A Day in the Life of a Savoir Craftsperson

Meet Deri, a craftsperson at Savoir Bedworks Wales, and step inside the workshop where handmade beds are created with skill, care and pride using time-honoured techniques and the finest natural materials.

A craftsperson wearing a black Savoir polo shirt and white work gloves is seen in a workshop setting, holding a string near a mattress. The background shows wooden boat components and a high-ceilinged warehouse environment.

Meet Deri, Mattress Maker at Savoir Bedworks Wales

Every Savoir bed is handcrafted in one of our two Bedworks: our original workshop in London or our Welsh Bedworks in the South Wales Valleys.

The Welsh Bedworks joined the Savoir family in 2005, when growing demand for our handcrafted beds meant we needed to expand while maintaining the same exceptional standards of craftsmanship. Already an established maker of high-quality handmade beds, the Welsh workshop was the perfect fit. Today, the team handcrafts Savoir Nº3 , Nº4 and Nº5 beds, with every piece made to order using traditional techniques and the finest natural materials.

Deri has been part of the Welsh Bedworks team for almost a decade. During that time, he has handcrafted mattresses for some of the world's most respected hotels and superyachts, including the Orient Express Sailing Yachts, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and The Greenwich Hotel in New York, as well as many of Savoir's esteemed private clients around the world.

A Savoir craftsman in a black shirt works on a mattress in a workshop, peeling off a layer of wool from the side of the mattress frame.
A close-up of a craftsman's hands writing his initials with a black pen on a label. The label features the embossed text 'SAVOIR No5'.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up just up the road from the Bedworks in Mountain Ash, and I've always lived in this part of South Wales. Most of the team lives within about ten miles of the workshop, so there's a real sense of community here.

One of the best things about living in the Welsh Valleys is the landscape. We've got mountains and woodland all around us, so it's easy to get outdoors. My wife and I enjoy spending time with family and friends, walking locally with our dog, Giggsy, named after Ryan Giggs, the Manchester United and Wales football legend. I'm also the manager of a local football team, Penrhiwceiber Social, so that keeps me busy outside work. I enjoy being part of a team, whether that's in football or here at the Bedworks.

A black and white photo of a smiling craftsman with a beard wearing a black polo shirt with the brand name 'SAVOIR' on the chest, holding a mattress in the workshop.

Q: Tell us how your day begins.

A: Every morning, we have a cup of tea together as a team and catch up for a few minutes before beginning the day's work. Then we uncover the projects we prepared the previous evening and continue where we left off. Everything's organised, so we can focus on the craftsmanship from the moment we step into the workshop.

Q: How did you find your way to Savoir?

A: Before joining Savoir, I spent 11 years working as a greenkeeper on a golf course. I really enjoyed it, but I was ready for a new challenge.

My brother and uncle were already working at Savoir and encouraged me to come and see what they did. I met the team, and within a couple of weeks I'd joined the Bedworks.

The two jobs are actually very similar. As a greenkeeper, you're responsible for creating and maintaining something of the highest quality that others can enjoy. It's the same here. Every mattress is made for one person, and you want them to have the very best night's sleep. That's what you're working towards. That pride in doing the very best job possible for others has stayed with me throughout my career.

A black and white portrait of a craftsman with a beard wearing a dark polo shirt, standing in a bedding workshop with upholstered mattresses in the blurred background.
Two craftsmen standing side-by-side in a black polo shirt with the brand name 'SAVOIR' printed on the chest, in the workshop.

Q: What does a typical day in the workshop involve?

A: I specialise in mattresses, taking each one through almost the entire process from the moment the spring unit reaches my bench until it's ready for quality control and delivery to the client.

Building a mattress is a step-by-step process. I inspect the spring, build the initial carcass using natural fillings such as coir and horsehair, fit the borders, complete the hand side stitching, carry out the final dressing and tightening, and then perform the finishing checks before it moves to quality control.

While one mattress is being tape edged, I'll already be working on the next, so there's a rhythm to the day. You have to concentrate all the way through because every stage affects the finished mattress.

Q: What's the atmosphere like in the workshop?

A: It's a really good place to work. We all get on, everyone's focused on what they're doing, and most of us listen to music while we work. My favourite band is the Stereophonics, they're from just up the road in the Welsh Valleys, but generally I'm a shuffle man. I'll put everything on shuffle and see what comes up. It gives you a good rhythm while you're concentrating on the job. .

