Memorial Day Sale!

Heads up that I am participating in a 3 day sale on Chairish! If you have been eyeing something and need shipping, I highly recommend you grab it then! My shop will be 15% off for 3 days only!

New items! I have been adding some new items to my Etsy and they are submitted to Chairish however, they may not make it through the curation process prior to my sale. Fingers crossed. Here’s a peek.

Beautiful tufted chartreuse velvet couch. In incredible condition and I do not say that lightly! There are no major issues at all! Foam is soft, it is super comfy and the color is gorgeous! I would not even remove the skirt it’s so stunning! She is being cleaned and sanitized prior to shipping/delivery!

Wow! Large set of folding chairs that really compact! Sturdy and stylish temporary seating! They are in very good condition with minor signs of wear. Perfect for your next gathering! I even found the patent!

Some news to share: I am officially a member of the International Furnishings and Design Association-Philadelphia chapter, a trade organization for Interior Designers and fine purveyors of related businesses. Looking forward to connecting to many more regional design pros!

I will be out of town for the weekend so anything purchased after tonight will ship Tuesday. As always, I will do my best to assist with any quotes or questions while I am camping. We typically have cell service at this location. My retail space is open normal hours 10-6 through Sunday! Stop by if you are cruising through! XO. MALISSA.

So you want to hire an upholsterer? Inspo and tips on working with an upholsterer to revive your vintage pieces!

Greetings! I am offering up advice so if you have any specific topics you want to pick my brain on, reach out! I may feature your topic in an upcoming post!

One thing I get asked about and have helped friends navigate through is dealing with an upholsterer. There are many in my area and seriously, once you start looking, you will probably find many near you as well. My advice is not to go to the popular or first name that comes to mind. Find someone who has lower expenses and not a big flashy showroom or workspace. The more employees they have, the pricier it will be- and I mean that loosely. Always consider how much your own time is worth, your piece will take many days of work. It won’t be cheap. But you don’t need to pay a premium to get quality work.

I stumbled upon the shop I use as I was walking through our nearby city when my kids were at swim team practice. I had a chair I wanted new foam and straps put in and I literally walked in his door to meet him. He was working at a bench and another gal was at the sewing machine. His shop was in a row home and there were rolls of fabric and other furniture around the edges of the room. He had a gorgeous Victorian couch on the bench in progress. He also was versed in automotive upholstery. He told me to bring the chair in and he’s give me a price, I returned with the chair and he came out to my car and checked it out. I do not remember what for that chair all those years ago, but it may have been around $250. He put new strapping supports and foam in the seat and the wool fabric was perfect so put it all back together. It looked great. I brought him more projects and gradually upped the ante until I was bringing him comfy chairs and sofas that had to be gutted and redone. It’s been a year since I have taken him anything as I like to do small jobs myself and when I invest into large items they take a while to sell so when the 3 pieces I have find homes, I will find something else to do. Here are some tips on saving money or things to be alert to that may cost extra- review this list before you talk to the upholsterer.

1. Can I bring my own fabric? Most upholsterers will have look books with samples and even in stock rolls of fabric. My guess is most of them have lower quality Textiles because let’s face it, it costs a lot to redo a chair and unless you are into designer Textiles, you will not want to pay for them. MANY will charge you extra if you bring your own fabric! MOST OF THE POPULAR GUYS WITH FANCY SHOPS are on board with this. You seeking out a small shop with a budding upholstery artist will avoid this up charge. My guy has bolts of unused yardage from other projects he would sell cheap or add into his quote. I know my guy is working for NYC designers and I see his bolts and know the brands. He probably has some very expensive fabrics available and I would bet he does not know the value but he does not care, he did not pay for them, his client did, I try to get my excess back from him to use on other projects, but I know he will squirrel it away in his stash sometimes. Ask about excess fabrics they may be able to sell you cheap, especially if you just need a solid or simple tweed.

2. If the structure of your piece is in good shape, you may just need to redo the fabric. In many cases, mid century pieces will have degraded foam and I opt to have that all rebuilt, Foam is expensive. Look for signs of degradation in your piece: hard, heavy and saggy seat cushions, yellow powder seeping through the fabric, open any zippers and inspect. Opt to redo the foam if you spy any degradation. It is worth paying for and if you have allergies or sensitivities you will be glad you did. You don’t want to do this again. I have a very good working relationship with my upholsterer and we usually discuss what should be done during the quote process. I trust his calls on things.

