Product Care

Content by Terence Conran Furniture

Content by Terence Conran furniture are craftsman made with great care and attention to produce distinctive pieces that will bring pleasure for years to come. Each item of furniture is hand finished and uses traditional cabinet making techniques to ensure strength and longevity.

Several coats of clear lacquer finish each piece to create a low maintenance surface.

Each item of furniture is hand finished and this together with natural features such as grain and colour variation ensures that each piece is individual. Carefully used these finely made furniture will give many years of satisfaction.

All our upholstery is made in Britain and our cabinet ranges are made in mainland Europe from European wood.

Our craftsmen build to the highest standards of durability, comfort and safety with all Content by Terence Conran’s furniture complying with current regulations on flammability.
Content by Terence Conran furniture are designed for domestic and contract use, respectively. CRIB5 fabric standard protection is available for a minimal surcharge per fabric-meter.
All cushions, whether foam, fibre or feather filled, should be plumped up regularly, especially fibre or feather filled. Plumping is vital to best maintain upholstery on an on-going basis, to help retain softness, comfort and appearance. Where cushions are reversible they should be turned regularly to prolong the life of both filling and fabric. Leather cushions may not be reversible as it is sometimes necessary to use fabric on the reverse to allow the cushions to breathe. Occasionally it may be necessary to undo the zip and slide your arm inside to re-adjust the edges of cushion in relation to the piping on the cushion cover during use.
We do not advise placing upholstery in your home where it might receive prolonged exposure to sunlight, as this can cause fabric to fade.
If you have pets then bear in mind that claws can be particularly damaging to upholstered furniture – as can any kind of sharp object.

Use a vacuum cleaner or soft brush to remove surface dust on a weekly basis. Non-removable covers should not be washed or dry-cleaned.
We do not recommend the use of spirit cleaner to remove spots and stains. If however, you choose to spot clean please be careful to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
We recommend that furniture with non-removable covers should be fully cleaned once a year by a specialist cleaning company. It may be possible to wash or dry clean removable covers in accordance with the manufacturers cleaning instructions label. However Content by Terence Conran would recommend that all upholstery cleaning should be carried out in situ even for removable covers. This will give a better-finished result.
Some marks can be removed using a cloth moistened with mild soapy water but never detergent.
N.B. Excessive use of water or over-energetic cleaning can destroy the surface finish.

Velvets:

One of the characteristics of velvet is its inherent nap: that is, the pile of the fabric will move and catch the light in different directions. This is the nature of the fabric and it should not be viewed as a fault.
Sometimes, the pile may appear crushed when new, but this can be resolved by sweeping with a clothes brush (or in rare cases, by professional steaming). Over time, the pile will crush but this is part of the antiquing process and will not affect the durability or charm of the product.

Every hide used on Content by Terence Conran’s leather furniture has a unique grain and character of its own. We only select hides of the highest quality. However, some marks are inevitable and should be accepted as part of the individual appearance of this type of furniture.

Growth marks, bites, insect bite marks, scars and creases are common on leather furniture and it is precisely these marks that distinguish 'real' leather from man-made substitutes. None of these characteristics has a weakening effect on the hide. The marks signify that this is a natural product and it would be impossible to obscure them all from view without coating the surface with a thick layer of paint, which would destroy the beauty and softness of the material.

Natural surface marks we consider acceptable are:

Insect bite marks: Some cattle get bitten by insects, which can leave bite marks. These occur as tiny lumps on the surface.

Scars: There may be many causes, but they are mainly the result of the animal brushing against barbed wire. As with humans, the skin heals but often leaves fine lines. These light scars are not to be confused with badly healed ones, which are automatically rejected during manufacture.

Creases: These normally occur in the neck area of the hide. Because of their heavy grain, they can look very attractive. Normally this section is placed where it will not detract from the design of the furniture.

Dung marks: Seen in the hides as more textured areas than normal.

Cabinet furniture

Wood furniture

You will find veneer surfaces on most of our board furniture, such as shelves, console tables and coffee tables. Our veneers are layers of cut wood – so a natural material – and variations in the grain must be expected. This is what makes each piece of wood furniture unique. The majority of our wooden parts are lacquered several times to ensure a very durable surface. The colour fastness meets our standard for normal, everyday use.

Veneer is used where solid wood cannot be used because of design constrains such as shelves. Shelves and wooden boards come in 1.5-3cm thickness which is too thin and cannot be used in combination with solid wood as it would bend and crack over time and therefore would make wood furniture unfit for purpose.

Daylight can affect wood and veneer. For initial period after you have received your furniture, they will absorb the surrounding light and adapt to the surrounding environment. In order to allow even light absorption change move items displayed on the surface around in order to avoid permanent marks and circles. At first, new furniture will also need time to absorb light before it will match the tone of your existing furniture.

