Because Magazine’s Little Black Book is far more than your average city guide. An insider directory to London, as seen through the eyes of our friends in fashion, beauty, fitness, food and the arts – all of them, experts in their fields – it’s your go-to Where’s Where for niche and noteworthy recommendations to help you navigate and use our Capital at its best. This week, furniture and jewellery designer, Lara Bohinc, shares her pick for the finest upholsterer around.



"Cristina is a lovely lady."

Where... 
CM Upholstery (173 Stroud Green Road) always does an amazing job.

Why... Cristina is a lovely lady. She and her team even managed to restore my vintage Camaleonda B&B Italia sofa from the 1970s beautifully! It’s not an easy piece to reupholster, as it has a very unique construction: The piece looks like an assemblage of clouds.

Because... I’ve tried many upholsterers and many refused to take it on. CM Upholstery even collected the piece and kept it for us while we were on holidays so that the cats wouldn’t scratch it. Which eventually they did, of course… Oh well: Another excuse to come back and choose a new fabric!


Image via Bohinc Studio.

It requires a special and unique talent to successfully make a professional transition, applying one's skills to a whole other industry – but that’s precisely what Lara Bohinc MBE did when she, a British Fashion Council NEWGEN alum, made the move from jewellery design to that of interiors.

Her name, synonymous with luxury, Lara consulted across high-end brands from Montblanc to Gucci and Cartier for over a decade. With a furniture debut – the now-iconic Solaris Kinetic Table – that took centre stage at Wallpaper’s "Handmade" exhibition in 2014, the rest (as they say) was history…

In 2016, Lara established the Bohinc Studio for the exploration of furniture and object design – so, naturally, she was our first port of call when seeking out our city’s finest upholsterer.


Click here to discover the artistry of Lara Bohinc.

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