By Jamie Facciola, Furniturecycle

Photo credit: Jamie Facciola

‘Unite and rebuild’ proclaimed an article, in 2019, about how an industry once left to perish could be on the verge of a comeback. The idea that the National Upholstery Association, a brand new trade association started solely by women and dedicated to a trade full of tradition, honor and importance, had launched with such little media fanfare, infuriated me. Determined to imagine a narrative beyond the tired, formulaic piece about DIY upholstery or an upholsterer's retirement, I wrote one myself. I typed that proclamation as one of the NUA’s newest volunteers, hungry to join others in collective action at the industry level. I knew already that reliance upon upstream options, such as buying or selling more durable couches, would never deliver a prosperous and thriving reupholstery industry; just as selling more organic carrots has not brought forth more prosperous family farms. The challenges that led the industry to be regularly described as “dying” are so much bigger and more complicated than any one shop; working as an organized group, I believed, was our only chance to counter them.

Looking Back 

Just two short years later, the need for the NUA has only intensified. From navigating an unforeseeable pandemic that led to a crushing boom in business, to managing material and labor shortages, conditions grow more complex each day. How can we imagine a collective prosperous future without an organized body committed to its survival? We have an entire industry that needs future-proofing.

As other associations, like the American Trucking Association, Screen Actors Guild, and the Bar Association, work to stay ahead of changes in their industries--such as the transition to a gig economy and online streaming--we need to, as well. In the last 40-50 years, while we’ve lacked representation and political power, employment in manufacturing has sunk to less than 10% of the American workforce, while imports of wooden furniture soared to 89%. Meanwhile, consumer perception of furniture longevity plummeted, landing at 7.8 years--back in 2006. And furniture waste has exploded: in 2018, over 9.7 million tons of furniture and furnishings, irrespective of quality or reusability, got landfilled, up 450% since 1960. Our connection to labor, craft, quality, materials, community and the environment has been lost. 

We shouldn’t be surprised then, that in this same amount of time, skilled labor in the repair trades became stigmatized, training hard to access, a livable wage uncertain. With new, cheap furniture so abundant, used pieces, even high-quality ones, suffer from stigmatization, too. Our societal knee jerk reaction is to see used furniture as gross, out of date, and not worth investing in. These values have seeped into all of our political, cultural, and economic systems: we live in a throwaway society where buying new is cheaper than maintaining what already exists. Nobody knows this better than upholsterers.

Looking Ahead

During presentations, I like to say, reupholsterers have not only the right skill set, but the right mindset: their entire job is to make an imperfect piece perfect. Let’s be real, being imperfect in our culture is a death sentence. We’ve been conditioned by planned obsolescence to see imperfections--real, perceived, or otherwise--as a sign that it’s time to discard and replace. The immediate compulsion to go shopping for the newest, latest version can feel almost obligatory. But you won’t notice, because your consumption will be praised and rewarded through every sphere of influence. Which is exactly how we know that the ethos of reupholstery was born long before the rise of Amazon marketplace.

Reuphosltery came into existence many millennia ago--out of necessity--because scarce resources meant that “making do” made sense. Now that the pendulum has swung so far in the opposite direction, this ancient trade can appear out of sync with modern times. And yet, we’re really one step ahead.

As the climate continues to change and reliable access to natural resources grows increasingly uncertain, once again, out of necessity, extending the life of goods is returning to vogue. It is a common practice to look to, and learn from, the past in order to live more harmoniously today. Business models that monetize every different way to reuse and resell the same thing are on the rise. Estimated sales for used furniture are expected to grow to 16.6 billion by 2025, a 70% increase from 2018. That huge number is dwarfed by an even larger one: 4.5 trillion, the amount of economic output that could be generated by circular economies by 2030.

The tide is turning, and it’s not just businesses leading the way. Just look to the Civilian Climate Corps, an initiative to create 300,000 green, good-paying, union jobs; the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, in which corporations would be responsible for the plastic pollution they create; the Right to Repair movement’s fight against planned obsolescence; and the subpoenas issued to Big Oil over their role in spreading climate misinformation. Meanwhile, global marches led by youth activists fighting for their right to grow old on a livable planet fill the streets; these are unprecedented times.

Looking at Us

Is our industry ready to meet this moment? It won’t be without a strong trade association. While other industries try to match up to our ancient mindset and skill set, we need to catch up with their resources, partnerships, power and messaging.

How will the reupholstery industry position itself to take full advantage of this forthcoming wave?

To me, this is the NUA’s ultimate task. Here is how I think about it:

First, let’s be clear. Our value proposition is baked in: we add value to and extend the life of what already exists. This is a core pillar of the circular economy.

Next, I’d reframe reupholstery’s underappreciated, ancient skills as critical to the transition away from an extractive, linear economy. If that’s the rule for entry, then reupholstery needs to be considered a critical part of a future workforce, one that deserves inclusion in the hallowed pantheon of green jobs.

Third, the future won’t look like the past. Though a cottage-industry-approach helped reupholstery survive the age of disposability, its scale is too small to meet the needs of a circular economy. From business models, to technology, to training, to language, to access, to awareness and education, to policies, to partnership building and beyond, permutations are coming.

Finally, this is not just about a livable planet, this is about livable economies. A living wage. Respect. Opportunities. Humans. Our decentralized workforce is highly-skilled and woefully underfunded, under-resourced, and misunderstood. Both current and future generations deserve better.

So, how shall we respond to a global shift that prizes extending the life of goods and celebrates the importance of good, green jobs? By leveraging the NUA to make our voices heard, our contribution known, and our power felt. The road is steep but not impossible. The NUA is living proof that though ‘They tried to bury us. They didn’t realize we were seeds'.