Do not use liquids or wet cloths to clean your furniture. Water is only to be used in small doses in the form of a damp cloth. Always ensure furniture are dried with a dry cloth and no liquids or water are left remaining on the surfaces.

Veneer and wood are both absorbing liquids quickly, especially if they do not have a lacquered finish. Ensure that spilled liquids are wiped up immediately by blotting with a dry cloth. If the spillage has caused staining we recommend you contact specialist cleaners who are equipped to deal with such occurrences. For professional cleaning and maintenance advice (contact Guardsman Home Services on 0845 6020789), alternatively – James Turtle Onsite Services on 03292 466 153.

Maintenance and Care Instructions

To prolong the life of your Content by Terence Conran furniture we advise to care for them in the following way:

Cleaning

We recommend regularly dusting your wooden furniture with a soft cloth. Occasionally it should be wiped with a soft slightly damp cloth with a mild detergent solution and dried with a lint-free cloth.

Do not use polishes, waxes or other abrasives. Polish containing silicone is not recommended, as it will lead to a build-up of a silicone film changing the appearance of your furniture.

Care

Please protect delicate flooring (especially parquet and other wooden flooring) from potential marking by feet or legs. Our furniture come with felt glides which should be used on hard flooring. For carpet floor the felt glides do not need to be attached.

Dropping furniture onto corners or feet will cause damage to the frame and/or legs.

Take care to prevent sharp objects such as toys, buckles and heels from coming into contact with your furniture.

Avoid contact with any chemicals such as hair & makeup products, perfume etc. as these may affect the finish.

If your furniture becomes stained, scratched or chipped or suffers other damage we recommend professional help is sought to restore it.

If you have relevant insurance you may wish to contact your provider for advice.

Alternatively a nationwide service is offered by (contact Guardsman Home Services on 0845 6020789), alternatively – James Turtle Onsite Services on 03292 466 153.

Following the guidelines above will ensure product performance is maintained. Content by Terence Conran is not responsible for defects caused by the misuse of your product.

Expansion and Timber Movement

All timber will display movement from season to season because of changes in atmospheric temperature and humidity. This may occasionally make moving parts a little stiffer to operate.

We do not recommend locating products in excessively high or low temperatures, or where the environment is often damp as this may cause product issues.

Levelling, assembly and moving products

All our furniture come assembled. The Wave range has not got the metal legs attached to the unit during transport. The legs only need to be screwed onto the unit into predrilled holes. You can find further instruction here.

Take care when moving products. Do not move furniture around, pushing them over the floor. We recommend they are lifted by two persons as dragging items across the floor will cause damage to the joints, legs and glides. Legs or hinges can break and can damage the furniture. Always ensure you take shelves and storage out of and off the furniture before moving them.

It is essential that your furniture is positioned on a level surface to ensure that the doors hang correctly and open smoothly.

Products with doors have either adjustable hinges or wedges to square the doors if the floor is not level:

For adjustable hinges or feet: follow the instructions included with your furniture if adjustment is necessary.

For wedges: place under the feet to raise the corner as required, and snap off when the furniture has been in place for several days so they are no longer visible.

If doors fail to operate smoothly, or the product is moved, levelling should be rechecked; either readjust the doors or level the corners (any suitable packing material may be used).

Sunlight and Heat

Avoid exposing your furniture to excessive heat e.g. by placing it in front of a radiator, as this can cause cracking. A minimum 30cm clearance from heat sources is advised.

Direct sunlight will cause the colour of real wood to change, even if it is painted or lacquered, this will be more readily apparent if the furniture is placed under a window.

Use in hot and sunny conservatories is not recommended.

Leaving items such as vases or ornaments in one place on a piece of furniture in sunlight may leave a mark when it is removed. Such marks should blend in with time.

Never place hot dishes directly onto wooden or painted surfaces, we recommend you use tablemats. Prolonged use of hot electrical equipment, such as a laptop, on top of furniture may also cause scorching.

The dark rubber feet used on electrical and other equipment occasionally contain chemicals that can leave a permanent mark on furniture surfaces care should be taken.

Features of Natural Wood

Wood is a beautiful natural material. It is important to understand its unique properties; which should not be mistaken for flaws.

Wood Shading and Grain

Each piece will have a slightly different grain pattern. Variation in colour, shading and grain between different products and within the same product can occur; this is a normal feature of all natural wood furniture.

Knots

Knots are a natural property of all real wood furniture; they do not affect performance, and add interest to each piece.

Medullary Rays

These markings are created where wood is cut across the grain producing interesting features such as growth rings and flecks.

Resin Pockets

These are a natural feature of wood and will appear as small marks in the finish. These add character to each piece and are not defects.