A NEW LIFE:Aiveen Daly packed in the office job and made a seamless move into upholstery, writes Olivia Kelly.
AIVEEN DALY (33) enjoyed making gingham aprons at school in the Ursuline Convent in her native Blackrock in Cork but she never thought her work would be in anything to do with textiles. Uncertain of a career path she decided to study Russian and Business in Trinity after her Leaving Certificate.
On completion of her degree she travelled for a period working for Murdoch magazines in Australia and in advertising and marketing with Newsweek magazine. She also spent time as an employee of online travel booker Expedia in London. She was involved in the setting up of the business in what were "exciting times".
"I loved it. It was at the time of the boom and I was lucky to get in at the set-up stage. It gave me a taste for young businesses.
"It was a lovely group of people. We felt it was like our baby because it was all so new. But then it became 60 employees instead of six and it didn't suit me at all.
"I wanted to do something less office bound so I started evening courses in sewing. It was a case of sneaking off on Thursdays to do all sorts of classes. I find a lot of modern furniture boring and generic.
"I was always pinning unusual textiles over chairs to create something unique. I got fed up with the fabrics crumpling to the floor and stepping on rogue pins so decided it was time to pack in the day job and learn how to upholster."
Daly decided to take the plunge and in 2003 she resigned from her job to sign up for a year's upholstery course at the London College of Furniture.
Since then, the talented designer/upholsterer hasn't had a minute to catch her breath. Among her most successful pieces are a Moneypenny chair (kitsch tweed chair with matching footstool), the Garbo chair prompted by a 1930s evening dress, Woo Woo (a retro monochrome design) and a Love knot chair inspired by a Balenciaga ball gown. Also available is the "Stiletto" range, so called for its super skinny black legs.
Daly offers a complete upholstering service from her studio in Kensal Green, London. As well as working on new pieces she reinvigorates antique or vintage furniture by twisting, knotting, buttoning and pleating silks, tweeds and dress fabrics over their old frames.
"Stripping down an old piece of furniture to upholster can be like opening a time capsule. Upholsterers often carve their initials and the date in the frame, and I have even found notes tucked into the original horsehair. Sometimes I add my own to be discovered in another hundred years."
A recent acquisition contained notes from Amsterdam, Italy and Manchester as it had been re-dressed and sent on its way every 25 years.
Upholstery is often viewed as a dying art form in our all too disposable society but for Daly it is way of being creative. She never regrets leaving behind office life.
"When I was younger I just went off and did a degree and a few other things and I would consider them all stepping stones to this.
"For example, I was writing press releases in my old jobs and I needed that sort of experience when setting up a business. I think it is important not to take things too seriously.
"I like working on interesting, enjoyable pieces for a home. I don't regret leaving my old job. I think it was all such a change of career that nobody really had much in the way of expectations. So when my business took off it was great."
Daly stresses that though she enjoys making quirky chairs the "Irish person" in her insists that the chairs must be totally functional.
She takes inspiration from everything, "devouring" fashion more than furniture magazines and has a keen eye for the detailing on clothes, handbags and shoes which she often brings into her upholstery.
Daly thoroughly enjoys rehabilitating the type of formal Victorian furniture which died out with the drawing room, giving it a new lease of life with dress fabric and embellishments.
Until recently she lived over her West London studio but business has taken off to such an extent that Daly has been able to buy her own house. She says she loves every minute of her new life in London, but equally enjoys the sense of calm which descends on her when she flies home to Cork.
"It is amazing to get back and have the change of scenery. It is really nice to have the best of both worlds. It is lovely to be in London for the buzz of the big city but after an hour-long flight I am home with my parents.
"My sister and brother are also in Ireland. It is an exciting time for me and I wouldn't change it for the world."