UPHOLSTERY

“Eight-Way Hand Tied” Is the basis for our Artisanal Upholstery’s luxurious, deep-seated comfort.
Hourglass-shaped coil springs are secured to a base of interwoven Non-Stretch webbing. The springs for each chair or sofa are chosen based on their gauge and height, then strategically positioned and secured to the webbing for an ultimate ride.
Next, the springs are tied together across the top utilizing strong synthetic twine and pulled flat to create a level platform. The end result is each coil spring having eight knots holding it in place. An almost forgotten craft called “Eight-Way Hand Tied”.

All frames are constructed from premium-grade, kiln-dried solid hardwoods. Wood types are selected specific to a design to achieve the desired aesthetic and required construction details.

Drying rooms are used at every stage of the manufacturing process, from the moment lumber is received to the moment cartons are loaded into a container. Desiccants are placed in every carton to ensure that the moisture content in the wood is stable for the life of the piece in most North American climates.
Joints are secured with glue and wood dowels or tenon. Screws and nails are never used as primary joint fasteners.

All frames are built set up with no KD parts. Legs use spline construction when needed to prevent cracking under high pressure and weight.
Corner blocks are glued and screwed in place to secure the joints between seat rails and legs. Whenever possible, corner blocks have interlocking finger joints that connect with the seat rails.
Seat rails are 20-30% thicker than industry standards to stand up to the force of our first-in-class eight-way hand tied spring suspension.

VAN THIEL & CO. uses only premium-grade foams and conducts regular tests to make sure all foams are free of any unwanted additives or fillers. Our foam passes CA-117 and Prop 65 requirements.

All VAN THIEL & CO. seating foams are high-density, ranging from the minimum required density for seating applications to 40% higher than industry standards. This ensures the foam will maintain its properties for years and not break down prematurely.

High-density foams provide more cradling than normal-density foam, resulting in less sit fatigue for a person over longer periods of time.
VAN THIEL & CO.’s cushioning uses high-density/high-resilience foam. HR foam has a higher support factor than normal polyurethane foam. HR foams offer a softer surface feeling without sacrificing support, and cradling as a person sinks deeper into the cushion.
With a broad range of available materials and a wealth of experience, we can tailor the hardness of any seat from extra firm to soft, regardless of the suspension or design of the seat.
We use sterilized 90/10 white duck feather/down fills in all VAN THIEL & CO. seat cushions and back pillows. Cushions use a sewn channel construction to keep feather fills distributed evenly.

All tailoring is concurrent with time-honored bench made techniques and consistent with VAN THIEL & CO. upholstery standards.

Pleats and tufts are hand-folded and applied directly to the frame one by one. They are never pre-sewn or -seamed.
Whip stitching is done by hand after the fabric and foam has been applied to the frame. Careful attention is given to uniformity without eliminating an overall artisanal feeling.

Fabrics are applied methodically in opposing directions at the same time to ensure the PILE or NAP of the material always runs true. Upholstery edges are finished with antiqued spit tacks, hand-nailed with precision to ensure consistency on every piece.

Burlap is used to cover the bottom of all items and hand-nailed with antiqued spit tacks. This only applies to Deconstructed, which is being discontinued.

We strive to treat the upholstery of a well-built frame with the same love and precision that an experienced, artful tailor employs to craft a custom suit.