Greaves & Thomas was founded in 1911, with their production based in the now defunct Amherst works, Clapton, London.

Initially the company predominately manufactured lounge furniture and sofa beds, with a focus on fashionable upholstery. Their ever popular ‘Put-u-up’ Settee was first introduced in the 1920s and remained in production through to the late 1960s; it’s design was constantly updated and refined to reflect the changing trends of the passing decades. By the mid-twentieth century Greaves & Thomas were also producing a range of high quality furniture in the Danish Modern style, including sideboards, armchairs and dining furniture. It was during the 1950s and 1960s that the company employed highly skilled furniture designers, the most well known of these being Walter Cornell, a designer known for creating pieces influenced by Danish Modern style: sculptural with clean lines.

In 1967 Greaves & Thomas were acquired by popular mid-century furniture maker Schreiber (now owned by Sainsbury’s) in order to add a high end arm to their brand and product line.

The design of Greave & Thomas' Recliner Armchair has been attributed to Walter Cornell, a designer known for creating pieces influenced by Danish Modern style: sculptural with clean lines.