A DESIGNER used soldiers’ uniforms as an inspiration for furniture which she has auctioned off to raise more than £3,000 for a forces charity.

Katie Merrick, 26, of Thornwood Road, Epping, designed the sofas, cushions and lampshade in the style of ceremonial uniforms to be sold on ebay in aid of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, which supports current and former servicemen and women and their families.

“I thought it would be a fun project to help a really good cause,” she said. “I went to a few different barracks, including Wellington Barracks in London, which had a tailoring department, so I was allowed to route through and help myself to a lot.”

As well as the sofas that were auctioned off on Sunday, she also designed a seat inspired by sandbags from trenches and a light installation using photographs from her grandfather’s National Service for the Ideal Home Show at Earl’s Court in London, which finished on Sunday.

“My granddad did his national service in the army and always had a lot of great stories to tell,” she said. “Sadly, he passed away just before Christmas and as we were going through his things, I came across some great photos of him at an army camp in Norfolk.”

The former Epping Junior School pupil now works for fashion retailer Burberry, helping to design the interiors of the brand’s shops.

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