To help our working together go more smoothly and to avoid misunderstandings, we have written this page as a guide for how we work with Interior Designers and Interior Decorators.

Available Services to Designers

• Upholstery

• Slipcovers

• Upholstered Cornices

Upholstery Jobs

We do all types of furniture upholstery, from modern to antiques (see our page on Antique Reupholstery). We specialize in doing high quality work. To learn more about our upholstery services, look through the rest of this website, and look at the pictures. The pictures page will show you slide shows of our work. These slide shows have from about 30 to over 150 pictures of each job so you can see how each of these jobs were done. See our Upholstery Information page and our information on Upholstery Pricing,

If your client has some antiques she wants upholstered, read over our Antique Reupholstery page so you can ask your client what she had in mind. We can do anything from a simple cover change to a complete rebuilding*.

*We don't do refinishing or rebuilding of finished woodwork. When we reupholster furniture that needs refinishing, we send it out to a furniture refinishing shop. (note, for any jobs that we send to them, you will have to pay for the their work separately, directly to them.)

Fabrics

All fabrics must meet our requirements. Before ordering fabric for a job that you want us to do, we recommend that you bring a sample of the fabric by for our inspection.

If you are supplying the fabric; As the original purchaser and recipient of the fabric, it is your responsibility to:

• roll out the fabric

• measure the fabric, check that you received the amount that you ordered.

• make sure there is enough fabric for the job, (preferably with a little extra.)

• mark the face side of the fabric

• mark the direction of the top of any fabric pattern

• mark any flaws in the fabric.

• Keep the roll of fabric laying flat and unwrinkled until you bring it to us. Do not stand the fabric on end, as this tends to wrinkle the fabric.

• If you received the fabric folded, roll it on a roller as soon as you can. In some fabrics, especially velvet, the fold lines may never come out.

Muslin Covers. As a normal practice we do not put muslin covers under the fabric. However, some lightweight fabrics and some very plain and/or shiny fabrics may require that the furniture have muslin covers (at additional cost) before the cover is applied.

Pattern Matching

Matching patterns costs an additional 10% to 100%+, depending upon the fabric pattern, the type of matching desired, (see article on Pattern Matching) and the furniture style. Plaids and waterfall matches are on the high end. Simple stripes are on the low end.

Prices are based upon using standard upholstery fabric with a 27” repeat, or a multiple, such as 3”, 9”, 13 1/2”, & 27”. Other non-standard repeats may occur additional charges.

Work Orders

All work orders are subject our prices and our terms and conditions. When we receive a job from you, we expect clear and easily understandable instructions.

Job Details

Whoever talks about the job with the client is responsible to write out all the details of job. If you are the go-between of the client and us, then you are totally responsible to make sure that you give us all the needed specifics of the job in writing. (Always keep a copy of any details or specifics that you give to us.)

Unless otherwise specified in writing, we will generally recover the furniture in the same approximate manner as it was done before. Some exceptions may apply if we determine that the former job was improperly done. In addition, because each craftsman has their own specific ways of working, some of the small detailing may at times be different. This is normal.

 If the client wants any changes in style or in detailing, those must be clearly written. The client or designer may also supply pictures of any desired changes. We will not be responsible for any specifics that are not clearly communicated to us in writing and/or with pictures.

Scheduling

We do not give exact completion dates, but may give you an approximate amount of time to do the job. This time can vary depending on the number of jobs ahead of yours, AND on the complexity of your job.

When we take in a job from you, we write up a Work Order specifying the details of the job The Work Order must be signed and returned to us with a 1/2 deposit before we will put the job on our work schedule. The job will then be put in line after the rest of the work we have already scheduled. We concentrate on doing the job right, not on getting it done by a specific date. In most cases an average job might take anywheres between several weeks and quite a few months or more from the time we receive the order until completion, depending upon how many jobs we schedule ahead of yours. Any completion time will only be approximate (for our scheduling purposes). Our estimated completion dates will vary, sometimes considerably, from the actual completion dates. Generally we're booked out several weeks to two or three months before we can start a job, sometimes longer. Sometimes work will slow down and we'll be booked out only a 2 weeks to a month or so. For more information see our articles on Job Completion Times and Rush Jobs.

After you have a proven track record with us, you can call us when you have a signed order from the client and we will make out a Work Order, send it to you, and put the job on the schedule at that time. You can then return the signed Work Order with the deposit to us within 7 days. (If the signed Work Order and the deposit do not arrive within that time, then your job will be removed from the work schedule. Once we receive them, the job will be put back on the schedule at the end of the list.)

As we are working our scheduled work, if the deposit has not been received by the time we are ready to do your client's furniture, we will go on to the next job in line. We will not start a job until the deposit has been paid.

Estimating

Here are the suggested ways to get an estimate. For most furniture this method will obtain a fairly accurate estimate++.

