Custom Upholstery: Expert Insights with Nadia and Adrianna of Capistrano Upholstery
Faith Led Interior Design Show | Episode 51
Are you in search of a local, quality upholstery shop that can breathe new life into your worn-out furniture? Or perhaps you're torn between buying brand-new furniture and the idea of preserving your beloved pieces through reupholstering? Join us in this compelling episode as we address these common dilemmas.
In this episode, I sit down with Nadia and Adrianna, the passionate owners of Capistrano Upholstery, a local upholstery business in San Juan Capistrano, California, with over two decades of experience. Together, we dive deep into the art of reupholstering and share valuable insights on how to choose the right pieces for transformation.
And if you are wondering what makes a quality frame, Nadia unveils the secrets to identifying them, empowering you to make informed choices when considering furniture restoration.
But that's not all. Explore the complexities of leather, faux leather, and sustainable alternatives, and learn how to navigate this maze when choosing upholstery materials. And what about the cost? We'll delve into the eco-friendly and cost-effective aspects of reupholstering versus buying new.
You will also get an idea of the wide range of services Capistrano Upholstery offers. From custom furniture and upholstered headboards to outdoor cushions and RV transformations, they've got you covered.
If you're faced with the dilemma of whether to replace your furniture or give it a new lease on life, this episode is for you. Don't miss this opportunity to discover a local upholstery shop that can address your furniture dilemmas. Tune in for inspiration and insights from Nadia and Adrianna, and take the first step toward transforming your living spaces.
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I pray this verse over all who are listening/reading.
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Lead you,
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Bless you,
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Provide for you in all that you wish for or need!
Custom Upholstery: Expert Insights with Nadia and Adrianna of Capistrano Upholstery
Here is my conversation with Nadia and Adrianna:
Me: So, Nadia and Adrianna, you guys have a business here in San Juan Capistrano, California. And so do you want to tell us a little bit about it and how you got into it? And you know what, what you guys do? We'll start with that.
Nadia: Yes, so my mom is actually the one that started it about ever since I can remember. So twenty-four years ago, something like that. So she actually started out of our garage. I remember when I was a little kid and my mom. That was our life, and my brother and I would just play with fabrics. And we were just there watching everything happening out of our home because everything was done at home.
And thankfully in 2008, we acquired this place here in San Juan Capistrano.
Sheree: Nice Wow. That's exciting. I love mom-and-pop stores. You know, they're getting fewer and fewer because, you know, it's hard to make it sometimes. It costs to have these stores. I had a store for 16 years in Northern California when my business was up there. So, I know what it takes to, you know, do a small store. So I absolutely admire you guys for doing that since 2008. That's a long time.
So you kind of gave me an outline of what you were thinking about and you started with frame quality. So let's start there.
How to Decide if Re-Upholstery Is a Good Option for You
Nadia: Yes. So, frame quality is one of the most important things to consider when somebody is thinking about recovering a piece. So I have a few things that you can tell right away that's easy to tell if you have a good frame.
First of all, if it's heavy. If you have a heavy frame that most likely means that it's really good quality wood, and those are always worth it to recover.
Also, if it was made in the US, we have much higher standards here and regulations. So most are made in the US is going to be really good quality. It's a little bit tricky just because sometimes it'll say it's built in the US but that only means it's assembled in the US. So that one is if you got it maybe a couple of years ago within maybe 20 or so years ago. You can trust that if it was made in the US, it's most likely going to be good quality furniture. Now it's a little bit trickier, but it is a really good sign if it says it's made in the US.
If not, it probably is not a good frame. It's just not worth reupholstering. No, not necessarily.
If it is not a good frame. Some reasons that it would be worth reupholstering are if it is considered a good fit for the person, perfect for your space, or if it's really comfortable. Some people have chairs that maybe the frame is not the best quality but they fit them perfectly. For example, if you're really tall and the furniture piece that you have fits you perfectly and the other way around, like I'm really short, and sometimes if you have a sofa that fits really comfortably to you or to the space that you have, even if it's not a good quality frame, it might be worth recovering and we also do reinforcements.
So depending on the condition like for example, if it's from like Ikea or something maybe it's not worth it, because you can just buy another one, you know? Yes, yeah. We can always reinforce the frame. If the frame is not the best.