_____________________

Jamie Facciola is the departing Secretary for the NUA and also publishes the quarterly newsletter. During her time with the NUA she is most proud of initiating the quarterly strategic alignment process, creating an industry partnership with the Sustainable Furnishings Council, and contributing to the NUA’s sustainability goals. What she’ll miss most are committee meetings that provided comfort and community during the darkest days of Covid. Jamie’s background is in environmental science, corporate environmental management, and social entrepreneurship. She has worked on local solutions to circular economy challenges in Oakland, CA for the last several years as a laborer, entrepreneur, employee, consultant, and advisor. Her current project, Furniturecycle, explores furniture waste from the bottom up. Jamie is the granddaughter of an upholsterer who worked out of his garage in the SF Bay Area for over 40 years. She hopes you will follow along and stay in touch! Instagram / LinkedIn / Observations & Musings

By Monica Rhodes, NUA Volunteer and Owner of Monday Wash Furniture

If you work in the drapery, soft furnishings, and/or upholstery trade, chances are you know of Ceil DiGuglielmo. In addition to running her own homebased drapery and soft furnishings business, Sew Much More Custom Sewing in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Ceil supports and assists workroom technicians through multiple avenues: The popular Sew Much More podcast featuring personal interviews with tradespeople, Sew Much More: 30 Minutes with Workroom Tech, an on-air  collaboration with Susan Woodcock that offers an array workroom tips and advice; the Sew Much More Opportunity Thinking Series of podcasts highlighting personal innovations that make work life easier for us all; the Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library (CSFRL), a multi-media clearing house for trade related information and educational materials, and the Drapery and Digital Design Digest, an on-line magazine catering to home décor professionals and enthusiasts.

One day in August, I was in my workroom prepping my machine. As I adjusted my lamp to thread the needle, Ceil DiGuglielmo began her fifth anniversary podcast. She talked about being astounded by the opportunities the podcast has brought her, about fear being her constant companion, and about learning to ask for help. Ceil described going through a stack of photographs from the past five years and realizing just how much had happened. Some of those events were etched in her memory, but so many had been forgotten. We tend to see our present status as a situation, not a process; so busy with what we are doing that we fail to witness what we have done. During her anniversary podcast, Ceil encouraged her listeners to get out their photo albums and reflect on all the past moments, big and small, that form the foundation of their businesses. To appreciate themselves and all they have done. Value themselves. Be astounded, as she was. Be proud.

I often listen to Sew Much More while I work but, that day, I switched off my lamp and machine and just listened - because it was like Ceil was right there with me and she both deserved and naturally commanded my full attention. Her voice was clear and soothing, her words utterly authentic. 

“We have seen some of the best of human kind reaching out and helping one another. Look, I know we have also seen some of the worst of human kind – but right now, I am choosing to focus on the positive parts of what I’ve seen these past five years because I have to.”

Ceil spoke of the precise moment that she, while standing in a parking lot, overcame her doubts and anxieties and truly committed to launching the podcast.  At that, I pictured a trail of photographs connecting the Ceil of today with the Ceil of 5 years ago; a few of the photos, impressive formal portraits, the rest a series of random candid snapshots. When I share that image with Ceil during our interview, she tells me, “I think the milestones are important, but I really do believe that it is the constant little things we do that make a difference. It’s the showing up every day and doing those things that make those big moments possible. It is little choices that we make; those little steps of not being afraid, or more likely, being afraid and doing it anyway; the day-to-day habits that keep our businesses steady and moving forward. Those are, really, really important.”

Ceil DiGuglielmo wears more hats than most people. When I ask her if she thinks of all the things she does as separate jobs or as one large enterprise, she says, “I really do see it as one thing. Separate things that I do with a big circle around them keeping it all together. I look at the library as a compilation of so many different people’s experiences. There are so many people contributing to the content that it becomes a more and more valuable resource every year; and the podcast is a valuable part of the library – people’s stories and their experiences; and when I’m in the workroom working on something, I think – I really should document this so I can add it to the library. So, I really do see it as all working together.”  

Each of these efforts plays into what Ceil DiGuglielmo calls her “joyful obligation to pay it forward”. Says Ceil, “I would not be here if it were not for those people who helped me and supported me and answered my questions.” Prior to opening her own workroom, Ceil had steadily worked her way up through a series of management roles at a prominent Philadelphia department store. She and her husband had been trying to start a family for almost a decade when the first of their two adopted daughters came into their lives, born prematurely. There was no family leave at that time; Ceil used up two weeks of accumulated vacation and, exhausted and missing her baby, returned to work. It just didn’t make sense. In her case, the financial and emotional costs of commuting and working away from home far outweighed the benefits.

Ceil’s first foray into self-employment was designing custom bridal head pieces. As that business did not generate much revenue, she sought to pivot to something else. Ceil had paid for her own sewing lessons as a middle-schooler and developed her skills making clothing for herself and, later, her daughters. She had also made her own window treatments. Seeking advice and resources, Ceil attended a SCORE (small business mentorship program) meeting sixteen years ago and, there, met a couple of designers with whom she started to work. Ceil muses, “I still can’t believe I thought I should go ahead with this business! My friend, Dawn, encouraged me to start and introduced me as her window treatment expert to a designer friend. Her confidence in me was greater than my confidence in myself. Dawn, along with the designer she introduced me to and the designers I met at the SCORE meeting, were my first window treatment clients.”

Not surprisingly, running her own business was a challenge. One of the things Ceil always asks when interviewing a guest on her podcast is, “Have you ever thought of quitting?” Because she has. She knows what it takes to become successful: the sacrifices involved, the difficulties endured and overcome. Ceil is truly grateful for the help and support she has received along the way and she derives profound satisfaction from helping other people solve their problems and, sometimes, “just get through this day.”

“My biggest concern for our industry, besides education and that a lot of us are aging out of the industry, is that is that we work ourselves to death.” Ceil knows, from experience, that it is vitally important to “not take just any scraps that are thrown to us; not take just any job because someone is willing to pay us; not let anyone else set the boundaries for us. We are so intent on getting things done for people that we are not thinking about when we will eat, sleep, or see family. Or just sit down.” Ceil admits this tendency to disregard reasonable boundaries was one of the hardest things for her to overcome.  She ultimately came to realize- there is value to what I do - and she longs for all of us to embrace that knowledge. One of the ways Ceil makes that happen is by listening compassionately to her guests on the podcast and allowing them to shine. “I care deeply about who’s listening,” she says, “but I care most about the person in front of me. My job is to make them feel comfortable, feel at ease, and come across in their best light.”