3. It’s all in the details. Things like tufting, buttons and welting add to the labor on a piece. Really look at the piece and see, do all those buttons make the piece for you? Is your fabric patterned and adding tufting would just add to the busyness? Maybe you will want to redesign a bit to save on some labor. Your upholsterer can help you navigate through those options and please bring it up and see if you can trim some cost by leaving some of the fancier trims off but still end up with a gorgeous good as new piece.

4. Services. If your guy offers pick up/delivery, you may want to ask if there would be a discount for you to bring and pick up. Many big shops offer this service but ultimately, you pay for it in an inflated price. Maybe you don’t have a way to transport, then by all means take advantage of it. Just know that the more work they do for you, the higher the cost. No one works for free and gas is expensive.

Overall, reupholstering (and redesigning!) a chair or couch is so rewarding! You can take something that is well built and tired and make it new again. You could probably save money over buying new but also are saving a piece from a landfill which is even better. Reasons people choose to reupholster include:

1. Sentimental- I have my grandma’s spinning 50’s kitschy chair that I used to spin on as a little girl. It was very tired after living a full life. My mom gave it to me after my grandma passed away. I saved up and let my son pick his favorite fabric in my stash and now it’s on his bedroom, Choosing new fabric lets it please you and your space. Bonus, it’s comfy again and stain free!

2. Collectible- most of my inventory is collectible mid century modern. Most of us collectors want early examples during the production years. Yes ideally, people want original condition. But there are definitely times when you’d want to make things right again. Investing into a collectible piece gets it ready for another 60 years and it’s clean and stylish as it should be. If it’s your piece, make it your own and save it!

3. Redecorating- this reason to reupholster a piece definitely depends on your disposable income! The couch in my living room came from a friend of a friend. He told me his mother reupholstered it 5 years after she bought it new because she redecorated! Not only the couch but 3 other lounge chairs that I also bought and sold. They all needed redone again and got their wish. This reason is probably not realistic for most of us, but there are folks who like to change things up!

Have fun with the redesign process! The restored items pictured that I have for sale have a clickable link to my Chairish shop. You can get a reasonable shipping quote there. Message me directly if you are in the region and I can do better on the price for a direct sale! I currently am offering an array of vintage fabrics in my Etsy shop for small and large upholstery projects. It’s hard to fine authentic vintage designer yardage. Come check them out and reach out if you need help. I can provide swatches on some. I also have collectible vintage Knoll Textiles remnants available. Free shipping if you buy on my website, cross listed on Etsy, Buy the best fabric you can afford for all your upholstery projects!!!! XO MALISSA

Extravaganza Specials at my retail space!

Local peeps and road trippers! It’s antiques extravaganza weekend in our neck of the woods. See my last post for shopping guide of the area! We are only a half hour from Adamstown and the savings is worth the drive.
Specials in my retail spaces at Fleetwood Antique Mall start WED and continue through next weekend!

SAVE 20% on all chandeliers and swag lighting DOWNSTAIRS. 6 awesome lights to choose from most are restored/rewired and swags have new chains. Fall in love with a great vintage light and add to your home! My husband does an awesome job getting them ready for you!

SAVE 15% on your purchase of more than one FULL PRICE item- UPSTAIRS AND DOWNSTAIRS included. No additional discounts.

DOT SALE CONTINUES! Take 50% off clearance items UPSTAIRS. Lots to choose from including vintage medical, end tables and small furniture, decor and more!

SALES CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY! Cash payment preferred, I pay your fees for credit. There is a free ATM at Sheetz 222/662 intersection- be careful in the traffic circle!

Have fun shopping and thank you got your support!
XO MALISSA

Upcoming Local Events and Thrift Guide.

Live localish and want some fun weekend events? I have some fun things happening in Berks to get you moving!

THIS WEEKEND APRIL 23-24, 10am-6pm: PA CANNABIS FEST. This free weekend fest is at Renningers Kutztown. Lots of CBD products, educational booths, live bands, food trucks and more. if you like smooth vibes, reggae and celebrating all things weedy, you may enjoy this stop.
Click the black box below to head to the FB Event page for more info,

ALSO THIS WEEKEND APRIL 23 10am-2pm (rain date 30th)

Stop by the craft fest being held outside where my retail spaces are! Lots to do and make sure you come inside and check out all of our wares! 🥰 click the black box below for FB Event page.

THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY/SATURDAY April 28-29 IS ANTIQUE EXTRAVAGANZA! Click the black box below to head to the FB event for more info!

Coming to town and feeling thrifty?

Here’s some of my favorite thrifts in Berks county. Please call ahead for open hours! It’s been a while since I visited most of them!

KUTZTOWN:

Once Again Thrift store in shopping center where Weis Market is. 15260 Kutztown Rd Kutztown Pa 19530

Further south on 222: Fleetwood Antique Mall (this is where I have a space) 14129 Kutztown Rd Fleetwood, PA 19522

The Shoppes at Kirbyville which also has outdoor Flea Market on weekends.

READING

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RE-STORE

5370 Allentown Pike Reading, PA 19605

GOODWILL

3045 N 5th St Highway, reading PA 19605

OPP SHOP 3045 N 5th St Hwy, Reading, PA 19522 (In Strip mall, same side of highway as Goodwill)

GOODWILL BY THE POUND OUTLET

3001 St Lawrence Ave Reading Pa 19606

GOODWILL

602 E Lancaster Ave Shillington PA 19607

HOPE OUTLET

645 N 6th St Reading, PA 19601

HAPPY HUNTING!!! XO Malissa

Onward and upward.

I literally just stuffed my storage with a few more bedrooms. I have 3 different styles available and all are at reasonable price points. As prices continue to rise on all the things, I am doing my best to keep quality vintage affordable to all by bulk buying directly from estates. All bedroom pieces are priced separately as most tend to go to different homes. I can make you a bundle price if you want to add multiple pieces. SHIPPING IS STILL HIGH! I have been sending quotes to UShip and they are coming back insane high. Your best bet is to purchase via my Chairish shop as those rates are THE BEST and in most cases they are paying more than they are charging my buyers. Most of my items have been submitted to Chairish but may take a week to go live as they get reviewed. Check back if you do not see what you are waiting for. I have 2 dressers that still need to be pulled out and photographed but at this point might need to wait until the weekend.

Here is a look at my latest additions:

Bright white, glossy laminate over pressed board and gold trim. This set is sleek and modern. Metal drawer slides with manual locks. King size headboard (no frame or hardware). Night stands selling as a pair. The set is clean but not necessarily the highest quality. The drawer bottoms are not wood but a heave pressed cardboard. We have been doing some repairs on the drawer structures to reinforce weak ones. They are stapled together. Weird but these are later- like 80’s. Great for low impact setting. You won’t want to overstuff them. Maker unknown.

This Bassett Perlatto set was designed in 1964 by Leo Jiranek. It’s in slightly chippy condition with just enough distress to give character but not showing any abuse. It is constructed exactly like my 2004 Bassett Louis Philippe set which I paid over $2500 for (and not including the bed I had already). The cherry tops are really nice and if you follow the painters….this original finish is something they try to replicate with their faux finishes. This is original and much more durable. I think this set will look great in many decor themes including coastal, farmhouse, traditional and more. I did not get pics of the low dresser and mirror yet but you can see it in the add. Will be pulling them out over the weekend to get pics.

What an adorable little Asian painted cabinet! Perfect for a hall or foyer. Has a 5” shelf and lots of storages. Hand painted and signed. It has some age- chips and marks from use, cabinet had some marks from contents it held, but overall, she is in good shape. I love a little flair from the orient….it elevates a room. I found one other listing for a coffee table by this artist, but not much other info. It definitely should be revisited!

I loved this awesome Ming style console table at first sight! It’s tall and would be great in a hall or entry. I can see it with 2 upholstered Billy Baldwin style stools tucked underneath. You can do a lot with it, Oak (I believe) with beautiful burl veneer top is just lovely to look at. Brass hardware. There is one center drawer (sides are faux). Unsure of maker but seems similar in construction to some Bombay Company pieces I had a few years ago. Age unknown but probably 80s/90s. This one is too cool to only show one pic! Enjoy!

I also have a pair of Lane Rhythm drum end tables that seem to be pretty rare. One cleaned up amazingly and the other needs a little help on the top. If I do not find a buyer as is I will be redoing it to list in my online markets. If you are interested in them please reach out! The coffee table already sold.

Have a great Easter to all who celebrate! XO MALISSA