What Makes a Good Upholsterer?
Furniture represents a sizeable expenditure for most people, and one they want to last a very long time. Much-loved pieces can have new life and a more updated style through the work of a quality upholstery job. Before deciding on fabric swatches, the quest to find a good upholsterer must occur. These three criteria can help you find someone you can trust your furniture to.
Experience and Knowledge
When you trust heirloom or favorite furniture to someone else who is going to essentially take it apart and put it back together again, you need to know they have the skills it takes to do a great job. Check for how many years in business and how much they know about upholstery techniques. Take the time to have a conversation about the options they could envision for your piece of furniture. Look at online reviews to see how other furniture owners liked their finished projects.
A Love of the Art
Look at examples of work the upholsterer has done previously to determine if they have an artistic interest in the jobs they do. While much is directed by the client, who may want a modern fabric on an antique sofa, for example, the workmanship can still be noticed and qualified. Pay attention to the little things, the details such as trim, piping, brads and buttons. An online or in-person gallery of photographs helps.
Those who truly love upholstering furniture will also have a wide selection of fabric types, trim styles, and methods to suggest to you. They want to create new and interesting looks or stay true to the historical accuracy by marrying the right frame to the right materials.
Dedication to Customer Care
Every customer or client who hires a good upholsterer should get unique and customized treatment. This means a close examination of the piece of furniture and the right suggestions to make it look how the customer wants.
In the end, many things that make a good upholsterer are the things that make any business great. Customer satisfaction is at the head of that list. People who trust something as big and expensive as furniture to a craftsperson need to know they can trust them before the work begins. Know and understand what type of guarantees they give before signing a contract. Realize there is no way for them to put your chair or sofa back the way it was after they begin.