“When people put their headphones on, (I am) literally inside their heads – and that is a very precious space.” 

The Sew Much More podcast transcends the workroom. Often deeply personal, each episode highlights the backstory, motivations, passions, fears, mistakes and triumphs of the interviewee. We have much in common but also a great deal to learn from one another. “Listeners are so happy when they relate to others’ stories in this community of people with similar jobs. The idea that we are all connected, even though we are working alone was so important to me. When I realized how different all of our stories are, that’s when I started realize what the impact was.”

When Ceil DiGuglielmo aired her first podcast, she was thrilled to see that six people had listened, “not realizing that two of those people were myself,” she points out, laughing.  Ceil explains that she had dragged her feet at first, nervous to take the plunge. Finally, she decided that if there were topics and stories that she was interested in, somebody else out there was certainly interested as well - and would benefit from listening. With the encouragement of friends, she forged ahead. Had she reached merely one person in a meaningful way - through that one podcast – it would have been worth it.  To her lingering surprise she has, to date, recorded over 300 podcasts that have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times across 46 countries. At this point, Ceil can’t even count the number of times listeners have contacted her to say, “Thank you, I really needed to hear that.”

Ceil DiGuglielmo takes this very seriously. “When people put their headphones on, (I am) literally inside their heads – and that is a very precious space,” she says.  Podcasts provide a dread free zone for learning, relating and obtaining validation. These conversations unspooling in the private spaces between our ears feel intensely personal, yet we don’t have to ask questions ourselves and endure the anxiety of revealing what we don’t know in order to get answers. Ceil goes on to say, “When the lightbulb goes on for someone, when someone receives the affirmation that what they are doing is right, it is so reassuring.” Listeners realize, Cynthia Bleskachek does it that way, Susan Woodcock (who frequently notes that there are always at least three right ways to do any given task) does it that way…“Oh, I am doing it right after all!” Ceil says that one of the biggest compliments she receives is that “people feel like whoever I’m talking to is now a new friend.” On more than one occasion, that feeling of kinship has blossomed into flesh and blood friendships and/or partnerships.  “That just light’s me up with joy,” says Ceil, “knowing I’ve connected people.”

Ceil has made a multi-faceted career out of joyfully connecting and supporting other people. Every move she makes, every job she “gets to do”, as she puts it, is geared toward increasing her capacity to help others. I am writing this knowing that Ceil will demure, because that is the type of person she is. But the truth is Ceil DiGuglielmo does good things because she’s a good person. Choosing to see the good because she has to. Choosing to do good because she wants to.

Please follow the hyperlinks in the first two paragraphs to learn more about Ceil and the many resources she makes available to those in the soft furnishings and related trades.

By Monica Rhodes, NUA Volunteer and Owner of Monday Wash Furniture

UK-based Master upholsterer, Robbie Richardson reaches out to trades people and lay people alike through his popular podcast In Stitches and will soon expand that reach with the launch of Stuff Stitch Magazine, the first comprehensive upholstery trade magazine to exist in almost two decades. For Richardson, “telling the story of what lies beneath the covers” is not just a clever tagline, it’s a mission. “It’s about the detail under the covers (of a piece of furniture). It’s also about the story we never tell because there is no outlet to tell the story of upholstery.”

What do we all have in common? It’s stories. We all like to hear stories. And our trade is desperately underrepresented in terms of detail, in terms of what lies beneath the covers. If I get one person, that’s not an upholsterer, interested in the process of upholstery, then that podcast has worked. 

Richardson, co-owner of Richardson & Paige Distinctive Upholstery Services in Devizes, Wiltshire, UK, has been upholstering for 42 years. Furniture repair is in his blood. By the age of 9, he was regularly enveloped in the heady scents of timber, wood stain and pipe smoke as he built tea chests – and even a sofa – alongside his grandfather, who was a traditional cabinetmaker. At that time, Robbie didn’t know he would follow in his grandfather’s, and his father’s, footsteps. In fact, when he graduated from school, he “hadn’t the foggiest” idea what his next steps would be. When his grandad suggested upholstery, upholstery work started to occupy his dreams. “At that point,” Robbie says, “you know you’re going down the right path.”

Robbie’s Richardson’s path has veered in new directions over the past 18 months. He explains that the podcast was sparked, in part, by boredom and isolation. “Boredom breeds creativity, you know.” In February of 2020, Robbie traveled to France with Nik Paige, his partner - both in business and in life - for the past 30 years, to do some work on a cottage they own in the countryside. In March, Robbie returned to England to tend to the shop. Two days later, the UK was under Covid lockdown. The couple decided that Nik would remain in France and continue to see to repairs, as their home there was more remote and possibly safer in light of the pandemic. Little did they know that their time apart would extend to a year and a half. 

Covid-19 dealt a severe blow to the business and Robbie was forced to furlough the staff. To combat the consequent silence and isolation, he began listening to podcasts. It felt like having company. After listening to only three podcasts or so, Robbie decided to reach out to others through one of his own. He named it “In Stitches” signaling that, in addition to information about his trade, listeners could expect plenty of good humor, a valuable and sought-after salve during such troubled times. 

Robbie was nervous at first. “It was a bit of a seat of your pants kind of decision, but it felt like the right thing to do. I was really intimidated…but I knew it was really important, so I put that fear to the side.” In Stitches has been a huge hit, delivering on its promise:  Essential listening for upholsters and teachers alike, you’ll hear an eclectic ‘weaving together’ of life and skills as we talk to some of the best upholsterers in our business and provide a forum for those new to our trade.Robbie is a skilled interviewer - quick witted, charming and disarming. He loves stories and is adept at peeling back the layers as he engages his guests with interest, empathy and humor.