Free In-Shop Estimates

These are the most common methods of estimates our clients use. We give free estimates for furniture and pictures that are brought into our shop, as follows:

1. Take pictures:

   • Digital pictures*:

     1. Email* pictures to us

     2. Bring your camera to us, we look at the viewfinder or we can view the pictures on our computer

   • Use a 35 mm or other film camera, and then bring the developed pictures to us

2. Make a Drawing: if you are good at drawing, bring an accurate detailed drawing to us.

3. Bring the furniture to my shop for an estimate.

*If you will be working with us, you will need a digital camera and to learn how to email pictures. It will save us both a lot of time and frustration.

++Additional Charges: Although we can determine a fairly accurate estimate from looking at a picture or doing a "hands-on" inspection, sometimes we can't determine the actual condition of the springs, frame, or padding until we take the cover off. Sometimes there may be additional repairs needed that weren't apparent from inspecting the the exterior of the furniture. This is especially true of older furniture and antiques. If there will be extra charges we will notify you before we continue. If you desire, you may come to our shop and inspect the furniture to see what the extra charges are about.

For any of the above options (especially 1 & 2), fill out our furniture evaluation form** to get a more accurate estimate. As soon as we finish writing the form, you will be able to download it from our website. Please contact us if you need now.

(**not yet completed)

On-Site Inspections, Consultations, and Estimates

If you want us to do an in-home estimate, or if you have a special need or an unusually piece of furniture, or a unique situation, we can come out to your clients home or business. (See On-Site Charges below.) When we go out to inspect the furniture, we can better determine the condition of the furniture. However, even when doing an on-site inspection of the furniture, we can't see the true conditon of the interior of the furniture. We can only make an educated guess. Sometimes when we take the cover off we may find unexpected repairs that may be needed (see "Additional Charges" above).

On-Site Charges

There is a minimum $60 per trip charge ($30 trip charge up to 8 miles, plus $2 per [round trip] mile thereafter and a $60 hourly charge [min. 30 minutes] ) for this service. These charges are not applicable to any job, but are to cover our time and expenses for traveling/inspection/consultation. To save these charges you may bring the furniture to our shop for a free inspection/evaluation/estimate.

Payment of On-Site Fees:

• New designers: If we go on-site, you must pay :

  • the $60 min. deposit in advance, such as to send a check in the mail. (see Charges *below)

  • OR- Leave a check at client's house (see Charges *below)

  • OR - meet us there and pay us the total bill before we leave.

  • *Charges: For a local quick inspection, estimate, or consultation, the $60 should cover the total charges. But, for further trips, on-site times over 30 minutes, or for extra service, extra charges may apply. For any extra charges that go over the minimum charge, if not paid on site, the additional amount would be billed to the decorator by fax or mail, to be paid by return mail.

• Established Designers with a proven track record: In addition to any of the above options, upon prior written approval from us, may be allowed to pay by return mail. But, before we go out on site, designer must send/email/fax us an PO authorizing our services. After we go out we'll fax/email or mail the final charges to the Designer. Designer will pay immediately by return mail.

Transporting Furniture

Most designers and clients bring the furniture to my shop and pick it up when it is finished. If we do pickup or deliver:

• The job needs to be paid before delivery (see Payment info below)

• There will be a minimum $50 per trip (for one person) delivery charge for up to 8 miles, plus $2 per (round trip) mile thereafter. Any large jobs with multiple pieces may have multiple delivery charges if they don't all fit into our minivan at one time.

• If we are delivering a sofa or other heavy furniture, the designer or client needs to arrange for someone to be there at the client's home to carry the other end of the furniture.

Pricing

We set the prices according to furniture style, condition, amount of work, repairs needed, etc. See the Upholstery Pricing page for more details. The prices that we give are the same for everyone. We do not have different retail and wholesale prices.

Upon Completion

When the furniture is finished, we expect you to promptly arrange for transportation and payment. 

Payment of Jobs

We do not give credit and don't carry any balances. We require a 50% deposit at the time the order is placed before the work is put on our work schedule. If scheduling is a concern, you may call us for an approximate completion date (see Job Completion Times).

Balance is due and payable on or before completion. We are just a little business and cannot afford to do work without promptly getting paid for it. On multi-piece orders, the work order may be divided for each piece. Each piece needs to be paid upon completion.

On large jobs we may require that the payments be made in installments as we determine for each job.

Final Inspection

If you and/or the client wish to see the finished piece before final payment is made, feel free to stop by our shop when the furniture is finished. OR, if you wish to see and to show pictures of finished furniture to your client, just ask. We can email you a link to some pictures of the finished furniture.

Getting Started

A relationship between a designer and a craftsman can go on for many years. Before we start working together, so that we can better introduce ourselves to each other, we suggest  that you come to our shop and that we go meet you at your place of business. You will have a better sense of who we are and we can see who you are. After this we can each decide whether we want to work together.

About this Page

The policies and information on this page subject to correction or change without prior notice. Check this policy page from time to time to see what might have changed.