Sheree: Okay, you know what, I want to take a break between learning and asking Adriana how you got into this? How did this become your passion? Because doing it enough years, it is obvious that it is your passion.
Yes. I would you sum it up? It is a long story but I want it to be short.
The thing I liked the first time I worked on this is when I see the job finished. You know, the sofa chair finishes and everything looks perfect for me. And it made me feel very proud of my work.
As I do this, I try to learn more and more and more and everything about finishing, the details. is very important. The fabric, the quality of the foam, everything, but mostly the details. When I have to supervise something, I have to be very careful when the workers are working on the furniture and I make sure everything is done right.
Nadia: Yes, my Mom is a fearsome perfectionist.
Sheree: I was reading on your card where it says: “Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. We work on this for you. Thank you for your visit.”
I think that's so sweet. I mean, you're so right it is earned. And it's so nice to find a company that cares and they really have a passion and care about their work. I know Adriana and I have that same feeling. You know, when the client sees pieces going into their house, and they are so excited, that's really such a great feeling! Thank you for that.
Sheree: Okay, so let's go learn a little bit more because you were mentioning about I don't know did we cover vintage pieces enough or about that?
Nadia: Yes. So that's the same with the frame concept.
So like I mentioned, after the 90s big box assembly furniture became really popular.
Before the 90s furniture was most likely handmade. Like how we make custom furniture. Then it was made like they used to back in the days you know, like they would glue it and they would press it and it was furniture that lasted years.
A great example is mid century furniture has been making a comeback. We see so many beautiful mid century pieces and they are in perfect condition. The frames are in perfect condition. Of course the fabric is not but after, you know, 50, 60, or70 years is is totally understandable. But things like that or vintage pieces, for example, are really wonderful to work on.
An exciting project we're working on is a San Juan historical house.
It's called the Lake House. They have these beautiful vintage pieces from like the 1700s. Yeah, and the frames unfortunately are not in the best condition but we were able to restore them and bring them back to life. We were able to still keep like the carvings and the things that make them special.
Sheree: Yes, I didn't know you do the restoration stuff, that's really awesome, because sometimes it's sentimental to the family or a family heirloom.
I think that has been coming back for a while. The kids are growing up now, and saying I don’t want this not-so-great furniture anymore. It is not so well made furniture. I'll just say it that way.
I mean, I guess it did the trick, but it definitely was not going to last.
I think now that the kids are getting a little bit older they're saying, “ Hey, my parents have some pretty nice furniture.” I've seen more of the refinishing woods and re-upholstered older pieces to kind of modernize it some.
How to Choose the Materials for You
Sheree: You were also going to talk about leather, faux, and vinyl. I just had a client in San Luis Obispo County that took an old Jacobean-style chair and they put cowhide on it because they're in the country. And it was so cool. This is fun, different and so them.
So I know the leather is a really important subject because people get fooled by that because it's called leather sometimes and and it won't last. When we when we used to get leather or still do we pay a lot and expect it to last. Now, you can get tricked with what leather is real. You can make a big costly mistake because it's not cheap.
Nadia: Yes, not all leathers are the same for sure. I think a key factor is differentiating. I think a good way to determine whether a leather is going to be a high quality leather is to keep in mind that leathers are ultimately animal skin. So if you get a leather that 's all uniform, and it's perfect, it's most likely not going to be a high quality leather because it means it's been so overly treated. TIt’s not going to be good anymore.
When you're purchasing leather. You want something that is gonna have animal marks, it's gotta have stretch marks, it's gonna have those animal like skin markings on it. That's one of the ways that someone can tell that it's going to be a better quality leather.
Also nowadays some people do want the leather look, but they don't like all the markings and stuff in them. Which in that case, then you can use like a mixture. They do have recycled leather where it's like 55 or so percent leather and then the rest is polyester. That's going to give more of the leather look but without with all the imperfections.
Sheree: Is that what they call pleather? I've heard of pleather.
Nadia: Yes, and unfortunately, that is a reason why leather got not the best reputation.
Pretty much vinyl. Like it was just vinyl, it was just plastic, so they were calling it pleather to infer that it was like leather. But it really wasn't at all; it was just vinyl.
But now, for example, there’s vegan leathers. They are 50/50 or so. Those are like faux leathers, it's not full leather.
