Katy Bennett

Chair Weaver



 





Growing up in a small village in Devon UK, Katy Bennett grew up in a creative family with her mother and grandfather as artists. Katy found herself enjoying the creative freedom of art and it evolved into a natural path to continue on. Equally she began exploring her interest in fashion and clothing, and had to make a choice for University. Deciding to study illustration with fine art at University of East London a decision she looks back on where perhaps fashion design was the obvious one she should have pursued. After graduating University she decided to go for a career as fashion stylist in ecommerce.

She realised that breaking into the industry was tough even with the right experience behind her. Juggling internships and extra jobs in pubs, Katy decided to try something new and worked as a retailer in interior design for two years, it was something about organising and her passion for styling that sparked something in her, that industry proved to be equally difficult. 

When lockdown lifted she found herself in an unhappy state and to begin chasing job opportunities over and over again was not appealing. Turning the focus on herself is when the idea Home of the Good Chair started.  



“I needed to do something for myself”









In her spare bedroom Katy began experimenting with giving vintage chairs a new life, watching youtube she quickly learned the basics of how to weave chairs. A craft that originates from mid century Danish furniture design. Katy uses the Danish paper cord, the same material that has been used to make these classic furniture since the 1940s. She explains the material is made from three strands of waxed coated paper which have been tightly twisted together to create a strong and rigid contexture.

The process starts off by acquiring vintage chairs which she usually sources from eBay, facebook marketplace, secondhand or an auction. These chairs are often 40 to 60 years old and in need of restoration, so she begins by removing the old weave to uncover the frame to be sanded and oiled. Katy then marks and drills holes to the inside of the seat frame and adds the nails. Then she proceeds to begin the weave, there are two main weaves, which are considered classical that she makes, the weft weave and the envelope weave which is harder to perfect.  







“A weaver told me to never use staples” 


Beyond the classical weaves she developed her own unique style of weave and pattern inspired by the dutch artist Piet Mondrian. The specific weave required significantly more cord and attention to detail with tightly woven horizontal and vertical lines overlapping to create the simplistic but yet intricate design. 

Katy describes her passion for interior and styling comes to match perfectly when doing a set up to be photographed. “I think I almost enjoy it more than doing the chairs.”














Moving from London to Portsmouth 1.5 years ago she was searching for a permanent studio for her craft and through connections Ankle Deep studios became the base for Home of the Good Chair. 

Looking to her goals of 2024 is to grow and expand to do workshops and introduce the technique to others. Giving her work a refresher by experimenting, doing art pieces and getting her work into the local art scene. 

Looking back at a breakthrough moment in her career was when she was commissioned to weave a collection of chairs for interior design influencers Number 17 House. It helped boost her business and confidence in her unique and rare skills as chair weaver. 


By: Eddie Stenstrom 2024.