Victoria Meacham

How did I get here?  I would say luck, but other people would probably say, a bit of luck but mainly a lot of time, money and determination.  Having spent time trying to work out what to say here, I suppose that's true to a certain extent.  If asked, I still maintain it's all probably luck, and parents help.

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Until 2013, age 33, I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and can't say I was very happy with it or my CV of random jobs in offices.  I've always had a creative side and need the satisfaction that only comes from making stuff, same as Mum, she's the inspiration for pretty much everything, her and my sister.  The Meacham women are a strong unit, literally and figuratively.

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In 2013 I suddenly had the opportunity to reroute my life and financial freedom via my old room at parents.  I restarted a furniture making college course I'd binned off 10 years previously and signed up for the AMUSF (Association of master Upholsterers & Soft Furnishers) Craft Certificate two year course.  I had been going to the Edinburgh Council evening upholstery classes for a few years and decided I was good enough to give it a proper bash.  Distinction both years says I was right.

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I joined a collective arts studio and, in the evenings and at weekends, started taking commissions from friends and family and making things for myself or to sell.

The womancave.  Spey St is a hidden gem of small businesses, bad parking and worse bants.

I soon discovered why I had left the college course and instead enrolled in the full time furniture design and production course at the Chippendale International School of Furniture near Haddington.  Forty minutes commute each way five days a week and upholstery in the evenings and weekends at my small studio was knackering, I'm sure I was late every morning and the first to leave in the evening but it was totally worth it. 

By the time I finished at Chippendale I had a viable upholstery business, a new workshop on my own and a varied set of woodworking skills.  Things have gone from strength to strength since, as well as private commissions, I have been involved in contract restaurant and bar jobs, I work with several interior designers and have had several commissions to make furniture from scratch. 

I'm still constantly learning, I'm currently flailing through a Sketchup course, HTML for website building (not finished, never will be) and a graphic design course.  I now, if not have, know where to look for all the skills and equipment to realize the real dream, design, make and sell my ideas.  

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What inspires me?  I want to make practical art, flowers and fish you can sit in.  I love everything nature, I love the plants, the animals and especially the otter I'm going to build a house for in the woods one day.

A few things I can do in the workshop....so far

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• Upholstery - Modern and traditional

• Furniture making - Chairs, shelves, tables, stools, cupboards, etc

• Curtains and blinds - Standard, Roman, cascading

• Handbags and purses

• Theatre props

• Metalwork - Mig and Tig welding

• Carving

• Gilding

• French polish

• Tuition - private and group

• Wine fueled weird experimental art

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