Q: Which part of the process requires the greatest skill?

A: Without question, the hand side stitching.

Every stitch has to sit in exactly the right place to create a perfectly balanced finish around the mattress. It's entirely done by hand, so precision and consistency are everything. It's one of those jobs where experience and complete concentration really matter because even the smallest inconsistency will show. If it isn't 100% right, you start again.

savoir no5 mattress from an angle view

Nº5 Mattress

The Savvy

To create the ultimate foundation for self-care, each Nº5 mattress is handcrafted to order, in our Welsh Bedworks.

Explore the Nº5

Q: What makes Savoir craftsmanship distinctive?

A: Every craftsperson is trained to the same exacting standards, and we all work to the same specifications. That consistency is incredibly important.

At the same time, every mattress is unique because it's made entirely by hand by one craftsperson. Everyone has their own way of working, but we're all working to the same standard. We take personal responsibility for delivering the same exceptional quality, and that's reflected in the finished piece.

The Welsh Bedworks is also a very special place to work. There are families who have worked here across generations, and when I joined, my brother, my uncle and several friends were already part of the team.

Q: What makes the Welsh Bedworks unique?

A: It's the people and the place. Most of us grew up within a few miles of the Bedworks, and we've known each other for years.

That means there's a real familiarity to the workshop. The people you work with are often the same people you see outside of work, so everyone knows and trusts each other. It makes for a really good working environment.

We're all putting our names to a bed, the base, topper and mattress together, and sending it somewhere else in the world. There's something special about that. It gives everyone a real sense of pride, knowing we've created something together that will become part of someone's home.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working with Savoir's materials?

A: Everything we use is natural and of the highest quality, and that's something we're all proud of. They take a bit more skill to work with, but that's part of what makes the finished mattress so special.

They also create something that's breathable, resilient and designed to last for decades. It's rewarding to work with natural materials of that quality every day.

A craftsman in a black t-shirt sits behind a large mattress in a bright, spacious workshop setting with industrial equipment in the background.

Q: What defines a truly exceptional bed?

A: For me, it's the time and care that goes into making it at every stage.

When I'm working on a mattress, I take complete ownership of it until it's finished. Every mattress is made to order for a specific client, so you know it's going into someone's home and, hopefully, they'll sleep on it every night for many years. That makes you want every detail to be as good as it can possibly be.

If you're going to put your name to something, you want it to be the best it can be. That's how I felt looking after the golf course, I wanted it to be so well maintained that everyone wanted to come and play there. It's exactly how I feel now. Why would you put your name to something that wasn't your very best work?

Q: What surprises people most about how a Savoir mattress is made?

A: Most people expect a production line.

They're always surprised when I explain how long I spend making each mattress, and that one craftsperson is responsible for almost every stage of its construction. Every mattress is made to order for a specific client rather than being built for stock, which completely changes the way you approach the work.

Once people understand how much time and skill goes into each mattress, they appreciate why it's so different from anything that's mass produced.

Q: Have you ever stopped to think about where your work ends up?

A: Yes. Every mattress I make comes with a client reference sheet, so you know where it's going. It was a proud moment visiting our Mayfair showroom in London and seeing one of my mattresses on display. Later, when I visited Singapore, I saw toppers made here in Wales in the showroom there. A friend of mine had made them, and it was great to come back and tell him his work was being showcased on the other side of the world. It makes you realise that something you've worked on in South Wales ends up in homes across the globe.

A craftsman in a black t-shirt carefully adjusting the side of a mattress on a wooden bed frame in the workshop.
A close-up of a craftsman's hands adjusting wool to the edge of a Savoir mattress topper, set in the workshop.

Q: What gives you the greatest satisfaction in your work?

A: Seeing a finished mattress leave the workshop knowing I've made it by hand.

It's rewarding to know that something you've created will become part of someone's everyday life, and that it could still be giving them a great night's sleep 20 years from now. That's something to be proud of.

Q: Finally, what makes Savoir such a special place to work?

A: It's the people. Everyone cares about doing the job properly, and everyone takes pride in what they do.

Before every mattress leaves the Welsh Bedworks, I sign my name inside it. It's a mark of pride and personal responsibility. If a client ever saw my signature, I'd want them to know their mattress was made with the intention of satisfying them completely, and that no corners were cut. That's how I approach my work and how I try to go through life.

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