Here we have something a little different and quite a departure from the sort of work I usually do: a retrim in velvet.

The owner of this S-Class wanted to really put his own stamp on the car and he absolutely had his heart set on a rich purple velvet. That on its own would be pretty striking, but then he decided to opt for diamond quilting and embroidery on the headrests!That all but guaranteed that this car would be one of a kind.

First order of the day was to find a suitable velvet. Unfortunately, there wasn't any true automotive velvet in a suitable shade, so I decided to use some heavy-duty contract velvet from Clarke & Clarke. The style and shade is called Palais Pansy and, as the pictures suggest, it's a very vibrant shade of purple. The diamond quilting and embroidery were all finished in a bright white thread which, even though it does sink into the pile of the fabric a little, it stands out well against the velvet background. Even the central armrest in the rear seat is now sporting a diamond quilted top panel.

The finished product is a radical departure from the factory black leather and it ticked absolutely every box that the owner had. It's a very sumptuous place to be now!