I. BESPOKE

Custom upholstery, built by hand at the bench.

Sofas, sectionals, chairs, ottomans, headboards, benches, and wing chairs — measured, patterned, and built in our Alexandria workshop. Eight-way hand-tied jute spring construction over kiln-dried hardwood frames is the standard. Your fabric or ours from the trade-only library.

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Master upholsterer hands tying eight-way jute springs on an antique sofa frame
From the workshop

II. WHAT WE BUILD

From a single chair to a sectional fit to the room.

We build sofas (single, two-piece, sectional, sleeper), club chairs, wingbacks, slipper chairs, dining chairs (sets up to 18), upholstered headboards (queen through California king), benches (entry, foot-of-bed, vanity), and ottomans (square, round, X-base, banquette). Every piece is patterned to your measurements before any fabric is cut. Standard pieces ship in 4 to 6 weeks once fabric is in hand; complex sectionals or specialty work runs longer.

Bergerie workshop bay tableau of what we build — Camelback sofa in muslin on the front bench with horsehair edge-roll, pair of Hepplewhite shield-back dining chairs one raw maple one in striped silk, club chair frame on a wooden form, tufted oyster-linen headboard against the wall, X-base ottoman and foot-of-bed bench in front, fabric bolts on a rack
From the workshop

III. HOW WE BUILD IT

Eight-way hand-tied. Kiln-dried frames. Edges by hand.

The frame goes together with corner blocks and dowel-and-dovetail joinery in kiln-dried maple or oak. Jute webbing is stretched and tacked across the seat. Eight-way hand-tied jute springs are knotted in by hand — the standard that holds a sofa together for forty years. Edges are stitched by hand. Padding is layered horsehair, cotton, and Dacron under the cover. Every step is done at the bench in our workshop, never out-sourced.

Eight-way hand-tied jute springs being knotted by hand into a kiln-dried maple sofa frame — figure-eight waxed-twine lattice across rows of coil springs on stretched jute webbing tacked with copper cut-tacks, horsehair and cotton batting waiting, brass-and-green-glass workshop lamp, mortise-and-tenon corner block visible
From the workshop

IV. FABRIC

Trade library or your own material.

Our trade-only fabric library carries Schumacher, Brunschwig & Fils, Pierre Frey, Kravet, Lee Jofa, and Donghia. Designers in the trade work with us by appointment at the Colvin Street showroom. If you bring your own material (COM), we receive it, photograph it, condition-report it, and confirm yardage before cutting — there is no markup on COM.

Colvin Street trade fabric library by appointment — long quartersawn-oak trade table layered with open memo books of ochre silk, forest-green damask, faded toile, oxblood mohair, oyster linen, wall of floor-to-ceiling pigeonholes holding rolled fabric bolts, faded rose-silk bergère piled with sample books, brass library ladder, brass desk lamp
From the workshop

V. COST & TIMELINE

Quoted in person. Lead time 4 to 6 weeks.

Bespoke pricing depends on the piece, the construction (eight-way hand-tied vs sinuous spring), and the fabric. As reference points: a custom sofa runs $1,800 to $4,500 plus fabric, a wingback or club chair $900 to $1,800 plus fabric, dining chairs $300 to $450 each plus fabric. Lead time after fabric arrival is 4 to 6 weeks for standard pieces. Free pickup and delivery across the DC metro.

Bergerie consultation alcove where pieces are quoted in person — leather-topped quartersawn-oak partners' desk with open leather-bound ledger and pencil sketches of a Camelback sofa elevation, brass scale ruler, antique pewter inkwell, finished cream-linen Camelback sofa on quilted moving pads ready for delivery, brass workshop bell on the wall, Federal-period DC metro map
From the workshop

Frequently asked

What is eight-way hand-tied spring construction, and why does it matter?

Eight-way hand-tied uses jute twine to knot each coil spring in eight directions — front-to-back, side-to-side, and both diagonals. The springs flex together as a system rather than independently, so the seat does not develop dead spots. It is what holds a quality sofa together for forty years. Sinuous (S-shaped) springs are faster and cheaper to install; they sag in less than ten.

How long does a bespoke piece take?

Standard pieces — sofas, club chairs, dining sets — are 4 to 6 weeks from when fabric arrives at the workshop. Complex sectionals, specialty pieces (curved arms, deep-button work), and large dining sets run longer. Antonio gives a firm timeline at the in-person consultation.

Can I bring my own fabric?

Yes. We log COM in the day it arrives, photograph it, condition-report any defects, and confirm yardage before any cutting. There is no markup on COM. Most fabric house trade reps will ship directly to us; we are listed in the major DC-metro design center directories.

Do you take measurements at my home?

For built-ins (banquette seating, wall-mounted headboards, anything tied to room geometry), yes — in-home measurements are no charge across NoVA, DC, and Maryland. For freestanding pieces, photos and rough dimensions are usually enough for an initial estimate; final measurements happen when the piece comes to the workshop.

Do you offer financing on bespoke work?

Standard terms are 50% deposit at order, 50% on completion. For multi-piece projects (full living-room sets, dining sets of 8+, multi-room residential refurbishments) we work out a milestone-based payment schedule with the client or their designer.

Do you work with interior designers?

Constantly. Designer-trade pricing, COM workflow, fabric library access, and direct communication with the designer through the project. For trade-only fabric library visits, call Jose Rugerio at jarugerio@bergerieupholstery.com to schedule.