Laura Jandac works with husband Milos at The Upholsterer, their luxury bespoke upholstery, furniture and interiors business in Midhurst that reflects their joint skills and shared taste
Most new mothers plan to take a break from work to focus on their family, but Laura Jandac (CORR) juggled changing nappies and feeds with launching her other baby – an interiors and bespoke furniture brand in Midhurst.
And to make her life even more challenging she did it with her newborn son in the small showroom where she worked with her business partner – her future husband Milos.
The couple worked long hours seven days a week to get the business up and running while caring for their baby son, Archie, but it wasn’t long before The Upholster was born.
‘We didn’t have much when we opened the shop and stuffed vases full of flowers and placed fabric books everywhere to fill the space, but it took off straight away. On our very first day people came in asking us to reupholster their stools, chairs and even, I remember, a nun asked me to redo her favourite fabric shoes!’
Now The Upholsterer has a range of clients big and small – including Goodwood and Cowdray – that love their bespoke curtains and fabric service and own furniture range along with the gorgeously quirky home accessories available online at theupholster.com.
‘We choose things that we love and would have in our own home and that seems to be popular,’ Laura says. ‘And we now even have our own range of furniture, where we make headboards, footstools, sofas and furniture from scratch.
‘We started small but now we offer a full service where we can do an entire house from top to bottom.
‘The biggest house we’ve done had electric gates that I had to be buzzed through and my satnav said that my destination, up the gravel drive, was a mile away. That was a very exciting project.’
Laura, an interior designer and curator, and Milos, 50, an upholsterer, decided to set up their own business after working together - and falling for each other - in London.
‘We lived in a flat over the shop which meant we could spend all our time getting ready to open. Archie was tiny but a newborn is easy to look after as they sleep all the time, so while he was napping I could work.
‘I rushed around getting weird props to fill out the shop space for opening day and we ended up with all those vases of flowers, rolls of fabric and a sewing machine. I was terrified on our opening day that no one would come in – I guessed that we’d see five people in the whole day and Milos said 20 – but we had loads of people supporting us right from the off.
‘I think having the baby in the shop helped as everyone wanted to come in and see him. We have Clara the cat too who sits by the window and jumps down whenever anyone comes in – we say she’s our meet and greet service.’
‘We use a lot of green in our schemes that reflect that, along with florals and tartan, so it’s a country lodge feel. There’s even a Sanderson fabric called Midhurst which is gorgeous. Texture is important, too, so I use a lot of wool, velvet and fabrics that feel nice.’
Fifteen years after starting the business they now have a workshop across the road from their showroom in the town. ‘We joke that we each have our own office,’ says Laura. ‘But it’s good that we work together but now have our own space.’
Did being a couple put a strain on work or their relationship? ‘It was hard but we made it work,’ she admits. ‘We were on top of each other non-stop but we both loved what we were doing and wanted it to be a success so we knew not to take work home with us even though we lived above the shop.’
They are now in the throes of buying a 1960s house in Easebourne that needs renovating. ‘It needs a lot doing but I like a challenge and that’s part of the fun. I can’t wait to use our own designs and furniture in there – it will definitely reflect us and our brand.’
Going forward, Laura and Miles want to add more to their own range. ‘It’s so good to be able to offer more bespoke pieces,’ she explains. ‘Our showroom is somewhere you can come and shop for everything for your home in one place. We offer luxury but it’s not outrageously expensive. We are not working with lords and ladies, we cater for all budgets, but make sure every piece looks a million dollars.
‘I love helping people and that’s why we offer a bespoke service so that we can solve everyone’s design problems and cater to their interiors desires.’
And while the couple work hard raising their children and running their business they also like to enjoy time off. ‘My mum and dad followed us to Midhurst so we spend a lot of time with them now they live here,’ Laura says. ‘We love the beach and go to East Wittering. We eat fish and chips on the beach while the kids skim stones in the sea.
‘We work during the day so we go down after work and watch the sunsets on the beach and even have a paddle in the sea. It’s a lovely place in the world to live and work. We know we’re very lucky.’