Says Richardson, “What do we all have in common? It’s stories. We all like to hear stories. And our trade is desperately underrepresented in terms of detail, in terms of what lies beneath the covers. If I get one person, that’s not an upholsterer, interested in the process of upholstery, then that podcast has worked.” Robbie has been pleased to find that the podcast has “also built a bit of community.” 

Robbie’s success with In Stitches led him to wonder what other novel paths he might travel. One day, he was discussing ideas with some colleagues and one of them mused, “Wouldn’t it be great if we had a magazine?” Robbie lit up, “and all the alarms went off – whoot! whoot! – and then I just really wanted to get on with it and do it.” There were a lot of responsibilities to tend to at Richardson & Paige and Robbie realized he needed to focus on those. “But (the idea about the magazine) just wouldn’t leave me alone – it was a REALLY big itch and because I tried to suppress it, it just became even bigger.” If that hadn’t been the case, Robbie probably would have waited 18 months before partnering with Vernon Gadsby and Claire Rourke to set the wheels in motion. “I couldn’t do it without them,” he says. Richardson gives a nod to his dogs as well; he walks them for two hours each day and that’s when his creativity flows. While walking, he often pondered what the magazine might look like and what might be of interest to the readership.

Formal planning and development of Stuff Stitch Magazine began in February, culminating in a Kickstarter campaign to raise the necessary capital to launch. Though not everything could be accomplished in the first issue, overall plans include a featured upholsterer (who will appear on the cover); a tool review; tips for the workshop; a skill share page addressing different levels from hobbyist to professional; a book review; and various interest pieces, including articles by upholsterers from the United States. Regarding his hopes for Stuff Stitch Magazine Robbie says, “I want it to mean that, as a group, upholsterers are in position to explain what we do better, to sell what we do better, and charge more for what we do. There are far too many of us working at poor rates of pay for a highly skilled job. It’s really important to me that there is an understanding of our work as a skill.”

The magazine will be available both digitally and in print. At first, Richardson, Gadsby and Rourke didn’t think there would be much demand for a printed version; they envisioned distributing 100 copies total to shops in the United Kingdom.  “But when we launched the Kickstarter campaign, it went mental,” Robbie says. Twenty percent of his podcast listeners are from the US, so he expected some interest there; but it was coming from everywhere: US, Canada, Australia and many other countries. “It was thrilling.”

Considering the level of enthusiasm, it’s interesting that the upholstery profession has gone so many years without a trade magazine. Thinking on this, Robbie says, “a lot of us are quite insular and most of us just want to enjoy our craft and not get diverted into something that leads us out of our comfort zone. I just love doing stuff that challenges me, but it’s just the last 18 months that that’s happened. It’s amazing how once you lift the lid off of one thing, then other things come to fruition.” Robbie is currently working on the format for a video magazine to air next year on YouTube. “It will be video/tutorial/interview/walk around the workshop and will give you a different perspective on how we do things.” The podcast, magazine, and YouTube channel will all come under the banner of Stuff Stitch Media. Richardson hints at even bigger things on the horizon - additional ways “to get more people interested in this trade, understand this trade, understand what lies beneath the covers.” 

Robbie Richardson has journeyed a long way since those early years in his grandfather’s workshop, but he still thinks about his granddad often. “Even today, if someone is smoking a pipe, it takes me right back to sitting and watching him work.” 

Before we part, I ask Robbie, “What do you think your grandfather would say if he could see you now?” 

Robbie doesn’t hesitate, “I know what he would say. He would say, ‘Well done lad’.”

To subscribe to Stuff Stitch Magazine: 

Visit www.stuffstitch.com Click “Subscribe” and choose either the digital or print edition to purchase 6 bi-monthly issues.

Would you love to know more about Robbie Richardson and Stuffed Stitch Media? Be sure to sign up for our November 9th webinar to hear Jill Ragnan Scully of Impressive Windows and Interiors speak with Robbie live.

By Monica Rhodes
NUA Volunteer and Owner of Monday Wash Furniture

I know I was not alone, 15 or 16 months ago, wondering if the emerging pandemic meant “curtains” for my fledgling upholstery and furnishings business. Workshops around the world scrambled to adjust to the health threat posed by interpersonal contact and the consequent restrictions that soon followed. Upholsterers reached out to one another on forums like the Professional Upholsterer’s Network (PUN) and during NUA Community Meetings to share information about Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other such loans and grants. We all buckled down, adjusted our work spaces and protocols, continued to work hard, and hoped for the best.

1. 

That hope actually came to fruition. Though many industries (particularly travel, hospitality, dining and entertainment) sputtered and struggled, home improvement and interior décor related enterprises flourished. As so much of the world turned inward, millions of stressed-out people sequestered at home began to fixate on creature comforts and practical adaptations that might make working and schooling children at home more tolerable. They took a long, deep look at their living spaces thinking:  If this is where I’m going to spend nearly all of my time for the foreseeable future, it better be as comfortable and appealing as possible. Interior decorating/re-decorating became one of the few ways to achieve a change of scenery. It provided a creative outlet, space to roam if only in imagination, and a sense of control when everything else felt out of control. People who found themselves with extra disposable income originally intended for things like travel and eating out, started investing that money into their living spaces.

There is an old adage: Be careful what you hope for. The upholstery trade is booming now, in no small part due to the cultural and societal shifts that have occurred as a result of the pandemic. On the forums, talk of PPP loans has been replaced by talk of managing unruly clients and dealing with work overload. Several weeks ago, I read a thread in which one upholsterer described the scene outside his shop as Night of the Living Dead. He was booked out for many months. He’d done everything he could to dissuade potential clients (including locking his shop door and hanging a sign stating clearly that he was not accepting new work). But still they came dragging their chairs and ottomans behind them, rattling the door and peering with haunted eyes through the glass around the sign.  Meanwhile, the upholsterer had retreated to the back shadows of his shop so as not to be seen, which would only rile the furniture-toting zombies up.

2.

