REUPHOLSTERY CAN SPARK NEW LIFE IN SENTIMENTAL FURNITURE
Jstyle Staff
Almost anything can be reupholstered, from boats to cars to furniture, says Luke Ciancibello, owner of Schultz Upholstery in Willoughby.
“The bread and butter of our business is high-end vintage furniture that people try to keep – heirloom-type pieces that people like to pass down from generations or of family members that passed away – and they have beautiful antique furniture that we completely restore and reupholster, Ciancibello, the owner of Shultz Upholstery, says.
Ciancibello, a third generation owner of Schultz Upholstery, took over the business from his father. His grandfather purchased the store at Noble and Mayfield roads from Elmer Schultz in 1938 and kept the name, he says. It was passed down to Ciancibello’s father, before he assumed control in 2013.
Ciancibello points out about 75% of the work at his custom upholstery business is replacing damaged or worn furniture fabric.
“If it’s a high-end, quality piece of furniture, it’s worth reupholstering,” Ciancibello says. “If it’s a good, quality piece, it’s a hardwood piece, it’s constructed well, then it’s definitely worth getting reupholstered versus (furniture made from) particle board or press wood or a less expensive piece … So, if it’s basically good, quality, hardwood, well-constructed, 30-plus- years old and good quality.”
According to Ciancibello, 10% to 15% of customers hire a designer, while most others bring in ideas they saw on apps like Pinterest.
If someone does not have a designer, they can visit the showroom and speak with him about options, including the type of fabric for the specific furniture, Ciancibello says.
The Shultz Upholstery showroom on Vine Street houses roughly 20,000 fabrics to choose from, from decorative, textured and outdoor fabrics to classic tapestries and marine vinyls – for boats, Ciancibello says. The most common indoor fabric is made from polyester or nylon, he says.
“If you can’t find it here, you’re not going to find it anywhere,” Ciancibello points out. “And what’s good about the showroom and having this large volume of samples is the customer could put their hands on it. They could physically see it if they’re not selecting something from an online fabric retailer, or the color variation could be very different once it’s ordered and received.”
Carefully selecting a fabric in person can lead to happier customers because they can experience the quality, color and durability of the fabric, Ciancibello says.
In the rare instance there is an issue with the fabric – something he says has happened twice in 13 years – Schultz Upholstery will try to work with and help the client, something an online merchant may not be able to do, he says.
Once a quote is given and fabric is chosen, Schultz Upholstery will pick up the furniture and deliver the finished pieces, Ciancibello says.
“I think the most important thing is to purchase a fabric for the piece that’s suitable for its use,” Ciancibello suggests.
Each fabric is rated by durability and recommends a durable, pre-treated fabric for high-traffic areas and especially in households with children or pets, he says. However, he suggests the option of softer, more delicate fabric, such as velvet or silk, for antique or decorative furniture – such as accent chairs – that will be used less or be on display.
“You know, you wouldn’t want a customer to select a silk or a velvet for the theater room. It’s just not going to hold up,” he says. While most of his work on-site is for reupholstery, Ciancibello also upholsters custom furniture, he says. He will contract out the framing of a custom piece, like a plush headboard, home movie theater seating or kitchen banquette.
And while the cost of projects vary, customers can call and then text a photo of their furniture with an idea of style and Schultz Upholstry will provide a quote on labor wtih fabric they would need, if move forward schedule showroom visit, work with them and schedule pickup.
Ciancibello says an original piece with framing takes about five to six months to make, whereas upholstery for an antique sofa or for chairs can take about four weeks, give or take, but it all depends on his customers’ needs.
“If restaurant booths are reupholstered, they can be done pretty quickly,” Ciancibello says.
Twenty percent of his business is commercial work, and he has upholstered furniture at The Metropolitan at The 9 and Case Western Reserve University, both in Cleveland, and Great Lakes Mall in Mentor, he says.
Spring is here, and people may start to focus on their outdoor furniture, for which Ciancibello sells about 2,000 types of fabric.
“This is the time when people will start pulling their cushions out for their outdoor furniture and realize it was damaged, or it was wet and stored wet, and now it’s moldy or an animal got to it,” Ciancibello says. “Those generally they want turned around pretty quickly because we don’t have a long season of outdoor time. So people will start realizing they’ll need to get those reupholstered and replaced. And you know, if someone were to come in now, they would hope to have it the first week of May. That is a pretty tight schedule for us, but you know, we do our best to get those back to them as soon as we can so they can enjoy the outdoors.”
Ciancibello says he has a handful of employees and will sometimes work on projects with them, when he is not busy focusing on the business’ operations. While all seasons are busy, the busiest season is fall, when families begin to prepare their homes for the upcoming holidays, he says.