Think of a factory – then think again. Calm, light and airy, the Savoir bedworks in west London and Wales defy the archetype. In place of hulking machines there are highly skilled craftsmen working intently at individual oak trestles; instead of the addling clatter of a production line you hear the soothing tapping of tacks, music from a radio and the occasional amiable exchange between colleagues.
Arjoon, the London works foreman, has been making beds by hand since 1987. One of the three original Savoy craftsmen inherited by Savoir in 1997, he has trained most of the current team of 40. Standards are so high that it takes at least a year to teach an apprentice the techniques necessary for making a Savoir bed base – two years if you include mattresses and headboards. Our four core models, numbered 1 to 4 and shown over the following pages, vary according to the hours of work and materials involved.
All are entirely handmade to clients’ specifications. The mission of the whole team – including Rodica the precision cutter and our five meticulous seamstresses – is to provide each customer with the most comfortable and stylish bed imaginable. The solution will depend on body shape, personal preference and budget. From the zoning of different gauges of pocketed spring for optimal support to an unlimited choice of contemporary furnishing fabrics, every individual and taste is provided for. Like Savile Row tailors, our craftsmen only start work once an order has been placed.
We know from firsthand experience that our customers are looking for truly personal service. At Savoir the phrase is no mere cliché. Imagine the luxury of your own bedmaker, who will create your bed from the floor up and – when he is completely satisfied that it is perfect – sign his name with pride, like an artist, on the label…