I found this image hilarious, but it resonated with me. So many of my upholstery acquaintances are suffering tremendous stress, some working 80-hour weeks, many booked out for six months, or a year, but still trying to squeeze particularly desperate clients in. Some home-based upholsterers I know of, including the NUA’s own Rachel Fletcher, have had wanna-be clients show up on the doorsteps of their private homes - with their furniture - after being turned down by phone.

3.

The situation has been exacerbated by concurrent supply chain shortages and disruptions. Foam, Dacron, fabric, adhesive, and lumber are among the materials in short supply. Prices are up, availability is down, and delivery is sporadic, delayed and increasingly costly. Covid-19 has disrupted the means of production, as has harsh and unprecedented weather like the epic snow and cold in Texas last February and March. Some larger shops have been able to stockpile foam and other necessary materials, but this has resulted in even longer delays for small shops that lack the storage space and capital to purchase large quantities in advance of payment. The result: upholsterers must tell clients who have waited several months for their turn that the work may be further delayed for unspecified lengths of time.

So, what to do? 

For better or for worse, things might settle down as normalcy returns. People will start spending their money on travel and other Covid-verboten luxuries again. Their gazes will gradually adjust to meet the horizon beyond their living rooms. If, when and how this will impact our industry are big unknowns. If we have learned anything, it is that we must be prepared for flux. Personally, I think the boom will continue for a good while. The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way people perceive, experience and value many things. Our homes will remain havens from known and yet-to-be known threats and disturbances. Furthermore, there is serious, widespread and growing interest in reusing furniture. Fastcompany.com recently published an article titled Used furniture is about to become a $16.6 billion business. Even Ikea is getting in on it. In the article, Anna Brockway, co-founder of the furniture resale website Chairish, notes that “Chairish grew very quickly during the pandemic with sales increasing between 70% and 120% every month compared to the year before.”  The public has become more knowledgeable about, and comfortable accessing, myriad on-line avenues for purchasing quality vintage furniture – and they’re going to need upholsterers.      

The immediate reality is that we have much work to do. Perhaps too much. Several upholsterers I reached out to have graciously shared their coping strategies including: raising prices, booking clients far out, vetting estimates using on-line forms that sift out “tire-kickers”, requiring clients to deliver and pick-up their own pieces, not promising definitive completion dates, referring potential clients to other shops, partnering with other upholsterers to share work load, and hiring skilled and/or unskilled help (for teardown, etc.). Long-time upholsterer Dennis Locke says, “The pandemic has taught me to sit back and let the game come to me. I found that many of my customers who previously claimed they were unable to handle their own pick-up and delivery were suddenly finding a way.” Rhonda Shanahan of The Whimsical Chair committed to “work smarter not harder.” Streamlining all of her processes, she added a detailed estimate form to her website. “It’s the only way I will give someone an estimate,” she says. Rhonda also turns down the jobs she doesn’t really want. Drudgery does nothing to alleviate stress.  Another upholsterer makes space by keeping weekends to herself – no quotes, phone calls or work emails, “and I’m not shy to tell people the contract is delayed. It’s me, my family and mental health before others.”

In researching this article, pricing came up repeatedly. Almost across the board, established upholsterers have been able to raise prices with little to no push back from clients. Given clients’ willingness to pay, raising prices doesn’t do a lot to stem workload though it makes the added stress more palatable. The other resounding theme was communication, which can actually make workload more manageable. Open, clear and concise communication yields the best results. Don’t waver. Don’t promise a turn-around time you may not be able to keep. State and stick to your protocols. Be clear about your scheduling. Are you strictly first in the door, first out?  Do certain clients receive priority? Regardless, don’t cave and offer to squeeze someone in just because that person is pleading or pushy. In the May/June 2021 issue of issue of the Drapery and Design Digital Digest, purveyor of window treatments, Merrill Y Landis (MYL), LTD, states explicitly, “Demand is way up. Workroom space is way down. Delivery times are increasing.” MYL maintains a first-in, first-out policy but recognizing that, occasionally, there is legitimate rationale to push a job through as quickly as possible, offers a priority service system for a fee that is large enough to discourage casual requests. Priority service is not guaranteed. Requests are vetted and granted after serious consideration to ensure that flow remains smooth and that customers remain happy.

In addition to scheduling, be up front about supply chain issues. Let clients know there may be unforeseen delays. Consider putting this in writing on the front end, so there will not be room for dispute later on. Forgoing a definitive completion date will avoid undue pressure should things go awry. If delays occur, let clients know when and why and that you are doing your best to complete the work in a timely manner. Do not accept work from a person who blatantly disregards your protocols.

4.

If you show up on the doorstep of my private home while I am eating dinner then, no, I will not reupholster the sofa you have dragged onto my porch.  Protect your boundaries. Don’t you dare push that sofa into your garage because you “might be able to squeeze it in”.

This is not the time to make concessions. This is a time to consider the changing landscape, reflect on priorities, strategize and strive to strike a healthy balance. Plenty of people in the trade will lend you an ear, if not a hand, in safe spaces like the PUN and the NUA. As a group, we are resilient and resourceful and we have a host of solid ideas and strategies to share. If we reach out to support one another, there is hope for a less stressful tomorrow.

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Photo attributions:

1.  "under pressure" by eschipulis licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
2.  "Zombies at the door aren't welcome tonight." by kennethkonica is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
3. "Alexis Helps Move" by Voxphoto is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
4. "Gaston Says... Talk to the Hand" by opencontent is licensed under CC BY 2.0

How did we measure up?

Thank you to all our members who completed our very first NUA Member Survey in April. We had a 35% response rate, which is very good for a general survey. Below is a summary of the results.

General Demographics

The National Upholstery Association consists of Professionals, Educators, Industry Partners, Students, and Retirees of the upholstery trade. Our current mix of member levels is as follows:

70% Professionals

3% Educators

9% Industry Partners

15% Students

3% Retirees

Around 85% of our members are associated with a small shop, either running a solo business or with one full- or part-time employee.

Our members overwhelmingly joined the NUA for educational and networking opportunities

Did you know? The NUA holds monthly Community Meetings on a variety of topics. These meetings are a great opportunity for our members to network and share. Check out our calendar to see a list of upcoming events.

