British Upholstery Brand Planted Unveils Alice Chair in Collaboration with Sgrinhouse

Planted, a British upholstery company renowned for its traditional craftsmanship, has introduced the Alice chair, created in partnership with hand screen-printing studio Sgrinhouse. The chair features upholstery entirely covered—including its legs—in Sgrinhouse’s hand screen-printed “Stripes” design, presented in a deep rust colour.

The distinctive print lends the chair a sculptural and cohesive appearance, combining boldness with a clearly handcrafted quality. The collaboration originated when Daisy, co-founder of Planted, encountered Sgrinhouse’s work at Chelsea Harbour during Focus. She noted, “The fabric was clearly hand-printed—you could see straight away the difference that quality makes. We recognised the same standard in each other’s work immediately.”

Planted had been developing a modern, armless bedroom chair without a definitive shape. Daisy explained, “The fabric gave us the answer. Simple from the front, with a hidden detail in the side shape—the print shaped the proportions, right down to covering the legs.”

Each Alice chair is handcrafted to order at Planted’s workshop in the Cotswolds. The company operates on a zero-stock basis, producing no items until ordered, thereby eliminating waste and landfill. The chair’s construction adheres to Planted’s high standards, featuring a solid frame made from FSC-certified beech, hand-tied springs, and natural fillings of latex, wool, and coco fibre. Notably, the chair contains no polyurethane foam or chemical treatments. Daisy added, “Each upholsterer builds a piece from the frame up, and signs their name to it. That’s the accountability we build every piece on.”

Sgrinhouse founder Alice Smith, recently awarded “Best Newcomer in Fabric” by Homes & Gardens for her textile designs, developed a new heavyweight fabric tailored for upholstery. The studio adapted the pattern pieces to minimise waste as the design evolved. Alice described the studio’s approach as “bringing craft and modernity together to create beautiful, durable, timeless fabrics,” with every fabric designed and hand-printed in-house.

The “Stripes” pattern draws inspiration from artists such as Anni Albers and Agnes Martin, while the rust colour reflects the maritime themes present in Sgrinhouse’s broader collection. Producing the Alice chair with this bespoke fabric is a slower and more costly process compared to using stock fabric, but it ensures the chair and print were conceived in harmony, avoiding unnecessary printing or cutting.

Daisy emphasised the chair’s durability, stating, “You can feel the difference the moment you sit down. Solid bones, nothing that will break down or need replacing.” The Alice chair is designed to be reupholstered and passed on rather than discarded. Although initially designed as a bedroom chair, it has demonstrated versatility across various settings. A longer version intended for placement at the end of a bed or in a bay window is already in development.

Both Planted and Sgrinhouse attribute their collaboration to a mutual commitment to traditional skills applied with contemporary sensibilities. Daisy summarised this ethos: “It’s about keeping skills alive by giving them somewhere relevant to go.” Alice described their partnership in three words: craftsmanship, process, connection. Daisy chose purity, alignment, and connection, with both independently highlighting “connection,” underscoring the strong synergy from the outset.

Planted is a British upholstery house based in the Cotswolds, specialising in bespoke upholstered furniture crafted using traditional techniques and natural, chemical-free materials. Their products are built to last a lifetime, designed to be recoverable and reupholsterable, with each piece signed by its maker.

Founded by Alice Smith, Sgrinhouse designs and hand screen-prints all fabrics in-house, from initial Visit www.sgrinhouse.com for details.