Reviving the Past

An Interview with Chris DeMarco of The National Upholstering

The National Upholstering has been family owned since 1942? Right, it was my father’s business. It was on Clinton Avenue, and then he had it on Washington Avenue across from Dan’s Diner. I started working for him when I was 15. In 1980 he wanted to retire so I took the business over and then he and my mother worked for me for a few years until they passed away. Then I moved it to this little store on Lark Street. Which is good because since I’m also an art teacher. It’s nice to be able to show peoples’ art in here.

How do you feel about the place itself? Because I think with all the windows and everything. That’s why I rent it. Even though it’s too small for what I do, I rented it because of the windows. I couldn't be in a place without windows because I really prefer to be down south or at the beach. The other shop was bigger so it was better as far as doing work. This is more accessible if I wanted to try to be a part of first Friday and sell peoples’ artwork and different things. The other location was better as an upholstery shop because it was six times as big. At one time I had six people working for me, but that’s ridiculous. Now I don’t have any employees. I live right around the corner where I do all of my sewing at home.

Is your father the one who taught you how to sew? He’s the one who taught me the upholstery sewing. My mother used to make all our clothes growing up, me and my sister. I started sewing when I was 10. I always wanted to sew because she was sewing. But the upholstering sewing is different, obviously.

Is this your full-time job? I know you also worked at Saint Rose. This is basically my full-time job, and then I was teaching a class for non-art majors called 2D Design. I taught that for about 18 years. I mostly do photography. Right now I have a piece over in the photo regional show in the Fulton Street Gallery. My photographs are strange. Unusual. Strange.

A lot of new furniture is junk that you buy in the store. They’re made of plywood and you know, junk.

I noticed a lot of your photos depict, maybe not abandoned buildings, but — falling down buildings. Things like that. I sometimes return to the same places just to see how they’ve changed. Some of those cabins I photographed for like five years every time I returned. I document the change. And I like the patterns and textures.

What is your favorite thing about teaching? It was fun teaching art for non-art majors because you get a mixture of majors as an art elective. I like it when the students get surprised and realize they actually can make a nice piece of art.

Do you think upholstering has lost some of its art, compared to when your father owned the shop? Years ago, people would just buy their furniture and reupholster it. Now, what’s worth reupholstering is a piece that’s been in the family. A lot of new furniture is junk that you buy in the store. They’re made of plywood and you know, junk.

Is there any piece that sticks out in your mind that’s been either exotic or eccentric? Sometimes people have unusual things. Like this chair. He had it custom made in Pennsylvania, he probably paid five to six thousand dollars for it. Then I made him slip covers about five years ago. The fabric was hand woven or hand loomed in Cooperstown to be authentic for the history of his house and his cats ruined it.

Is there an average time a piece takes? They’re all pretty unique. Like that thing behind you I’ve been working on, I’ve got about 30 hours into that and it’s like probably only half done. That thing with all the buttons. Big lounge thing… antique.

“I get fussy, as you can see. I get fussy matching everything.”

Does a project ever frustrate you? Sometimes. It’s frustrating because everything is different. Sometimes things that look easy end up taking me longer than something that’s complicated. Sometimes people bring me their own fabric. And sometimes they don’t bring fabric that’s appropriate for the piece. You know like, somebody might have a big geometric shape or a strip and it doesn’t look right. I’d rather sell fabric, obviously. I have two closets full of fabric and fabric samples. I get fussy, as you can see. I get fussy matching everything. So it takes a long time.

This interview has been edited and condensed.