Urbanite and my Upholstery

I have been focusing a lot of building different parts of my businesses over the last year. You may have seen my red chair upholstery ad in Baltimore's free publication: Urbanite Magazine.

The studio is filling with furniture that needs to be redone. I'll be updating you on all of that stuff as new pieces come through the studio. I'll have lots of before and after shots to inspire!

Don't forget to connect with me on my Allison Fomich Upholstery page!
Stay tuned!!!

Upholstery Update

Well, exciting news! We have decided to take our upholstery business to the next level! After much deliberation, we have decided to take out an ad in the Ubranite, one of Baltimore's free monthly magazines.


I think we will be reaching a broad audience across the city that appreciates handmade and supports local businesses. Hopefully the ad will make an impression. It is a small ad in the back, it will be in the "Marketplace" section. But I think we will have a striking graphic that will attract customers.

After 13 years of word-of-mouth business, we are ready to really push the business to grow. So, here we GO!

Upholstery of the week

Well, really it has been a month or so! But the 2 pieces, couch and loveseat are done, delivered and sitting happily in their home. I am glad these are out of the studio, the space free to fill with the next few chairs... My daughter can scoot around here again while we work.

It was a big project, took longer than I had planned, but that is how it goes sometimes. I am pleased with the set, happy with the results.

Upholstery of the Week, Gothic Chair

Just finished this baby up. Gothic chair, fully restored. Horsehair and cotton sewn chair pad.
Beauty!

Thebes Stool, Upholstery Project Done!

With a custom embroidered silk fabric, I created this Egyptian revival topper for a customer's antique Thebes stool. Cushion is cotton batting, a nice firm seat or footstool.

Done! Next....

Sneek Peek Upholstery

Yes, just a little something so you'll keep checking back!
I wonder what this could possibly be?

Cool Little Mod Red Footstool

So, here is my first upholstery listing on Etsy! I plan on adding more from now on. Check back, I have some cool little chairs to list.

I plan on promoting my upholstery business a little more the rest of the year. If you might have something for me to redo, let me know. I also sell upholstery and drapery fabric, have tons of fabric books at the studio to choose from. Feel free to call or e-mail!

My ottoman, Upholstery Before and After

So, I got this beauty about 5 yrs ago. I traded for it -the other guy got a very sad worn out computer. This little mobile ottoman is a nice thing to have around to prop your feet up on, roll through the house as a toy, and seems to be one of my daughter's favorite play things. Slowly it has been leaking it's contents all over my house. It was time for a makeover.

This is it open with it's guts out. Some sort of fibrous fill that I have never seen before in my 11 yrs as an upholsterer. Anyhoo, I used the pattern, sewed an new one in leather, stuffed the heck out of it... TA DA!!

Before and After Upholstery

Sometimes my upholstery backlog keeps me offline for a while. These 2 matching fan back channel chairs were for a customer in D.C. I got them out this week, along with another arm chair (pics soon to follow).

Happy to see them move through the shop. It is hard but gratifying work!

Chairs of the Week, Before and After Uphosltery

Before: A tired set of channel back chairs, solid pieces that showed promise . They were upholstered in a dusty old peach velvet that was saggy and worn, begging for a face lift.

After: The pair is hip with a contemporary edge. Nice blue/brown chenille swirl is a striking and bold print that will make a statement in the living room. Comfortable, livable, and totally custom!

Before and After Upholstery, Green Victorian Chairs

These we a set for a customer, built up from scratch. New webbing, springs, hand sewn faux horsehair seat, horeshair back and arm pads. Gorgeous green lush velvet just made these pieces stunning. Wow, these were a lot of work!

Victorian Ebony Chair, Before and After Upholstery

So, before the ACC show, my time was taken up with this project and another pair of chairs that I will share with you tomorrow. Hand sewn seat with synthetic horsehair and cotton.

Reupholstered Victorian Office Chair

So, if you need to spruce up your hum-drum office space, why not throw one of these in your cubicle! The wrought iron legs are actually a complex spring system, the back of this piece has custom faux woodgrain painted directly onto the metal frame.

I just finished this chair for one of my customers. He finds the coolest stuff for me to redo. This piece has new springs, a synthetic horsehair and cotton padding. The fabric is a pressed velvet mohair from France. Beautiful tassels and trim for a complete High Victorian look.

Currently I am finishing a very different set of chairs. I'll post images of them when I am done with them, so check back soon!

Brown and Blue Upholstery Fabrics

These fabrics are each striking in their own way. All bold in their graphic nature, use on a focal piece for some really eye popping interest. Or, some interesting pillows using these fabrics would modernize sagging decor.

The colors are contemporary, the chenille is super soft. All great stuff;)

Keep checking back for interesting and durable high quality fabrics. I will be doing a fabric post weekly from now on. Lots of exciting colors and textures in store! And if you see something you like, I can get it for you;)

Cottage Style

These pieces were for a Baltimore area customer. She was going for a soft country cottage style with these cottons. Really nice old rocker seat was made new with all new materials. A simple striped piano bench and fancy soft looking pillows coordinated with her other furniture for a complete look.

I am currently accepting new upholstery work. If you need an estimate, please contact me.

Black and White Upholstery Beauties

These 4 fabrics are each striking in their own way. All bold in their graphic nature, use on a focal piece for some really eye popping interest. Or, some interesting pillows using these fabrics would modernize sagging decor.

Keep checking back for interesting and durable high quality fabrics. I will be doing a fabric post weekly from now on. Lots of exciting colors and textures in store! And if you see something you like, I can get it for you;)

New Fabrics!

These are new home decor fabrics that I just got from one of my fabric companies. I have accounts with various distributors and carry their fabric books in my shop for the custom upholstery work I do. Customers can usually find exactly what they are looking for in the wide range of what I have to offer.

Kravet is one of my faves. I chose these from one of thier collections to show today as they are looking to autumnal colors that could carry a room year round.

Keep checking back for interesting and durable high quality fabrics. I will be doing a fabric post weekly from now on. Lots of exciting colors and textures in store! And if you see something you like, I can get it for you;)

Before and After

One of the many projects I have been working on this week. It's always great to give a dingy vintage piece a facelift. Yes, the teal vinyl was cool, but the sage and brown chenille animal print looks like it belongs in Domino Magazine. This one can be found for sale at Shine.

Before and After

Finished a chair today!

It feels SO good to get a piece done and ready to return to a customer. This one is going to the ladies at Shine.

Many of you may or may not know, but I have been reupholstering furniture for a living since 1998. I apprenticed with a woman for about 2 years and just went with it. I have done everything from outdoor cushions to museum quality restoration. Glad I picked up this skill because it has carried me through grad school and beyond. It compliments my sculpture background and diversifies my income.

So, if anyone out there ever needs something redone, and you are in the Baltimore area, you know who to call.;)