And then there's the fox leathers and the vegan leathers. We just got a new collection. It's called De Certeau and it's made out of cactus and pineapple skins. These are made out of polyester, but they're much more high quality so they're not quite vinyl. They actually do look quite similar to leather, and they're going to last a lot longer than vinyl. So that's a good middle ground between full on leather and vinyl. Especially, like you said, leathers are pretty expensive.
So if it's not in your budget, I think that the high-quality faux leathers like all those vegan leathers and the leather alternatives are also a great option for somebody that wants that leather look, but doesn't necessarily want to spend that much money on an actual genuine leather.
Sheree: It is always good to know these little tricks from you guys that save our clients money. Because upholstery can cost as much as a new sofa sometimes. You know, once you get the fabric and the upholstery, it is sometimes as much or more, depending on which fabric, than a brand new sofa.
So, where people can get these little tips and tricks to save some because sometimes it helps. Also, some of the fabrics will actually last extremely long. So, that helps to learn about that for those who need to.
Yes! And then my favorite is the performance fabrics. Oh my god.
For everybody, kids and everything. Oh my goodness.
Nadia: I love those fabrics, especially because I personally love light colors, like the whites, the creams. and bright neutrals, but when you have kids or even pets, you know you want something that it's going to not get dirty, because it's not it's not going to look nice if it's all dirty. Right? So that is where performance comes in where you can still have a beautiful light look to your piece and still be nice and clean.
Sheree: Yes, I've sold a white sofa, like you are talking about, to people with babies. With kids. And it's just amazing, I'm just going to say so that people know, basically, you can take the cover off of the cushion and throw it in the washing machine and clean it and put it back on it. So it's a little bit like slip-covered furniture. It's similar but the fabric itself really is a great fabric for pets or kids. Or, like you said, Nadia, that you'd like the light fabrics. I do too. And we used to not be able to really, I mean, we just had to be careful because they really could get wrecked. And so that's come a long way.
So they're called the performance fabric so you can ask these ladies about that when you're looking at that.
Price Point: Is Re-Upholstering Worth It?
Sheree: Okay, and then let's talk a little bit about the price point. Is it worth it to reupholster versus buying brand new?
Nadia: I think that would be helpful. Yeah, so unfortunately, there is a misconception that upholstering a piece is going to be a lot less expensive than getting a brand-new piece. And that's not always the case. Sometimes it's going to be about the same, if not a little more depending on what material you choose. Which is why it is so important to consider, “Do I have a good frame? Do I have good bones to start with and also sentimental value to you?” If it's good for your space, it's something that it's going to be worth recovering.
When you compare it to buy like when all those things are there when you have a good frame and everything else. Then when you compare it to buying something brand new.
You have to be aware that you may lose a great frame. It may be the same cost. But then you're gonna get a frame that's not going to be it's going to be one of those like assembly-made frames that we that are so common these days, unfortunately, is a great point.
Sheree: That is a great point! You're gonna lose your great frame! Because you have options, you can even alter the final look. Maybe your sofa had a rounded arm, but you want it to be more square, can you do that? I mean make it a newer, more updated look.
Nadia: Yes. So it doesn't have to be exactly upholstered. I mean, you'd have to talk to you and get quotes and everything and see if it's workable, but a lot of times you can really change the look and get a brand-new sofa.
Sheree: So finish that thought and then we'll do a little bit about your other products. You know, what other stuff that you have?
Nadia: Okay, yeah 100% We can definitely modernize any piece because I think that's the hesitation sometimes with like you said keeping like your grandparents or your parent’s furniture because maybe it's out of style. It's outdated, but there's definitely a way to keep the frame and still like you know if it's rounded. I know right now everything is very linear that's in style right now. Because it's not too complicated to go ahead and modernize any piece.
Also, it's not only the frame. A lot of the stuffing is brand new nowadays. Just in general the quality of the materials used like cushions and inserts are also unfortunately not the best quality. We get so many people coming in with brand new couches that they just bought like couple of months ago and they're not cheap couches or chairs or anything like they're from good brands, and they paid some money for it. They're too hard, too soft, or they had it a year and it's already rundown. Yeah. And I can understand that. That must be really frustrating. Because they go back to the manufacturer and they're like, oh, sorry. Nothing we can do about it.
