British sofa and chair manufacturer West Midlands Upholstery invites Big Furniture Group to the factory to find out more about its long-serving heritage and family roots.
Situated in the heart of the Black Country, West Midlands Upholstery was established in 2004. The company, which celebrated its 20-year milestone back in July 2024, is run by husband-and-wife team, Steve & Alison Whitehouse.
Their combined knowledge, skills and expertise have driven the business to where it is now – a staple in British upholstery manufacturing. To experience the production process in full flow, Big Furniture Group made the journey to its Tipton facility, where the company has been based since day one.
Upon entering the factory, products are there to be seen, readily presented for upcoming visits from the trade, with its showroom precisely crafted to highlight popular models and new fabrics.
The factory, which also makes all its own birch hardwood frames, is constantly on the go. Despite the wider industry suffering from several challenges, West Midlands Upholstery has continued to be busy, which was certainly felt when walking through each section. With Rock music playing on the radio, the atmosphere was certainly positive, and the manufacturing pace was swift and cheerful. Staff feel secure in the knowledge that Steve and Alison will always do their utmost to pull in the business, creating reassurance in times of uncertainty. Teamwork is apparent, as staff were closely supporting each other to get the product from frame build to completion.
Steve says, “Music has always been a big part of my life, and this spills over into the factory. We find that it helps us all get through the week, and a good song is a great motivator.”
Stations housing sewers, upholsterers and cutters were also ‘in tune’ as production seamlessly moved from one stage to another and the Great British mantra of a ‘hard working attitude’ was apparent. So much so, that even the co-owners muck in – offering a real hands-on approach. Steve is seen on the factory floor daily, directing and helping all team members. The hands-on approach stretches into product development, and staff members are encouraged to contribute. “When we are designing a new model, everyone on the factory floor is creative to the design,” Alison said. “This is important for us, as this generally results in a great, sellable product that will appeal to many customers.”
In addition, and something West Midlands Upholstery is known for are its Regency Patchwork Chairs. Made from 125 individual patches, which are all top stitched, each individual piece is unique, and customers love their “quirkiness”. And guess what, there was one such chair as a centre piece upon entering the factory. Visually stunning and delivering a great impact to all visitors entering.
Taking a seat, Alison reflected on the past year: “Business has been positive. Last year we did the January Show, The Manchester Show and The Autumn Show, as well as show vans. This has kept the continuity of work flowing, so we have been very busy. Our Regency and Windsor chairs continue to be popular and are a proven best seller. As both come in a ‘standard’ and ‘petite’ version, this offers the retailer a good choice for their customers. Both are available in fabrics of choice, including Plains, Tartans and of course Patchwork.”
Steve also pointed out “Our fundamental business ethic is that of being completely honest and transparent with our customers, even if the news is something they may not want to hear. Honesty always pays as they say, and consequently we have several loyal customers who have kept with us throughout the past 21 years and have built great relationships with them in addition to others who have come on board since.”
Back on our feet, Steve and Alison guided the visit towards its frame production. As highlighted earlier, the company manufactures all its own birch hardwood frames. “Our products are made entirely here in the Black Country,” Alison said. “As we manufacture everything from the frame up, we can custom size our models, which is something the bigger manufacturers may not be able to offer.”
As the tour concluded back in the showroom, Steve revealed investments in the pipeline, from factory enhancements with new machinery to fresh products ready for the January Furniture Show 2026. “For JFS26, we will be displaying an array of beautiful new fabrics on existing models and one or two new ranges, which have been developed over the past few months.”
Alison said “Preparation for JFS26 began in November and it is always a challenging period, with manufacturing customer orders to go out in time for Christmas alongside preparing for the show. We somehow always manage to pull things together in time and once the show arrives, we approach it with enthusiasm and are ready to go.”
Steve added “We do love the buzz of the show, and we are supported there by our dedicated agents. In addition to new products, our popular Henley & Malvern models will also be on show. The repeats on these have been very encouraging, and The Henley is currently our best-selling model. As always, we will be showing our lovely Patchwork Chairs, which do seem to have gained something of a reputation.
“We do always see our regular customers at the Show, who are very loyal to us, which we so appreciate. We are also looking to meet new customers and let them know what we are all about. It‘s great to have the chance to talk about the business and our products. We are also members of the British Furniture Association, which reinforces our brand and is a benchmark of quality for British craftsmanship. Although the big trade shows can be costly, we have learnt how important they can be for the continuity of the business and although extremely hard work, they have proved enjoyable and rewarding.”
As the business continues its JFS26 preparations, Alison added that its people, key relationships, and quality products make the business what it is today. “We enjoy coming in each day and working alongside our talented team. Our business is all about the relationships we have with our customers, staff, agents, and our suppliers who all support our business.
“We’re looking forward to presenting our products during JFS26 and excited to connect with our customers, both existing and new. Please do come and see us in Hall 5, Stand C61.”
