We’ve all seen it. That £30 side table in the middle aisle. The flat-pack armchair with fabric thinner than paper. The bookshelf that barely survives the first house move.
This is fast furniture – cheap, quick-to-market, and often landfill-bound within a few years.
And just like fast fashion, it’s costing us more than we realise.
So what is fast furniture, why is it such a problem, and how can a repair-first mindset help us build a more sustainable, meaningful home, one restored chair or refinished sideboard at a time?
What is fast furniture?
Fast furniture refers to mass-produced, low-cost furniture that’s designed to meet fast-changing trends, but not necessarily built to last.
It’s made quickly. Sold cheaply. Discarded easily. Fast fashion for your home.
And while the price tag might feel like a bargain, the real cost shows up in landfills, underpaid labour, lost forests and craftsmanship, and a throwaway mindset that doesn’t belong in a world facing climate crisis.
Why fast furniture is a problem?
Every year, the UK throws away over 22 million pieces of furniture – most of it perfectly fixable. We’re often throwing away quality vintage furniture and replacing it with fast furniture that isn’t made to be repaired. It’s made to break and be replaced.
Often, it’s held together with glue instead of joinery, it’s made of particleboard instead of hardwood, and with fabrics that can’t survive a single spill, let alone family life.
This cycle of “buy, break, bin” isn’t just wasteful – it’s heartbreaking.
Because we’re not just losing materials. We’re losing the story furniture once carried. Of bedtime stories with grandparents, family dinners around the table.
The heirlooms. The handmade. The local makers. The rich tradition of furniture repair and restoration that values skill, sustainability, and soul.
The eco-conscious alternative? Repair, don’t replace.
At We Are Repairs, we believe in a different future. One where furniture is cherished, not chucked. One where a frayed chair becomes a canvas for creativity, and a scratched table is the start of a new chapter.
Here’s how we’re helping you avoid the fast furniture trap and support small businesses who specialise in giving furniture new life.
Got a tired armchair? Reupholster it.
Maybe it’s sun-faded. Maybe the seat has collapsed. Maybe it’s just… beige.
But underneath that tired fabric is a solid frame just waiting for transformation.
Our talented upholsterers can completely reinvent your armchair, from bold colours to tactile textures. When you reupholster a chair, you’re not only saving materials, you’re creating a piece that reflects your style and values. And you’re supporting a small business doing what they love.
Inherited something beautiful, but dated?
Let’s say you’ve got your Nanna’s bureau. Maybe it’s too dark. Maybe it’s water-stained. Maybe you’ve always wanted to love it, but it’s never quite worked in your home.
This is where our wooden furniture restoration businesses shine.
We’ll connect you with skilled craftspeople who can refinish, repair, or completely transform your bureau, preserving its character while updating its look. You want it painted in soft sage green with antique brass handles? Done. Want the scratches buffed out and the wood nourished? Absolutely.
These pieces deserve to stay in your family. And they deserve to look incredible.
What if you haven’t got an heirloom but you still want something beautiful for your home?
Don’t buy new, buy better.
You don’t need a furniture showroom or a flat-pack box to find your next statement piece. You need a sense of adventure and an eye for quality.
Because some of the best furniture out there isn’t new. It’s old.
Lovingly made, beautifully aged, and just waiting to be rediscovered. We’re talking dovetail joints, not glue. Solid wood, not chipboard and veneer. Crafted by skilled furniture makers who built to last, not to land in landfill.
These pieces have personality. They’ve got quirks. They’ve got character.
And when you bring them into your home, you’re adding something truly special – a story, not just a surface.
So where do you find these gems?
🪑 Charity shops – Treasure troves of donated vintage finds
🪑 Vintage shops – Curated collections full of style and soul
🪑 Antique & vintage fairs – A day out and a chance to find something magical
🪑 Car boot sales & Facebook Marketplace – Yes, really. Some of our favourite pieces started here! As the saying goes…‘one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.’
Then once you’ve found something you love, our community of skilled furniture restoration experts can help you transform it.
Why choose repair?
✨ Conservation
Repair helps us conserve not just materials, but meaning. Every piece you restore keeps more out of landfill, and keeps heritage skills alive.
💚 Sustainability
No factory emissions. No shipping containers. Just local, eco-conscious repairers breathing new life into old favourites.
🛠 Craftsmanship
Fast furniture can’t hold a candle to real craftsmanship. When you invest in furniture repair, you’re investing in tradition, talent, and time-honoured skill.
🙌 Community
Every repair supports a small local business – people who care deeply about what they do, and who are helping to build a more resilient, sustainable economy.
So… how do I get started?
That part’s easy.
🔍 Head to our Find a Repairer page
Use our directory to find local furniture repairers, upholsterers, and restoration specialists near you.
🪑 Got a chair or sofa that needs love?
Search for your local upholsterer who can reupholster your chair or sofa and give it a brand-new life.
🪵 Need help with your sideboard or your old oak table?
Look for a wooden furniture business who can bring back its beauty.
Fast furniture isn’t built to last. But your story is.
Let’s stop seeing furniture as throwaway. Let’s honour the objects that are part of our daily lives – meals shared, books stacked, stories told – and repair them with care.
You don’t need to buy new. You need to make a conscious choice to repair or repurpose what you already own or look into buying second-hand.
Because when we choose repair, we choose conservation. Restoration. Sustainability.
We choose to build homes that hold meaning, not just more stuff.
Ready to reupholster, refinish or restore?
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