"We can get any sofa in to any home" Raft Founder reveals

In April 2023, 70% of all London homes sold were apartments, a more than 5 percentage increase since 2011. Founder of Raft Furniture, Mick Quinn, reveals how the Raft Sofa Pivot Service combats a major urban dwelling pain point & can get any sofa into any home without flat-packing or DIY. 

The proportion of households in the UK living in a flat, maisonette or apartment rose to 5.4 million in 2021 from 4.9 million in 2011, says ONS figures. Recent data from property portal Zoopla reveals that these numbers continue to climb, with 20pc seeking two bedroom flats in 2023, up from 17pc in 2021 and 2022.

Explaining this trend, since January 2020, a 14pc rise in flat values pales in comparison to the 30pc rise in the average detached house. Ultimately, this indicates how rising mortgage rates and the cost of living are changing how and where we live. Unsurprisingly, this growing demand for flats has especially hit urban areas. In April 2023, 70pc of all London homes sold were apartments. 

With this shift towards flats comes a major pain point: difficult access for furniture and sofas. The iconic “PIVOT!” Scene 5, Episode 16 from Friends is truly coming to life in homes across London.

Winding staircases, narrow hallways and awkward doorways make finding a high quality sofa that can get inside, without flat-packing, DIY or window dismantling, a challenge. Raft Furniture debunks the myth that flat packed furniture or modular sofas are the only solution. Introducing the Raft Sofa Pivot Service, the solution to this urban dwelling pain point that doesn’t require DIY. 

• Watch Raft get a jumbo Seattle Sofa into an impossible to access Notting Hill apartment

Mick Quinn, Founder at Raft Furniture, explains how the company’s unique approach is executed:

“The process begins with a personal touch - something we pride ourselves on as a company. We’ll visit your home free of charge to inspect the property “Raft’s Sofa Pivot Service”; here, we measure the key access points and relay this information onto our experienced product specialists at our London sofa factory.”

Raft Furniture, based across London with its flagship store in Westfield White City, manufactures all its sofas by hand in London. Mick Quinn adds: “This gives us full control of the end-to-end process allowing us to cater each sofa to the customer’s space and access points. Once we’re inside the building, our experienced, white-glove team will construct the sofa for you, leaving you with your brand-new sofa and a seamless, stress-free experience. Most importantly, the integrity of your sofa’s frame won’t be compromised.”

“To be clear, this isn’t anything new; we’ve done this for over 20 years”

“We’re acutely aware how many people, especially Londoners, are changing their living spaces for many reasons. This brings the Raft Sofa Pivot Service into focus, which is why we’ve decided to discuss this publicly.

This change in trend is a real challenge for people. Londoners are struggling to get their first-choice furniture into their new homes and are having to compromise with a smaller, sub-par sofa.”

He continues: “Raft is ultimately a proud London company, so we have to adapt our various strategies to how Londoners are living. Like our white glove service which has existed since 1999, this is done proactively so we can serve the needs of the city by offering high quality, handmade and locally manufactured furniture to last a lifetime.” 

To summarise:

• Raft will conduct a free Raft Sofa Pivot Service visit for every sofa customer  - this entails measuring all the key access points.  
• Raft sofas are handmade in London by us so we can cater specifically to each customer. We have different manufacturing techniques for different access requirements.
• No flat-packing or DIY required. The integrity of your sofa frame is not compromised. 
• Raft's white glove delivery team will construct your sofa and take away any packaging. 
• Raft sofas can be made in any of our 9000 fabrics and 60 leathers.

About Raft Furniture

Established in 1999, Raft is a sustainable, luxury furniture company, based in London, specialising in handmade sofas and reclaimed teak furniture.

Raft produces high-quality, handmade furniture for every room. From sofas, beds and dining furniture to storage, décor and soft furnishings, you can furnish your entire home with Raft. With four showrooms in the UK and a beautiful website with our shoppable collection online, customers can place an order and leave the rest to us.

As a manufacturer and retailer, Raft offers free access visits to every customer and can make any sofa fit any home. Then, your products are delivered and set up by our team, leaving no packaging or DIY jobs behind. 

A family business that has grown through doing things ethically, in-house. Raft’s sofa factory is in North London and our flagship store makes us the biggest British retailer and manufacturer in any Westfield shopping centre.

Raft embraces the art of natural, easy living with timeless designs, sustainable materials and skilled craftsmanship.