We want to do regional events and we need your help! The pandemic put a pause on in-person gatherings, but it won’t be long until we can travel and meet up again. Are you itching to meet other NUA members in your area? Want to volunteer with the NUA but can’t offer a long-term commitment? Sign up to coordinate a local meetup instead! For more information, please email info@nationalupholsteryassociation.org.

Our webinars are the best in the industry, but that’s not all the NUA has to offer. We’re working on growing our curated collection of upholstery resources and educational materials. Our newsletter, blog, and library are great sources of information for our industry. Check out our Learning and Events page on our website. And don’t forget to check back often, as we’re always adding something new. Have you found a great resource, blog, article, video, or webinar you’d like to share with other members? Let us know at info@nationalupholsteryassociation.org and we’ll consider your content for inclusion in our library.

Webinars rank highest in quality among the benefits we offer

Did you know? Our webinars are recorded and available on demand for members. Can’t make a live session? Catch it on a replay! Check out our Past Webinars on our website (available only to active members).

Member discounts rank lowest

Yeah, we know - and we’re working on it. We believe the NUA provides mutual benefit between our members and Industry Partners. We aim to highlight and promote our best partners, giving them an opportunity to market to a highly targeted audience. In return, we’ll snag exclusive offers for NUA members, not available anywhere else. If you are an Industry Partner and want a premium promotional spot on our website and on social media, please email info@nationalupholsteryassociation.org and we’ll gladly be in contact with you.

Our members are interested in a trade magazine and access to a regular news feed highlighting industry news and research

Our members seek to stay on top of industry news and trends and the NUA wants to become your one-stop resource for all things upholstery. In our April newsletter, we included a new Industry News section and it received a very positive response. We are currently investigating the feasibility of an industry eMagazine and/or news feed. If you are interested in helping with this project, please contact us at info@nationalupholsteryassociation.org.

Most members follow the NUA on social media (92% of respondents), but prefer to receive important communication by email (96% of respondents)

We strive to strike a balance in our member communications; to share our programs and events with you wherever you are without being too spammy. That said, we’re putting our programs into overdrive this year and we need your help to achieve our goals. In an effort to improve our benefits offering and increase engagement, we may reach out to you periodically to ask your opinion about certain topics or to share news about new or underutilized offerings. Your input is important!

Conclusion

The National Upholstery Association’s programs are made possible through your membership dues and the support of our dedicated volunteers. To all our members - thank you for your support and for being a part of our community.

If you want to get more involved, consider applying to become a volunteer. We are also recruiting for Committee Chairs, so if you’re a natural leader or looking to build experience leading a team, we want to hear from you!

By Harmony Maraldo, NUA Membership Committee Chair

As a professional upholsterer, Michelle is widely recognized for her creative eye and meticulous attention to detail. She has been involved with building the NUA since the beginning, and has made a huge contribution to creating our resilient Upholstery Community!

Michelle has been instrumental in building the foundation of the NUA's social media and marketing program since (date?). Her passion for sharing knowledge, supporting & encouraging fellow upholsterers, has shined in her role as leader of the Public Relations committee.

She is an amazing mentor, actively blogging about her DIY adventures for several years, until her upholstery business took over. She continues to share the transformation process through her social media channels today.

"For me it’s all about giving new life to the old and discarded. My favorite client projects are those that are family or just special pieces with a story."

Please help us congratulate Michelle as the NUA Volunteer of the Quarter! She will be receiving a recognition gift for her contribution. Michelle has found a certain fulfillment in working alongside her fellow upholsterers in the NUA. She has recently found it necessary to step down from her NUA work (June, 2021). We'll miss her, and we wish her the best on her journey forward!

Check out Michelle's upholstery business:

Blue Roof Cabin

Facebook

Instagram

Would you like to join the NUA team and help carry Michelle's work with the NUA into the future? We're seeking a proactive volunteer to pick up where Michelle left off, and lead the Public Relations effort. Learn more and submit your application here. We are also seeking a new leader for our Volunteer Coordination Committee. We love our volunteers!!!

Posted by Carla Pyle, NUA Board Member and Natural Upholstery educator & consultant. Thanks to the folks at Chemical Insights for writing this guest post and providing images.

A TOOLKIT FOR SPECIFYING RESIDENTIAL UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE

Last year we shared the exciting news that Chemical Insights convened a national Furniture Flammability and Human Health Taskforce to provide science-based facts about safe & healthy furniture. 

Since then, the group has been busy compiling scientific resources and summarizing key facts and action steps that were ultimately compiled in UL Guidance Document 118F: Managing Fire and Chemical Exposure Risks of Residential Upholstered Furniture. To help put this knowledge into practice, Chemical Insights created an educational tool for interior designers: Specifying Residential Upholstered Furniture to Safeguard Human Health and Well-Being: A Toolkit for Reducing Fire and Chemical Risks.

image credit: Chemical Insights

TOOLKIT HIGHLIGHTS

The toolkit: 

• Presents a case for why both chemical safety and fire safety must be considered when selecting furniture
• Offers guidance on how to specify solutions that address this safety convergence
• Summarizes meaningful research on flame retardant exposure and furniture flammability.

MAKING THE CASE FOR CHEMICAL SAFETY

“There is an abundance of research and information available to designers that addresses mitigating the impacts of consumer products and building materials on indoor air quality. They often focus on six specific classes of chemicals of concern. These chemicals can be released into the air and dust for human exposure contributing to health concerns, especially for vulnerable populations.”

image credit: Chemical Insights

MAKING THE CASE FOR FIRE SAFETY

“Current statistics report that of fires that result in death, residential upholstered furniture is the leading item to ignite, above mattresses and flammable liquids. When residential upholstered furniture was the first item to catch on fire, it resulted in 17% of home fire deaths. This suggests that efforts to mitigate residential fire risks associated with upholstered furniture over the past few decades have not been overly successful.”

image credit: Chemical Insights

RESEARCH SUMMARY

“Open flame testing showed that a chair with a fire barrier material installed to fully encapsulate the polyurethane foam under the cover fabric (no flame retardants were added) demonstrated significantly lower fire hazards when compared to the other chairs with and without flame retardants (and without barriers).” 

