6 Tips for Working with Upholsterers

By Linda Merrill

As designers, we know we're only as good as the workmanship that goes into all the individual elements of a design. If the quality of the end result is poor, it will reflect on us negatively. If the quality is exceptional, our design will get to play center stage. Designers are the ultimate "middle-men" and our clients rely on us to bring only the highest quality trades and craftsman to their projects.  Regardless of firm or project size, we all need an exceptional upholsterer. Whether we’re reupholstering grandma's wing chair or having a custom sectional built, our upholsterers can make or break us. I worked for an upholstery firm for a while and learned first hand the skills required of a good upholsterer and also how important it is that the designer communicates their wishes clearly. Here are my tips for getting the best work out of your upholsterer:

• Choose an upholsterer with deep experience in all aspects of the field. You want someone who not only knows how to slap fabric on a frame, but also knows how to work with antiques, restore and refinish woodwork, and build custom furniture such as chairs, sofas and upholstered headboards. It's through years of experience that an upholsterer knows what types of fabrics work best in certain applications and what to avoid. Designers should be able to rely on their upholsterers to provide expertise that can only gained with hand-on, time tested experience.
  
• Learn what fabrics work best in different applications. Selecting fabrics that are more difficult to work with, or are the wrong scale for the piece, may result in a less than stellar job, regardless of the skill of the upholsterer. Don’t force your workroom to jump threw hoops just to get the job done.
  
• Nurture a sense of partnership in your dealings with your upholsterer. This is a person who you should be able bring your ideas to and they will help flesh them out. You should be able to trust that when they interact with your client, the client will be in good hands, nor will they be able to do an end run around you. Your upholstery partner should understand that your success is their success.
  
• Remember that communication is a two-way street. When I was working for the upholstery company, I was always amazed at the wide variety of communication styles of the different designer clients the company served. At times, a new bolt of fabric would show up from UPS and a designer's name would be in the sidemark. We’d have to call them to ask what the fabric was for and it could be like pulling teeth to get all the information needed to give an accurate estimate and get the job done correctly. On the other hand, there are the designers who provided scale drawings, fabric swatches and written detail of the project and would come in to discuss the specific placement of the fabric on the frame. Without a doubt, the more detail that was given about an order, the better the end result.
  
• Get a handle on pricing – and know what to expect. It's important to understand that a quality upholsterer is going to be more expensive than a guy with some tools in his basement. They have years of experience, plus overheard such as rent, equipment and staff expenses.  I've always felt that I'd rather make less money on a mark up and charge the client a little more as long as I know that the end result will be as good as it can be. If your clients balk at the price, explain that you provide the best and the best comes at a price. That said, if you are bringing a substantial amount of work on a regular basis to your upholsterer, there is no reason you cannot work out a preferred pricing structure.
  
• Manage everyone's expectations on timing. We've all had the experience where the clients take a long time to make a decision and then expect the work to be turned around immediately. Or perhaps a fabric was delayed and the deadline for the work to be finished is rapidly approaching. In these cases, you'll want to have established a relationship with your upholsterer that is a balance of respecting their time lines, while also being able to ask for special favors such as expedited service when it's important to do so.  
  
  Nurturing a communicative and respectful relationship with your upholsterer will pay off in many ways – and in the end, you'll be the one covered in glory!

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Linda Merrill is a residential interior decorator based in Massachusetts. Linda's design style can be described as "comfortable luxury" and she believes in working closely with clients throughout the entire design process. Her clients are mainly located between metro-Boston and Cape Cod and the Islands. Linda writes a nationally regarded design blog called ::Surroundings:: and is the host of the design podcast series The Skirted Roundtable.