So, with ours, they say that it comfortable, comfortable cushions and comfortable insert so sometimes it ends up being more expensive to buy something that's going to be brand new, but much less high quality, especially like we've mentioned that if you already have a good piece, it is so worth it to just go ahead and reupholster. It might not be cheaper, but it is going to be that you're going to have a much, much more high-quality piece.
Sheree: Exactly, I agree. And, you know, so you pay more now but you don't replace it every five or 10 years. And that's what I've seen with my clients when we buy quality. I had one client who said I can't afford to buy cheap stuff.
It's true.
That was perfect, I can't afford to buy cheap stuff. Because she knew it would last all those years, you pay for it once but it's still there years later in great shape. Like you're talking about these pieces. So it's worth it in the long run. And a lot of people don't know that. And I think they don't know it's because they can't see the inside and they don't really consider the inside that much and that's the most important part about an upholstered piece. So, as you guys know, they look great on the outside, but you're right, it's inside that counts, right?
Hopefully, this is educational for some people so that they would understand that the inside is really probably more important than the outside. If you want it to last.
Nadia: Yes, yes. And then I think it's also more environmentally friendly. It's so sad to see so much furniture being tossed out every day. So the furniture is just being thrown away.
And it is also nice when you do create —- when you have a high-quality piece, you create a family heirloom that you can hand down. I love those projects, it's so beautiful to work on them, on modernizing it and it's yes, that's a good piece of furniture. If you're able to do that.
But then there are people I know, who've said it to me, I just don't want to keep it. I want to change. So there's that group that likes that.
Capistrano Upholstery Services
Sheree: Adriana, can you talk a little bit maybe about the other products that you guys have?
Adriana: Well, yes, for sure.
Well, we do draperies. Also, I love to direct this —- a change that'll change completely. Draperies can be like an accent, it could be like an accent drapery. It changes the look of the room and the light. It protects the floors, because sometimes there's a lot of sun in the windows, then we have to use it like a blackout for example.
So many people think oh no, this should be very expensive, but no, it's not. It's not really it's not because it is not just for looks, it is to protect, for example, wood floors, you know, or the furniture when it's next to the window or the privacy. You know, sometimes the neighbor is very close and they can see through the windows. This is when the draperies should be a very good investment, I think, to protect inside the house.
Sheree: Yes, and energy efficiency is another thing sometimes that helps with that. And I've had a lot of clients through the years who do one blackout so that they can close them, especially in their bedrooms. I mean, that's where that comes up.
Do you guys do bedspreads, duvets pillows, and all that?
Adriana: Yes we do. Walls cover walls, also. I have had a client before who did it in an elevator. All with leather around. Oh, nice. Yes, it's a good wall.
Sheree: Oh, you guys do?
Nadia: Okay, that's awesome. Wow. Then we also have custom furniture. So, sometimes people don't want to keep their parents or grandparents furniture or maybe it's just come at the end of its life. We make brand-new furniture from scratch and it is going to be that high-quality framework that's going to last for years and years and years and years.
Sheree: Like sofas and chairs?
You do upholstered headboards and things like that also, custom?
Yes. Oh, my goodness. That's awesome. Okay, well, I didn't know a few of these things.
So that's really great.
Nadia: Yes. also anything outdoors, you know, cushions and outdoor draperies. We are actually quite versatile. We do a lot of RVs as well like RV drapes, RV, beds, and everything.
So if you like a funky project that you're thinking about most of the time, we'll be able to go be able to do it.
Sheree: Okay, that's good to know.
So, I just want to say I hope that that was helpful for all of you who are thinking about re-upholstering or draperies or soft treatments which is the bedding, we call that soft treatments in the home, you know, pillows and things like that.
Sheree: For those of you who are in Orange County or the Southern California area, I highly recommend Capistrano Upholstery!
You can see these ladies are awesome. They're very, very conscientious and really care that they give you a quality product. And they're a small company and I just really promote that. I love to promote small companies because I'm one!
It's good to just see the mom and pop still around. And this is a true mom-and-pop store!
Thank you ladies so much!
Next episode, I will talk about paint with a special guest, Olympia, from Sherwin Williams Paint Co.
Paint is complicated so be sure to join us next episode.
Until next time…
Now, Stop Dreaming, Start Designing your luxury home within your budget!
Blessings and See you next episode…
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