WHAT IS A FIRE BARRIER AND HOW DOES IT WORK? 

“A fire barrier is a protective layer designed to prevent or delay ignition of the cushioning material. It successfully reduces the fire growth rate and fire size after ignition. Fire barriers can be made from a variety of inherently flame-resistant fibers, including carbons, polyesters and fiberglass.

 A barrier should be identified for furniture construction that will delay or reduce open flames. 

A fire barrier is installed over the padding or filling materials to completely encapsulate it. In studies, fire barriers have been identified as an effective solution to reduce fire risks without the use of chemical flame retardants — achieving the desired safety convergence. Barriers demonstrate a significant decrease in heat release rate and ignition propensity that results in lower transmitted fire hazards, such as temperature, smoke and carbon monoxide.”

SPECIFYING A FIRE BARRIER

“Just as identifying materials with recycled content or selecting low-VOC paint were once new concepts, specifying a fire barrier in residential upholstered furniture may be a new process for any or all involved parties — the designer, the client and/or the manufacturer. As with all emerging technologies, utilizing a fire barrier may not be an option on all projects and certainly not on all pieces of upholstered furniture — at least initially. However, you are likely to encounter certain situations that make any additional effort and potential cost worthwhile to the client. And as awareness of and demand for solutions that minimize fire hazards and chemical exposure risks grows, just as with the mattress industry, furniture manufacturers are likely to follow suit. There are already manufacturers in the market using the barrier, upon client request.”

image credit: Chemical Insights

LEARN MORE

To view the complete toolkit, alongside additional tools and resources, visit chemicalinsights.org/FFHH. 

The National Upholstery Association is proud to present various viewpoints of our members and partners within the upholstery community. Perspectives (or opinions) will vary. This Blog is made available for general information; not to provide specific business, financial, or legal advice.

by Rhonda Shanahan and Emma Shanahan.

Whether you’re just starting with your upholstery business or you’re looking for a way to streamline your work a website can help take your business to the next level. In developing The Whimsical Chair website I have learned some aspects that can help take anyone's business to the next level and connect you with the ideal client. The most beneficial pieces came by developing an About Page to give background, showing the client the step-by-step process along with answering common questions on my How it Works Page, and crafting a Cognito form to organize requests on my Estimate Page. 

ABOUT PAGE

When developing an About Page I focused on conveying who I am as a person but more importantly what my work has been and the types of furniture I look for to help give potential clients a reference. Another key feature of my About Page is it gives clients an idea about how long I’ve been in this business and where my passion for upholstery comes from.

HOW IT WORKS PAGE

Another portion of my website is the How it Works page which walks clients through the process step by step. I cover both the estimate process to get started on their piece, what you should be able to expect from me, and what I need to reserve a spot and get started on a client's piece. Additionally, I showcase what the process of upholstery looks like in a photo gallery of pieces from start to finish demonstrating the energy I give to each project.

To ensure my clients have all the information they would need I cover the most asked questions by clients on this How it Works Page. Working through a summary of my process and these questions help to give a potential client an idea of what they can expect before they even submit a request for a quote. 

ESTIMATE PAGE

For my Estimate Page, I used the Cognito format to help me build the questionnaire for potential clients. It allows me to gather all of their important information; name, email, phone number, furniture type, etc. Another key thing is that I’m able to put an update above my Cognito which talks about how far out I’m booking or if there are any limits to what I’m able to handle at the moment. 

Once the clients have finished filling out the questionnaire I’m able to see all of their information and keep track of how many new requests I’m receiving in a day. I also can keep track of who I’ve contacted and when they submitted their request to keep client jobs in line and organized. Overall the Cognito form has helped to create one central location where I can keep track of all client-related information which has improved my client communication.

In my development of this website, I have found that these key portions have best helped me to capture my ideal client. I believe that a well-designed website can improve any upholstery business. Allowing you to develop an outline that will help to capture the right client match for your business. 

Rhonda is the owner of The Whimsical Chair in Castle Rock Colorado. You can find her at her website, facebook and Instagram.

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The National Upholstery Association is proud to present various viewpoints of our members and partners within the upholstery community. Perspectives (or opinions) will vary. This Blog is made available for general information; not to provide specific business, financial, or legal advice.

Monica Rhodes joined the National Upholstery Association as a volunteer in early 2020. As a way to give back to an organization that had given so much to her, she offered us her writing skills and joined that PR committee where she has been invaluable as a contributor--writing, editing, and sharing her ideas.

Monica loves the story. Her first task was writing the member spotlight series for the NUA blog. Her passion for the craft of upholstery combined with her amazing writing skills has produced some beautiful articles. Each story captures the subject and their passion for the industry, giving us all a peek into their journey.

Monica has been in the upholstery business for over 3 years. She created Monday Wash Furniture, located in Chicago, out of a desire to re-imagine and restyle discarded furniture. It soon grew to include custom upholstery work as well.

Please help us congratulate Monica as the NUA Volunteer of the Quarter! She will be receiving a recognition gift for her contribution.

You can find Monica's business, Monday Wash Furniture, on her website, and on facebook,and instagram and be sure to head over to our blog to read some of her fantastic work.

By Monica Rhodes, NUA Volunteer and Owner of Monday Wash Furniture 

My Evolving Perspective 

I have always been a proponent of re-use. As a little girl, I treasured dolls and other toys passed on to me by my grandma. For my high-school homecoming dance, I wore a lace suit that belonged to my mom and, for prom, I rented a tuxedo rather than buy a dress. Much of my current wardrobe is second hand and my home is furnished, almost entirely, with pieces that were my parents’ or were purchased from antique and resale stores. Some of these pieces are hundreds of years old and all are still up to the task of providing comfort and support. I’d like to say that I routinely re-use for altruistic reasons, but that’s not really true. While I deeply appreciate the benefits to the environment of rescuing, repurposing and reusing, the truth is that my primary driver is simply that I love old stuff. I find old things beautiful to the eye and to the touch and I am hopelessly enamored of their intrigue, history and mystery.

