Object lesson: Why upholstery can cost a bundle

Look at that striped sofa. Yummy, right? But it costs $7,980. Gulp. And, in front of it, that lovely Parsons-style cube covered in an exotic medallion print is $950. How come they're so much? At Tower 20 Store, the Santa Monica showroom of interior designer Tim Clarke, who created these pieces, I found out why some upholstered pieces are so costly. Learn more after the jump.

Exhibit A: The sofa has a simple enough shape, yet striped fabric is printed vertically and these stripes run horizontally, which takes more fabric, especially when it has to be positioned on the frames and cushions so that the multi-colored stripes line up. 

Oh, and every edge on the cushions and frame --including the pleated skirt at the base -- is piped in leather. 

 

Exhibit B: It's easy to upholster square items, right? In this case -- a square cushion that's sitting on an open cube frame wrapped in fabric -- the answer is not really. 

Do you see any seams? Are the medallions in the printed fabric perfectly positioned, as if they were painted on? That takes extra fabric and skilled hands that need extra time to achieve such results. Whether you think that kind of attention to detail is worth it or not is another question. 

Tim Clarke's Tower 20 Store is at 2110 Main St., Santa Monica; (310) 452-8374.

-- David A. Keeps

Photos: David A. Keeps

Comments

[Youmustbejoking]

Hey, that sofa will look great in my double wide next to the velvet Elvis picture I got at the Chevron. Does it come with cupholders for my beer?

[Carl]

Also: what's inside the cushions, how the frame is made, what the frame is made out of, what kind of springs are used, whether the fabric is cut for a one of or ten at a time, how and whether the sides and back are padded, how expensive the fabric is, how far the piece needs to be shipped to its final destination, who retails it, the tax policy of the state where it's sold, etc. etc. etc. It's dozens of things.

[Richard]

In spite of going to the trouble of aligning the fabric stripes on the frame and cushions, the cushions are installed upside down. :facepalm:

[Maxx]

Yuk. Horizontal stripes make my eyes hurt and give the sofa "my grandma bought it way back then" feel (or scream "this is a sleepcover"). Combined with garish pillows, whole set is worth about $850. Ok, maybe $950, but that's pushing it.
Striped ottoman from Overstock for about $80 would fit the room better than "medallion print cubes". Medallions don't match in the corners anyways.

I think the only reason for some prints to cost this much is because people are naive enough or running after particular designer and don't care about the cost. Oh well.

[Belinda Gomez]

As if Los Angeles isn't packed with mom 'n' pop upholstery shops that do great work for far less. True, these shops aren't on the West Side, and true, sometimes they do cars as well, but surely the LAT can manage to find such shops.

[thetruthurts]

Can you say busy, I don't know what to look at.

[Lee Rivas]

"I be no fool like what you think I be...".......Cyrano

[J Hill]

The stripes clearly run vertically on the fabric as printed. since the longer side of the cushions run horizontally, the stripes can run lengthwise indefinitely. this is the LESS expensive way to upholster with stripes.

Custom upholstery is expensive because it's difficult, time-consuming, and requires a high level of expertise.

[Figgins]

There are two open-style cubes, which are absolutely useless for anything other than taking up space. Was it $950 for both, or apiece? Even for 10, the price was too high.

[Reyna]

$7,980??? I wouldn't pay $7.98 for this trash. There was a time when members of the household knew how to sew, knew how to upholster, too, and didn't have to pay such exhorbitant prices for what could be picked up in the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Please bring back some good taste to our society. It's gone way overboard in every which way but loose.

[JAY]

THE MOST PERPLEXING ASPECT OF THE PRICE IS WHY CLARKE DID NOT ROUND THE PRICE TO 8,000.00 . THIS IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DESIGNER SURTAX. YES, TEXTILES ARE EXPENSIVE BUT IN THIS RECESSION THE DESIGNER JUST CONFIRMS THE NOTION THAT THE WEALTHY JUST DONT GET IT.

[Realitygal]

Too bad the Mexican craftsmen who did the work were probably paid very little.

[richard h.]

You are all correct, the couch looks dated and cheap, the ottoman's shape does not lend itself to the design of the fabric, both look like they came from a mid-priced import store. They are expensive because someone has tried to pay attention to details. Just because it is pricey does not mean it is good. Right? Taste is so subjective.

[Robert]

Onion headline: LA Times publishes article on 8k couch, unaware of recession.

[Shelly]

I love the look of this couch. It's just yummy.

[cybele]

I thought the point of the article was to use a very easy to understand example of why some upholstery is expensive. I don't think it was to sing the praises of these particular pieces (and hopefully not together).

[Mark McD]

Who shot the awning?

[Katie W]

I've been a fan of the shop and i have to say that i'm in LOVE with Tim Clarke's beach living aesthetic. This guy is truly one of the best at his game!