On.a.Whim sat down with Dawn Hentz, creator and owner of Upholstery House to talk about the upholstering world and the cottage-style industry she established within it.
On.a.Whim: Dawn, your work is fabulous! How did you get into the upholstering business?
DH: Over the years, I have done a few very small DIY recovering projects for family, friends and myself. You know,
the kind you just fold over and staple. When I decided to try an occasional chair with cuts and trim work, I was really
pressing my luck. Although it was very frustrating to get it done, I loved the accomplishment. I wanted to know more so I enrolled in a semester-long upholstery course.
On.a.Whim: Were you surprised to find how much was involved in the process?
DH: It was actually really surprising. We spent the first six weeks on tailoring. Then we were able to choose our first piece. I found a great sofa on Craigslist for $40. It was very old and in very bad shape, but it had great bones and great
style. It was a 6-ft long mahogany framed, mid-century modern sofa, and was a huge undertaking. The sofa had to be
broken down, refinished and rebuilt from the springs out. In that one project, I learned the process for a complete rebuild. The piece now graces our sunroom with style and elegance and a whole lot of love! Basically that’s when Upholstery House was born.
On.a.Whim: How fascinating. I’m sure you’ve upholstered some interesting pieces with wonderful stories to go along with them! Are there any in particular that stand out?
DH: My favorite pieces are the sentimental and unique ones. I love when people have a story. For instance, last year
I did a pair of wingback chairs for a couple. They had been married for 50 years, and these were their very first pieces of furniture to own together. You could hear it in her voice
On.a.Whim: How special it must have been for both you and the couple to update their sentimental antiques! Tell me a bit about your buisness…
DH: We are a full service residential/commercial upholstery company. You can see our portfolio on our website at upholsteryhouse.org. I like to give all my quotes in writing, via email (upholsteryhouse@gmail.com). Interested customers should send me a couple pictures of their project with a description of the work they want done, and I will email them with a yardage estimate and a labor quote. Pick-up and delivery are included locally. Or you can always give us a call at 205.586.2112. We often receive calls for other merchandise and accessories, along with the upholstery projects. So, naturally we have extended our services to include a retail store. BrownStone & Vine is a specialty home, garden and gift market. We go to market for you and everything is shipped directly to your home. Our web store is at brownstoneandvine.com.
On.a.Whim: Thanks Dawn; it’s been a real pleasure talking with you, and I’m so excited about the chair you upholstered for Shelbyco’s Fall Giveaway! We wish you all the best with Upholstery House and your new offshoot BrownStone & Vine! Shelby County is blessed to have a reputable upholsterer like you in the area.

For a chance to win this beautifully restored chair, visit this post. The winner will be announced on October 28th.