Days of late, though, I’ve been giving more thought to the larger picture. I have learned a lot through my membership in the NUA – from people I’ve interviewed, like Kriss Kokoefer, owner of Kay Chesterfield in Oakland, CA, and from board and committee members including Carla Pyle, and Jamie Facciola. These women apply their great minds, endless heart and collective sense of purpose to protecting the earth and human health on a daily basis. 

A Global Fast and Furious Race to the Bottom

Recently, the NUA, as an act of solidarity with garment workers, has shared posts related to Fashion Revolution Week, an annual event organized by the not-for-profit organization Fashion Revolution. The Fashion Revolution movement arose in 2013 following the deaths of 1,134 Bangladeshi garment workers, and the wounding of 2,500 more, in the collapse of an eight-story building that had been declared unsafe for use. It is not news that garment workers have long been exploited but the overall culture shift, in recent decades, to unprecedented levels of product consumption and waste has led to a ballooning in the number of lives on the line and has gravely amplified the magnitude of their risk. The collapse of Rana Plaza that April morning in Savar Upizila, Bangladesh was the fourth largest industrial disaster in history. Despite that horror, covered in the news and witnessed by the world, thousands upon thousands of garment workers around the globe, including undocumented workers in the United States, have reported for duty every day since- under appalling conditions that do not yield a living wage.  “Brands want to keep their profits high and their costs down so they will move orders to whichever factory will make it cheapest. To get the work, factories often compete to pay the lowest prices. They cut corners on health and safety. Slash wages. It’s a race to the bottom,.”writes Martine Parry on the Fairtrade blog.

Image source: Fashion Revolution Instagram

 “Fast Fashion” has become a well-recognized phenomenon. Dana Thomas of the Wall Street Journal notes, “Workers and the environment suffer as trendy, inexpensive clothes are swiftly mass produced in subcontracted factories and sold in chain stores world-wide…American shoppers snap up about five times more clothing now than they did in 1980.” Sadly, these items are often discarded as quickly and remorselessly as they were made. 

“Fast Furniture” is the lesser recognized but equally destructive equivalent to “Fast Fashion”.  “As with fast fashion, fast furniture’s environmental problems are closely tied to ethical issues: the transfer of domestic manufacturing overseas where companies can pay lower wages,.” Eleanor Cummins writes in The New Republic. Similar to garment workers, thousands of people in the furniture production chain report to factories each day to crank out mass produced pieces that are not likely to last more than a few years. As these pieces occasionally end up on our benches, we upholsterers have witnessed the evidence: chemical laden particleboard and other inferior quality materials held together with bits of plastic and rubber and covered over with random forms of padding and a deceptively attractive outer fabric layer. When this happens, we have to help our clients decide: Does it make sense to reupholster this piece? Can we shore the frame up with better quality materials to give it the strength to last? Sometimes, the answer is yes. But where does the staggering majority of these rapidly assembled products born of hard, under compensated labor end up? In the landfill, serving no one and harming everyone. 

Fast Furniture mirrors fast fashion in many ways, but it is an even more challenging problem to address in one regard in particular: size. To be considered are the amount of materials that go into large and complex pieces of furniture (like sofas and recliners), the energy it takes to ship those pieces from overseas factories (and the pollution that causes), the volume it occupies in landfill (9.8 million tons of furniture went to US landfills in 2017, double 1990 volume and 5 times 1960 totals, see “Re-up and Re-use” infographic), and the fact that sheer unwieldy size is one of the primary reasons furniture is tossed to the curb. In today’s culture, it is common for adults to change jobs many times before retirement. This means moving more frequently and often choosing to rent instead of buy homes. Moving furniture is logistically difficult and expensive. Particularly for young people who have not accumulated savings, it just seems to make sense to toss a sofa bought for a few hundred bucks a couple of years ago (that has perhaps become wobbly, broken and/or less fashionable) and buy a new one to compliment the new space. 

Ways to Participate 

New high-quality furniture is expensive, but solidly built older pieces may be found in abundance in antique and resale shops. Found, purchased and heirloom furniture can be updated to fit a range of tastes and spaces and, if maintained, will be readily welcomed back by resale shops should a change be in order. Upholsterers can do their part by informing the public of the benefits of re-upholstery, giving good council as to whether or not reupholstering a piece is advisable, and discussing the fabric, padding and structural design options that are feasible in relation to the client’s budget.

I encourage consumers to reach out to local upholsterers to discuss options for updating and maintaining furniture. That said, I know that re-upholstery is not an option for everyone, and that everyone needs furniture. The situation is such now that sometimes the best/most rational option is to buy new at the lower prices on offer. During Fashion Revolution Week, advocates for garment workers urge the public to ask apparel companies, “Who made my clothes?”  and to demand transparency regarding the chain of production with the goal of transforming it to value and serve the health and well being of people and the planet above profit. One of the things I like best about old furniture is that every piece has a story. New pieces have stories, too. We should be asking, “Who made my furniture? And where? And how? And with what materials? What does that mean for us and for our children and for our planet? What can we do, and push big companies to do, to be sure that story has a happy ending?

 

Kriss Kokoefer is on a successful mission to convince large corporations to “Re-up(holster) and Re-use”. Toward this end, she has created a furniture waste infographic that she employs to sway companies to retain a percentage of their furnishings when relocating and/or redecorating, and to engage in maintenance contracts to regularly service and update (rather than discard) furniture that requires attention. 

Carla Pyle, owner of Natural Upholstery has made it her business to help tradespeople, DIYers and consumers learn the benefits and practical ins and outs of sourcing and using natural materials. 

Jamie Facciola’s  writings and presentations on circular economy are passionately revelatory and her Instagram personification of furniture items kicked to the curb in Oakland, CA is at once razor sharp witty and heartbreakingly poignant.