I have been using Pete for the past 28 years to handle all of my upholstery needs and his incredible work can be a highlight to any room.

An upholsterer gives you more room to create original custom designed furniture rather than being limited to the common route of simply walking into a showroom, or a local retailer to fulfill ones upholstery needs.

When you work with a top quality workroom like Pete’s, you are able to customize any design prior to fabrication; altering the proportions of a specific piece or modifying details to fit the specific needs of various clients.

Factoring in a client’s height when producing a sofa, for example, creating a slightly less deep sofa for shorter clients and adding a little more depth to a sofa for taller clients will create a custom piece of furniture tailored to their needs.

It’s getting hard to find a shop where things are done by hand and where natural materials are used.  From horse hair, down fillings, high-end frames, hand tied springs or maintaining the integrity of not using staple guns, these are all key elements when considering custom sofas. So, it’s very important to work with a company who understands high quality craftsmanship.

You may not know this initially when you look at a custom made sofa, but once you sit on it and it has been around in your home for a number of years, the difference starts to show up with wear and tear.

I have a custom sofa at my beach house for almost 30 years and it still sit luxuriously and looks brand new. When a client questions getting a higher price custom sofa, I explain why paying extra is worth it for the life expectancy.

I explain this information in the most fundamental way so it makes sense to a client's objective.  Most of the time, customization is something that they may have not considered if left to their own devices. So I use an analogy for comparison sake that most everyone can relate to, like buying clothing.

I tell them, doesn't it make sense to purchase a custom piece of furniture that can last for over 15 years as oppose to buying a dress or pants that will last only a season? After a client gives thought to that, I rest assured that I’ve made a persuasive point and can now move on to the next phase of a project.

Vicente Wolf with upholstery Expert, Peter J of Peter J Upholstery Co Inc.

What’s the difference between inexpensive frames and the frames you create? The difference between frames used at peter j upholstery co inc. and a major retailer are many -  our frames are made out of maple and  the frames are 1 3/8" stock versus 3/4"stock from retailers,and in some cases thicker that 1 3/8" depending on the custom shape of the frame,  our frames are all dowled and glued versus frames put together with nail guns.

What different fillings you can use when creating a sofa?  The different fillings that peter j upholstery co inc. uses are - my furniture is double stuffed and that consists of coil springs - hand tied, layer of hair on top, burlap ,another layer of hair and in some cases we will use a down pad or go right into muslin, all hand tacked.  Some retailers will use zigzag springs, sheet of foam and dacron and go on to the muslin if they use muslin.

 What is the purpose of welts? Is it to cover mistakes?  Welts are usually requested by the decorator for appearance and that is the purpose.

What is the objective for using welts to reinforce seams of cushions? The object of welts is again-- appearance, there are small welts, medium, large and also jumbo welts.  It all depends on what the decorator wants to create.

With over 40 years experience in the upholstery line, Peter’s natural ability to create and customize furniture to the different specifications given to him by decorators enables him to continually transform his decorators dreams into reality.  

 Peter J Upholstery Co Inc., Deer Park, New York

On the other hand my professional life has been computerized for a while.   My office has used computers for the last 35 years leading the way when no one in the design industry had computers.   Now computers have become the driving force in residential and commercial offices.  Hand drafting is a thing of the past. Personally, I thought people were faster and more involved in what they were designing without computers.

I agree with most architects or designers who feel you are less creative if you don’t sketch by hand.

A sketch from my Amsterdam travels

But as I move and grow with the times, I am always flabbergasted that after 5 years computers need to be changed or upgraded. Now computers are just one more expenditure.

Right now, as I sit and sign two very big checks to replace 80% of the computers in the office I think to myself, “what was wrong with the past?”

I use programs AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Sage Peachtree and Design Manager. What programs do you use in your office?

From 50 things you need to know about sofas to sourcing products from the web. This months House Beautiful is the “little black book” for the design industry.

What most clients don’t understand is that in the long run, a bad paint job can take away from the space. You can take an old apartment, and when the walls have been prepared properly, there’s an immediate sense of that space being brought back to its original condition.

Many times clients don’t understand the significance of a costly paint job or why painting takes so long but the proof is in the pudding.

Vicente Wolf with Paint expert, Tom Buric of Alton Inc.

VW: What’s the correct process for prepping a wall before applying paint or wallpaper?

Tom:  Before painting or wallpaper prep depends on if the apartment had either gypsum wallboard, or existing plaster walls. If the walls are new, provide taping of New Gypsum wallboard.  For a high quality, skim coat walls, sand smooth and prime to prepare for painting. If walls are existing plaster walls, you have to scrape loose paint and plaster, prime walls prior plaster patching, install fiberglass mesh, skim coat walls, sand in between coats, and then paint.

VW: How can one painter take only four days to paint an apartment while it may take others several weeks?

Tom: No Idea how someone can finish an apartment in four days, and why my team takes so long is because of the extensive process that’s explained above.

VW: How can using high quality paint make a huge difference in a job?

Tom: For good quality, I always choose Pittsburgh Paints or Benjamin Moore, Farrow and Ball. It gives us the best possible finish.

Tom Buric of Alton Inc at 40-19 35th Avenue LIC, NY 11101

Design rule you like to break?
As many as I can!

http://www.lonny.com/Lonny+Designers

1940 French Prospect lamps

Emerald Vase A great way to add color that’s everlasting. Featured products available at VW Home.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/ANYQ0412/index.php#/8

Enjoy your Holiday season with design tips and inspiring properties from Corcoran Group available on You Tube at Luxury Collection 2012.

As a bonus to the special feature, the Corcoran Group featured a “how to” video with myself and VW Home. Watch exclusive design tips and how I transitioned the interior of 50 Gramercy Park from summer to fall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPOQPUtGYHY&list=PL1B4FC9D71FD908A0&index=1&feature=plpp_video