In this episode, Vicky and Ray sit down with Joanna Privett from the British Furniture Association to talk about the realities of the UK furniture industry, from small upholstery workshops to large-scale manufacturing and retail.
We explore quality, standards, toxins, compliance and transparency, and how “cheap and fast” production shapes what ends up on the shop floor. We also discuss retail influence, including DFS and big-box expectations, and what that means for craftspeople who want to keep standards high.
This is an honest, practical conversation about how furniture is made, who sets the tone for quality, and what it takes to protect good work in a changing industry.
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