on here. His topstitching, leather work and double piping all finish off his pieces perfectly and he uses top quality materials. These include leather in various textures and colours and other materials from places like Romo, Blendworth, Ross, Linwood and Designers Guild. Samples can be seen at the first appointment and quotes are free.

 In this day and age of recycling, up cycling and trying not to waste resources, taking a solid piece to a skilled upholsterer is a brilliant way to stay eco conscious and be stylish. Rather than repeatedly buying new sofas and discarding the old ones, give yours a new lease of life, add that colour pop to your living room or use it as an excuse to add a unique piece to your home. Just because a seat is a little saggy does not mean it cannot be restored to its former glory.

If you have considered finding an upholsterer or are now thinking what a fabulous idea it would be to sort out some old furniture then please contact Chameleon Upholsters through their website, Facebook page, Instagram site or the contact details below.

The website has information, pictures and links to Facebook and Instagram.

Website: https://www.chameleonupholstery.co.uk/

Email address:  chameleonupholstery@outlook.com

Phone:  01483 493523

The office manger at Chameleon Upholstery.

My First Filofax Meet UP

On a snowy day in March I boarded the train to Waterloo. I wasn’t going to London to look for gold ... just Filofax enthusiasts.

March 17^th was my first Filofax meet up. For anyone who is unlucky enough not to have been to a meet up, it is when people who follow the Philofaxy blog and collect ring bound planners, meet up to discuss their planners and other related topics. Yes, I have friends who think it’s hilarious, but I do not see the difference between anyone’s hobbies. Some people knit, others go running, some collect stamps and others are organised and love planners.

The man behind the very popular Philofaxy blog, Steve Morton, came over from his home in France for the meet up and, very kindly, met me at Waterloo station. Yes, this feisty, independent woman does not like going on the down escalators and gets lost on the tube. I have decided that next time I will be brave and do it on my own!

I did get to Waterloo an hour and a half early as I was concerned that the snow would cause an issue with the trains. What I hadn’t realised was that the station would be so cold or that Nero’s was only a take away hut. Sadly it was also too loud to write or even to read. Needless to say I did get talking to a few random people and also enjoyed some people watching. Waterloo station on St. Patrick’s Day when Ireland are playing Rugby, that’s an interesting place to be. I saw a Leprechaun, a dancing Pikachu and someone in a Dalmatian outfit.

Steve, myself and a lovely lady called Ana, who had come over from Spain, were the first to arrive at the venue. Vapiano in Great Portland Street, London is a fabulous location. They don’t mind how long you stay, their individual swipe card system is perfect for groups of people who want to pay separately, the food and drink is great and the service is fabulous. This is an Italian restaurant with quite a wide choice on the menu. We commandeered a couple of big tables upstairs at the back and waited for the others to arrive.

There were 13 of us at the meet up and one reporter. The reporter from PC Pro magazine was doing an article about people using analogue and/or digital. I think he was quite surprised by the level of commitment that we have to the world of planning and our planners in general. We are clearly an organised bunch and he was also astonished to see the number of us who have business cards to advertise our blogs. I am very interested to see what line his article takes.

The meet up was a brilliant way to catch up with people you have talked to online, make new likeminded friends and discuss planners and anything else that comes to mind. Though there was, quite rightly, a lot of discussion on Filofaxes and other related topics, the various conversations did evolve into many other subjects. It is easy to believe that people with a hobby are single minded, but this group were definitely not.

I have to say that the dedication of people travelling from France, Spain, Leeds, Cambridge and many other places was really good to see. There was a discussion about Planner Con in Europe and some people had been before, however I can’t see myself doing that right now. (I will tackle the escalator issue first).

Over the years I have seen the meets ups advertised but this time I was determined to go. I am very glad I did attend as I met some fabulous people and really enjoyed the day. I was very lucky to be escorted back to Waterloo by a lovely man, Darren, who was going in approximately the same direction; however I abandoned him at Waterloo for the fast train. J It was nice to have someone make sure I didn’t get lost going back. A big thank you to Steve and Darren for their help on the escalators and for navigating the underground for me.

Before the meet up Steve announced that he was giving away two Carpe Diem planners and I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful planner. I have not yet decided what to use it for but I am sure I will think of something.

Sadly the pictures I took on the day are not very good as I didn’t realise my phone was on live photos. (New phone). The pictures below are courtesy of Steve Morton.Thank you to Steve and Jeni. ( Who I believe took some of the photos)

 If you want to find out more about the Philofaxy blog, please go to 

https://philofaxy.blogspot.co.uk

What is on my mind right now? Brain unload big time!

So I haven't posted for a month and I can honestly say that I didn't realise that it had been so long. Between work being so busy and, quite frankly, my inability to put down a good book, the last month has vanished. I checked my reading log just now and found I am on my 30th book this year so far. In my defence I am not lazy, I just love a good book. J I think the fact that I do not watch much on TV gives me more time to read. Sadly I have not been writing, just thinking about writing.

It has been quite an interesting month as I went to my first Filofax Meet Up. For those who have never attended one of these prestigious events I will be doing a write up very soon. I will also be doing a write up on my gorgeous purple personal Malden.

I don’t know about anyone else but I find you can lose an entire evening just chilling and thinking. On one hand this may seem like an extreme waste of time, however resting is good for your body. We rush around at work, we book too much to do out of work and we never get enough sleep. What our bodies need occasionally is some time just to relax, get an early night and recharge. 

I do believe that most people have too much stress in their lives and should, where possible, minimise this in any way possible.  Never say yes if you don’t want to do something, we are adults now; we are, primarily, in control. Most people have commitments and some are ones they don’t want, this is unavoidable, however, you can avoid doing things you really don’t want to do whenever it is possible. Life is short and you have to live it how you want, not just to please others. There is a balance between being a lovely person and a push over. Find that balance and stick to your guns.

Most people go through life wanting to do something and not doing it, this can be anything from a hobby they want to try to visiting somewhere they want to go. Clearly commitments and finances prevent a lot of things in life happening, however you must always have dreams and goals.  I personally have lots of places in Britain I would like to visit and I am going to do that even if I go to one place a year. I am quite happy to go away alone to a city I want to visit and soak up the atmosphere, see the architecture, read and write. It is nice to travel with someone else but I am very independent if necessary. (We won’t mention down escalators J).

My view on recycling and saving the planet has always been that we can all do as much as possible within the scope of our lives. I recycle, I give away things to friends and to charity and I buy second-hand a lot too. If there is a plausible green option I use it. I try to use food boxes instead of food bags and I try to use recycled or compostable rubbish bags. I was a bag lady long before it was announced that carrier bags were chargeable, I always carry at least one fold up bag. My latest Eco find is that Nero’s (and other coffee shops) will reward you for using a reusable cup for takeaway coffee. Nero’s give you an extra stamp every time you use your own takeaway cup and this soon adds up to a free coffee. I bought a fabulous bamboo cup with a silicone lid in Robert Dyas for £3.99. It is light to carry, easy to clean and the coffee tastes nicer than in a cardboard cup. This is something we can all do and it is advantageous to us, not just ecologically but on a basic personal level. Free coffee!!!

While still on the Eco soapbox, what is going on with the rivers of plastic in undeveloped countries and the amount of plastic in the sea? I saw a report of a river of plastic in Venezuela and this angers me. It is up to the government of each county to sort this mess. If the population uses plastic then they need to dispose of it wisely! I am well aware that this is no easy task.