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Vail Valley Bizwatch: Textures Soft Furnishings & Upholstery

Vail Daily staff reportNewsroom@vaildaily.comVail, CO Colorado
Special to the Vail DailyVail Valley Bizwatch: Andrea Risch has been operating Textures Soft Furnishings & Upholstery in Avon since 2006
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Vail Valley Business name: Textures Soft Furnishings & Upholstery, AvonDate opened: I purchased the business in April of 2006. It was previously Piece by Piece Upholstery.Owner: Andrea Risch Contact info: Phone: 970-949-6520; fax, 970-949-6522.E-mail: service@texturegallery.com.What goods or services do you provide? Dyeing and reconditioning of leather furniture, upholstered furniture/walls, custom sewing for all home furnishings, draperies, Roman shades, bedding, accent pillows. I also do custom made and upholstered headboards.What’s new or exciting at your place? I am very interested in the movement right now to save energy. I have always been a recycler (some may say a bit neurotic about it… taking pop cans out of a trash can to take with me to the recylcing center), and my services fit in with the 3 R’s: Reducing energy costs with innovative products, reusing draperies you already own but retrofitting to make them energy efficient and recycling dated or worn furniture to look like new!I can strip, dye and recondition leather furniture that has faded in the sun or is simply worn out. A new leather couch is very expensive and will last for many years. For one-fourth the cost of buying new, this process gives you another 10 years or more with your existing piece.I am also now using new insulating products under upholstered walls so it is not only beautiful but provides interior insulation that translates to lower energy costs!I also use a new product, insulated under-window treatments that provide the same light reduction as black-out liner.What strategy do you use to differentiate your business from your competition? I am a woman-owned company and handle all client relations personally. Estimates are always free and the client is dealing directly with the owner rather than an employee. I believe the job isn’t done until the client is completely happy with the results.What philosophy do you follow in dealing with your customers? What can your customers expect from you? I like to explain the value of reusing furniture you have and that it is an investment. I try to explain a little about costs before meeting with a client so they have an idea before proceeding. Upholstery is a very time-consuming process that requires highly skilled hands. If the piece is not one you want to keep, or is inexpensive to replace, it is not worth the cost of re-upholstering. Some upholsterers have clients purchase fabric through their shops. I allow client’s to use their own material, or purchase it elsewhere. Clients may be able to get great deals on fabric and I say go for it! With the free estimate I will give them yardage requirements so they know how much to purchase.Tell us a little about your background, education and experience: I have lived in the valley for 12 years. I grew up in Littleton, and have a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Colorado State University in Fort Collins.What is the most humorous thing that has happened at your business since you opened? I always seem to be on the move – driving to a client’s house, delivering furniture, sometimes not seeing my reflection all day. I recently dyed a large leather sectional a deep red color. I worked on it in the morning, then started the mad dash through my day. When I got home I saw my face had red dye all over it! Many people saw me throughout the day and nobody mentioned it. They were too polite or possibly scared of me. I looked like I was in a slasher movie, or just had a car accident.


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