Sofas & Stuff: What Makes an Authentic Partnership?

Sofas & Stuff is a family-owned British sofa and fabric company, designing and handcrafting made-to-order upholstered furniture in its own Lancashire workshop, and retailing through showrooms across the UK. 

Sofas & Stuff's recent partnership with the Royal Ballet and Opera grew from a natural alignment of values: craftsmanship, artistry and a shared commitment to excellence. It forms part of an ongoing approach to creative partnerships, from the V&A to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), each rooted in a belief in design, creativity and enduring quality. 

We speak to Ricky Partner, Chief Marketing Officer at Sofas & Stuff, about why collaborations continue to strengthen the brand's core purpose: designing and handcrafting made-to-order upholstered furniture.

Creative partnerships have become an increasingly important part of Sofas & Stuff. Why?

At our heart, we're a furniture maker. We design and handcraft made-to-order upholstered furniture in our own workshop in Lancashire, and that's where everything begins. That hasn't changed. What has changed is the way we tell our story. Creative partnerships allow us to explore the values that have always been part of Sofas & Stuff – craftsmanship, creativity, individuality and the importance of the maker's hand – through different creative disciplines. They encourage us to look at our own business from a fresh perspective. They remind us why the things we care about matter, and they help us communicate that in ways that feel engaging and relevant. Ultimately, they always bring us back to what we do best.

So what makes a partnership the right fit?

It has to feel authentic. We don't begin by asking, "Who would be exciting to work with?" We begin by asking, "Who shares our values?" That's why each of our partnerships has felt so natural. 

The Royal Ballet and Opera shares our commitment to craftsmanship, artistry and the pursuit of excellence. The V&A Museum reflects our appreciation of design history, textiles and enduring design. The RHS celebrates the beauty and creativity of the natural world. They're all very different organisations, but they're connected by a genuine respect for creativity, specialist skills and making things well. That's the common thread that brings us together. 

Your collaboration with the Royal Ballet and Opera has been your most ambitious creative partnership to date. What made it such a natural fit?

What struck us immediately was how much we recognised ourselves in what was happening behind the scenes. People experience the finished performance in exactly the same way they experience a finished sofa. They see the result, but they don't always see the years of experience, the specialist skills and the many people whose expertise made that moment possible. 

When we spent time at the RBO, meeting costume makers, prop specialists and craftspeople, it felt remarkably familiar. Back in our workshop, we have frame makers, pattern cutters, seamstresses and upholsterers who bring exactly that same pride and precision to every piece of furniture. Different crafts, certainly, but the same dedication to doing something exceptionally well.

That shared respect for craftsmanship became the foundation of the partnership.

What did the RBO partnership help you see more clearly about Sofas & Stuff?

I think it helped us articulate something that had always been there.

During our conversations with the RBO, we found ourselves looking beyond the performance to all the human effort that lies behind it; the work that audiences never see. It struck me that furniture is exactly the same.

Customers see a beautifully finished sofa. What they don't always see are the years of experience behind the frame maker, the precision of the pattern cutter or the judgement of the upholsterer. They don't see the hundreds of small decisions that shape the finished piece.

The partnership gave us a different way of talking about that unseen work. It reminded us that what people value isn't simply the end result, but the care, expertise and dedication that make it possible. That's something we've always believed. The collaboration simply brought it into sharper focus.

Sofas & Stuff has always championed individuality. How do these collaborations reinforce that philosophy?

We've always believed that the best homes reflect the people who live in them. That's why everything we make is made to order. Every customer chooses the size, the fabric, the comfort and the details that matter to them.

The partnerships don't change that philosophy. They reinforce it. The V&A reminds us of the enduring relevance of great design. The RHS celebrates the beauty and joy of gardens, and the endless inspiration found in plants and flowers. The RBO celebrates interpretation, artistry and craftsmanship. Each brings a different perspective, but they all reinforce the same belief: that the most meaningful homes are personal ones.

How do creative partnerships enrich the conversations you have with interior designers?

Interior designers are constantly looking beyond interiors for ideas. They draw from art, architecture, fashion, gardens, performance and culture, and we think brands should be just as curious.

For us, every partnership expands the creative conversation. Sometimes that results in an exclusive fabric collection. Sometimes it encourages us to think differently about craftsmanship, storytelling or the creative process itself. But it always comes back to strengthening what we do best.

Designers still come to us because they need beautifully handcrafted, made-to-order furniture, exceptional fabrics and the flexibility to create something that's exactly right for their client. The partnerships don't change that. They simply add another layer to the conversation. They give us more stories to tell, more perspectives to share and, hopefully, more ways to inspire designers as they create homes with real individuality.

As a sponsor of the BIID Interior Design Awards, why is supporting the interior design community important to Sofas & Stuff?

Interior designers share many of the values that matter most to us. They balance creativity with technical expertise, understand the importance of craftsmanship and work collaboratively to create homes that are thoughtful, personal and enduring.

We've always seen ourselves as a creative partner to the design community, whether that's through our made-to-order approach, our fabric collections or the expertise of our showroom teams and workshop.

Supporting the BIID Interior Design Awards is a natural extension of that. It's an opportunity to celebrate the creativity, professionalism and dedication that exists across the industry, and to recognise the designers who continue to raise standards and create exceptional interiors.

Ultimately, whether in design or performance, the best work has a life beyond the moment it is revealed. It should feel personal from the start, then become more meaningful with every year it is experienced and enjoyed.

Note: Sofas & Stuff are a BIID 2026 Interior Design Awards sponsor. This article has been produced as part of our sponsored partnership programme.