020 8769 2205 
82-84 Mitcham Lane, London SW16 6NR

E & A Wates Ltd closed on Friday 14 May 2021

A lot of changes have taken place within the E & A Wates showroom on Mitcham Lane in recent months.

E & A Wates archive

The 120 year old firm’s comprehensive archive as a three store furniture retailer, furniture restorer, interior design practice and removal company has been donated to the London Metropolitan University, who are also are holders of The Frederick Parker Collection and two collections from the London College of Furniture amongst others like the TUC archives. Every customer charge book, receipt, suppliers invoice, accounting and advertising record together with hundreds of photographs has been packed up and taken away to be preserved, made accessible to the public and to support the University’s teaching and research. Our oldest client invoice is from 1930 and working duplicate books from 1933. Our extensive fabric and wallpaper library of some 1500 pattern books have also gone with the archive providing a snapshot of the many suppliers currently available at this moment in time. This promises to be a unique collection and provides a different understanding of the fabric industry to the wonderful Sanderson and Warner archives. Even our copies of the weekly trade journal The Cabinet Maker going back to 1947 will join their periodicals. An early pictorial history from the E & A Wates archive can be viewed on our website.

Shop signage, fixture and fittings

Everything in E & A Wates showroom, workshop and warehouse has been readied for sale, this includes the machinery, fixtures and fittings and even the lettering from the three shopfronts in Tooting, Upper Tooting and Streatham. Some of our sewing machines have gone to the Wimbledon Sewing Machine Co and may join the collection of the London Sewing Machine Museum locally on Balham High Road. Some of the iconic mid-century letters, antique furniture and preloved pieces are listed here.

Plans for 82-84 Mitcham Lane

The site has been sold for residential development to the founders of Jack Wills who specialise in the purchase and redevelopment of period buildings, the intention being to return the two original villas on Mitcham Lane to residential living again, create loft style apartments in the 1930s warehouse building and make more accommodation around the stable block which will also remain - currently part of our furniture restoration workshop.

Open 7 days

Most of our stock is listed but as everything must be cleared to leave the buildings in vacant possession we are now open every day, 9.30am-5.30pm Monday - Saturday and 10am-3pm Sundays. Please do come in and see what is available, everything from fabric remnants, office equipment and fine Deco furniture to tea chests and work benches will be on sale until our final trading day Friday 14 May 2021.

Thank You

We have received hundreds of messages of support and thanks for the work we have done, the furniture we have supplied over the decades, the part we have played in people’s lives and the contribution we have tried to make to the community. These are deeply appreciated and have helped hugely in softening the blow of the painful closure of our historic business.

1 May 2021

Doors closing at unique furnishing business E & A Wates after 120 years

E & A Wates furniture showroom on Mitcham Lane, SW16 first established in 1900, now sold.

The Directors and Staff at E & A Wates would like to thank the thousands of customers who have loyally supported our business over many decades. It is with great sadness that we announce that from early March 2021 our business will close.

For many traditional retailers the last few years have been tough, but with the additional onset of COVID-19 we have taken the decision to close the business and have sold the property.

Over the last 120 years we have greatly enjoyed furnishing thousands of local properties. We have also undertaken restoration and soft furnishing work at embassies, hotels, businesses and institutions such as the Houses of Parliament and the National Trust. Together with our community involvement, we would like to believe we have left our mark in a positive way.

We are now launching our final sale… our Closing Down Sale, which includes hundreds of amazing bargains. This will be a real opportunity to purchase new furniture, accessories, gifts and antiques at one-off prices.

Please be reassured that all customer’s existing orders for furniture, soft furnishings and restoration work are secure and will be completed before we close.

Most items are on our website which will be regularly updated: eawates.com and we will operate a click and collect/deliver service or phone: 020 8769 2205 to discuss.

Many grateful thanks for your loyal custom and faithful support.

Roger Wates MD

7 January 2021

Bespoke upholsterer E & A Wates switches to PPE during COVID-19    

NHS staff wearing the reusable visors during COVID-19. Visors have been delivered to 21 hospitals across London. Photo reproduced with permission.

E & A Wates furniture workshop redeployed to supply frontline NHS equipment across London

In its 120th year, SW London interior specialist E & A Wates has switched their workshop furniture restoration work from high quality reupholstery to critical personal protective equipment (PPE).

E & A Wates showroom and workshop are temporarily closed in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19). This week, with teams working at a safe distance behind the scenes, E & A Wates have supplied and cut foam to assist in making over 4,300 visors for NHS frontline staff within 21 hospitals in London and neighbouring counties with potential for another 2,500 components if required.

The visors are being made in conjunction with a prop maker Faye Jones and over 60 colleagues who crowdsourced the project so the visors can be donated to NHS hospital staff, the visors can be sterilised and reused after each shift. So far the group have made 6,650 visors with 3,200 planned for production over the Easter weekend.

Upholsterer Tom works in isolation at E & A Wates workshop cutting foam to make reusable visors for NHS staff during COVID-19.The foam headbands are ready to be delivered to the visor-making team (60 separate makers) who have currently distributed 3990 visors (3165 to London Hospitals and 825 to neighbouring counties).
 

8 April 2020