How to master wood bending – watch our tour of the Ercol factory and showroom

When mydeco was invited along to the Ercol showroom and factory in Bucks we didn’t know quite what to expect. A loud industrial factory attached to a luxury showroom? Lines of factory workers churning out chairs amidst the furniture displays? It seemed a bit far fetched…

Image credit: ercol.com

Actually, Ercol’s headquarters lie in the heart of Risborough and are comprised of a huge factory, glass-fronted showroom and spacious office building in one. It’s won awards for its architecture and environmentally-friendly design, and with one wall adorned with the names of all the employees that have reached 25 years (and counting) service at Ercol, this is no ordinary factory!

Image credit: tentlondon.blogspot.com

Known for its 1950′s style, the  Ercol ‘originals’ of the modern-day furniture line are Ercol’s stacking chairs, sleek butterfly chairs and iconic love seats. These have developed variously over time and we fell in love with the fading-blue love seat pictured in the shop window above. Available as the same in orange, this is a perfect example of a retro shape kept up to date with a modern splash of colour.

Ercol’s line has come a long way since the start of the business and now there is a vast range of different fabrics that you can choose from for your Ercol furniture, made to order just as you want it. Ercol has recently collaborated with John Lewis to offer customers a new range of affordable upholstery.

mydeco user yyaaggmmuurr777 has made the Ercol sofa her own in her positively pink 3D room, above. By swapping and changing the upholstery you can play with your own style while keeping the clean and classic Ercol shape that never goes out of fashion.

Soundproof walls and windows mean that you can look through the Ercol showroom into the factory without suffering the noise, but not everyone gets the chance for a tour. Watch our video for the full factory tour, a crash course in wood bending, a look at the new Ercol furniture collections and a chance to see Ellie flex her muscles as she tries her hand at chair making.

Like what you see but not sure where to start? mydeco has all the beautiful wooden Ercol furniture along with design ideas to get you going.

mydeco user The Calico Tree created this fun retro living room moodboard, above, using two Ercol originals, the love seat and the nest of tables. Or you can jump right in and make your own 3D room or moodboard to try before you buy.

Take a peak at some images of the award winning Ercol factory – as well as some interior design ideas and Ercol products – in my Ercol folder to see how you might incorporate their stylish wooden pieces into your home.