About Us

Everything we create starts from carefully selected vintage pieces. We look for beautiful, well-made antique furniture to give us the perfect base to work from. With our aim of creating stunning statement pieces of furniture in mind - we then transform these items into something that’s new, bold and totally unique. Whether that’s by upcycling the item into something completely different with a striking new design, or by sympathetically restoring an antique item with a modern touch. We think it’s this mix of taking the structure of a beautiful antique mixed with a modern re-design, that makes for a very interesting, beautiful and bespoke item. Overall, this creates a collection of truly special, one of a kind items for you to choose from.

We also have a unique selling point compared to our competitors… by decoupaging using fabric rather then wallpaper. We just love the texture, the richness of colour and depth that velvet offers. We feel it elevates our items by adding an additional layer of luxury to our pieces. We like to try new things with our techniques and stand out! So if you’re looking for bespoke furniture, then why not choose something a little different that looks beautiful and certainly no-one else will have.

Dark, moody florals. Rich, dark bold colours. Gold. Luxurious velvet fabrics with depth and texture. Unique, beautiful vintage items with character and quirks. Strong, bold prints and patterns. Botanical. Birds. Embellishment. Studs. Something different that stands out and makes a statement.

Black Leopard Interiors grew from the lockdown of 2020. It started when the founder lost her job due to the Covid pandemic that hit, and needed something to do with her skills and somewhere to put her creativity, having always worked in the ‘creative’ sector. Now finding herself with the time to spend indulging in her passion for furniture upcycling, it all began. It started with a few experiments transforming some old furniture for personal use. This led to a few more furniture ‘flips’ that were put up for sale - which sold swiftly. Now, getting a taste for this new creative market, this led to buying, upcycling and selling more and more. It just happened naturally. Each time getting bigger and more difficult items to upcycle, trying new things and broadening skills with every step. Improving the quality and finish each time. Selling items for higher price points the bigger and better they got. This also led to some commission orders for bespoke items too. The doors were slowly opening to a whole new world to get stuck into, a field that showed so much potential to follow lifelong dreams of a creative small business. Before you knew it, it naturally turned from a hobby to a small business over 2 years. And here we are now - still growing, developing, and trying new things. Continuing to build and follow our passion for upcycling and restoring pre-loved items in our own unique way.

“I’ve always been a very creative person and needed to express that - whether that be through a form of art, textiles, my work, business side hustles or how I dress.

I have always studied and worked within Art, Textiles and Fashion. I just love fabrics - the colours, prints, the depth and richness, the feel of velvet and the luxury that texture can bring. I would love going to textile shows when I was younger. You’d go around touching and feeling everything, spend a fortune on fabrics, and come home with a head bursting with ideas and a pile of un-needed fabrics! I liked the freedom of the textiles world as you could be more free and expressive with your work, and loved sewing and experimenting with fabric manipulation. Within the Art world perhaps I had more of a precision style. I liked perfect line work, precision detail and flawless painting. Although I was talented and I can draw/ paint, I wasn’t one of those talented ‘slap it on’ and create a masterpiece type of painters! I was a bit too ‘OCD’ and would take way too long on projects, just finishing them in time but feeling frustrated if they weren’t perfect. I got into the Fashion world as I got older but again the visual and creative side. Again it was all about the design, print and texture of an item. The shapes and cuts of clothing, what you can do with a gorgeous piece of fabric and how that can make you feel when styled a certain way. I also managed how to display shops and create visuals to make them exciting and different. How to style your surroundings too.

Then when it comes to furniture; well I have always loved vintage and antique items/ furniture. I love a thrift shop, house clearance or car boot sale to see what gems I can find… or ‘to buy a load of old tat’ as my dad would say! I then used to tinker with the furniture in my parents loft - experiment or half upcycle something, get bored, or move onto another idea and leave it all up there with the promise that I was going to finish it I swear! (My parents loved me for that!) Too many ideas and not enough time to explore them further.

So, I guess when you mix all of that together over the years you get to where I am now. All of my passions, previous work and studies rolled into one. And there you can also see my slightly different yet interesting approach to furniture upcycling - by using fabrics and doing it slightly differently! It’s what makes my work unique. And my ‘precision’ finish that I now pride my work on. I cant wait to see where it goes and what idea to make something I’ll have next. I just love it!”

Emma

Black Leopard Interiors Founder

For more on Commission Orders (made-to-order furniture) go to the commissions page in the menu or click here.

For more on how we approach sustainability within our business, go to the sustainability page in the menu or click here.

1. REFUNDS: We do not accept returns on items once received due the nature of the items we sell. An antique piece of furniture that has been upcycled is not brand new. This means it may have some minor marks/ dents/ blemishes on it from age related wear and tear. This is all part of the items character and history. Any items with antique mirrors or glass may have small scratches/ marks/ patinas due to age related wear and tear as they are vintage and again not brand new. Any blemishes will be minor/ not too noticeable and wont affect the items use, as we put a lot of work into re-finishing the items to a high standard. We pride ourselves on the finish we achieve when restoring the items. We do not accept refunds due the nature of age related wear and tear on antique items. In rare cases, orders can be cancelled if the item has not been shipped and a refund given. You will need to contact us and make us aware of this decision asap. Delivery charges are non-refundable. If we have agreed for an item to be sent back then you will need to cover the delivery costs. We do supply care details with your item to advise you on how best to look after it. We do not accept refunds if care instructions haven’t been followed.

Please feel free to message us for further pictures or information on any items before purchasing.

2. COMMISSION REFUNDS: We do not offer refunds on commission items. This means the item has been made-to-order. This is because the item will be completely bespoke and have been re-finished with your chosen design implemented. As the item has been tailored to you, we do not accepts refunds for commission items. All payments and deposits made are non-refundable. This is because you are choosing a commission order. Similarly, if you have paid a holding deposit that means the item/work has been allocated to you. Therefore we do not offer refunds on deposits. We may offer refunds if we are unable to complete the work for our own reasons (such as loss of workplace etc). Delivery charges are non-refundable.

3. LIABILITY: Once the item is in your care you become responsible for it. We are not liable for items once they have left our threshold. We do not except refunds or liability for items that have wear or tear, age related marks, or have been damaged in any way since leaving our threshold. We do supply care details with your item to advise you on how best to look after it. We do not accept refunds if care instructions haven’t been followed. We are not responsible for damage that could occur through transport – delivery or collection.

4. DELIVERY: for the UK - We use a trusted furniture courier that we have a great relationship with and whom takes great care of the items. We generally use a one-man delivery service, who delivers to a ground floor front door location. So you will need to be available to help at your end. If you need a two-man delivery service then please contact us and this can be arranged, it will be at an additional cost. We ensure all the items are packaged very well and are secure for transport. Collection from Southampton UK is welcomed, please get in touch for more details. We generally deliver to UK only, but if you are outside of this please do get in touch and we can arrange delivery to the rest of the world, this will be at an additional cost.

5. We reserve the right to decline, refuse or cease working with you if we feel you (the customer) is withholding payment or threatening our business in any way.

Use the form below to get in touch with us about anything! We’d love to hear from you.