Commercial and Residential Project Spotlight

By QA Group
Monday, April 9th, 2018

Architectural upholstery for a private residential client

QA Group staff worked with the construction team at Neil Kelly Company to create a corner banquette, completely custom made to fit the client’s unique space and desired look.

The piece was upholstered in genuine leather from Seattle-based interior design and architectural wholesale resource Trammell-Gagne and features a channeled back and stainless steel Plastic-Laminate (P-LAM) toe kick with brushed horizontal grain.

The QA Group team safely hand-delivered and installed the finished product inside the client’s home in the Windermere neighborhood.

Arboretum Dermatology waiting room project

For this project, our team collaborated with the client’s interior designer and architect along with the millwork shop at Interior Environments. We started with a series of mockups:

And eventually installed a customized, upholstered waiting room bench:

Heirloom chair overhaul in Anacortes

Queen Anne Upholstery’s client in Anacortes wanted to spruce up a prized Victorian dining room chair set passed down from her grandmother. The mahogany chairs originated in the 1860s and eventually shipped from England to Calgary by boat. They were then sold at an auction.

Each chair features a beautiful needlepoint seat and back made by the family’s great grandmother, grandmother, and mother. The elaborate design — which was done entirely by hand with no pattern — took a total of five years to complete throughout the early 1900s and the chairs were finished in 1934. We were honored to refinish these beautiful heirloom pieces so the family can continue to enjoy them for years to come!

Categories : Anacortes, Announcements, Blog, Seattle

Upholstered Essentials Checklists and Tips for Your Industry

By QA Group
Monday, April 9th, 2018

When it comes to the upholstered furniture pieces commonly found in the following industry settings, condition is key, as they make up some of the most visible and frequently used areas that define your space’s ambience and comfort. Whether your pieces are showing signs of damage and in need of an upholstery overhaul or you simply want to update an existing piece’s style, make sure your space is outfitted with the following upholstered essentials. Just remember to regularly inspect each item for visible signs of wear and tear (such as broken springs, limbs, fading, etc.)… and reupholster when necessary to maintain that good-as-new quality without re-furnishing!

Offices

Whether you need to furnish a sprawling corporate campus, a multi-floor building, a small startup headquarters, or a single office for personal use, you’ll want to keep every piece looking new, clean, modern, and on brand. Beyond aesthetics, make sure seating remains as comfortable as possible for yourself, your employees, and your clients and other visitors. Don’t be embarrassed by deteriorating conference room chairs or a common area sofa with a broken spring (ouch!).

Upholstered essentials checklist:

  • Desk chairs
  • Lobby seating
  • Customer seating
  • Hallway benches
  • Common areas
  • Partition panels for cubicles
  • Sofas and/or armchairs

Hotels and restaurants

If you work in the hospitality industry, your success is dependent on each guest’s satisfaction. The stakes are high to deliver consistent comfort and customer care, and this means you and your staff must maintain attention to detail — right down to the seams of that lobby furniture and the backs on those cafe chairs. No hotel guest wants to check into a tattered guest room during their otherwise relaxing vacation, and no restaurant customer wants to plan a date at a location whose dining room is distastefully outdated or in shambles. Keep a close eye on the condition of the upholstered pieces in these key areas.

Upholstered essentials checklist (Hotels):

  • Lobby seating
  • Outdoor furniture for patios, courtyards, pool area, etc.
  • Reception and concierge desk
  • Staff offices
  • Hotel bar and restaurant
  • Guest rooms and suites
  • Ballroom or event space
  • Conference and meeting rooms
  • Fitness center
  • Corridors

Upholstered essentials checklist (Restaurants):

  • Dining room seating
  • Booths and banquettes
  • Bar
  • Entrance
  • Waiting area
  • Restroom lounge

Educational and governmental institutions

Big things are happening inside our nation’s legislative buildings. Meanwhile, future leaders are molded in our school system from preschool through college. Yet even seemingly small details and accommodations (yes, this includes furnishings!) matter in the governmental and educational setting. Don’t overlook the upholstered elements in the following areas.

Upholstered essentials checklist (Governmental: municipal buildings, courthouses, elected official offices, boardrooms, etc.):

  • Lobby and waiting rooms
  • Communal seating areas
  • Conference rooms and meeting spaces

Upholstered essentials checklist (Educational: preschool, K-8, high schools, universities, technical schools):

  • Staff and faculty offices
  • Lobby and waiting rooms
  • Communal seating areas
  • Dining areas
  • Lecture halls
  • Libraries and study areas
  • Dorm common areas

Additional industries and areas to consider:

Senior living communities

Upholstered essentials checklist:

  • Lobby and parlor
  • Dining room
  • Common areas
  • Media room
  • Game and activity rooms
  • Physical therapy center
  • Gym
  • Salon
  • Furnished residences

Healthcare facilities

Furnishings in healthcare settings require medical-grade materials and/or treated surfaces (hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, flame retardant, odor and fluid resistant).

Upholstered essentials checklist:

  • Hospitals
  • Medical, dental, and veterinary practices
  • Clinics
  • Urgent care
  • Holistic health practices
  • Inpatient facilities

Fitness centers

Upholstered essentials checklist:

  • Locker rooms
  • Child care centers
  • Strength machines
  • Weight benches
  • Membership offices

Yachts

Yacht furniture upholstery varies based on whether the piece will be housed in the interior or exterior. Outdoor fabric must be colorfast and water-resistant, durable, and resistant to wrinkles, fading from the sun, and mold and mildew from moisture. Popular options include materials with a high UV rating (often polyester, blends containing polyester, acrylic, canvas, or PVC-based fabrics).

Upholstered essentials checklist:

  • Interior and exterior seating
  • Mattresses
  • Sundeck cushions
  • Covers
Categories : Announcements, Blog

Washington State Capitol Enlists QA Group for Table Restoration

By QA Group
Monday, April 9th, 2018

QA Group is proud to work with a wide variety of clients, from doctors and restaurants to resorts. But perhaps one of the client relationships we are most honored to maintain is with the Washington State Capitol.

The Capitol became a client in 2015, and we have completed multiple projects for them since, including updates to the Senate sofas and Governor Room chairs.

For this recent project, the Capitol called on QA Group to repair, refinish, and restore a historic State Reception Room table to its original state. The table had sustained damage from the Nisqually Earthquake as well as previous repairs that did not hold up. This made it impossible for our team to repair the table without re-veneering the top, so we collaborated with State personnel who oversee historic preservation to find veneers as close as possible to those used in the era the table was made.

Initially our refinishing team went out to review the project, then we submitted a quote, and then the search began to find veneers to restore the table. We then made up samples and had the team from the Capitol come and review them before making their final selection of restoration veneers.

Our delivery team removed the table from the Capitol and was brought back to the QA Production Facilities to be restored. This project was a complex procedure, so it took about 2 months to thoroughly complete. Throughout the process, our team took great care to preserve all original markings on the underside of the table. The veneer was the primary material used to complete the project. We also finished and polished the table with a clear coat.

This project was extremely unique, as our team used UV rays to develop a patina on the new veneer so that the wood replicated that of the original table and it would remain a historic piece of furniture. This special technique was long and tedious, but the finished piece is beautiful and looked almost identical to how the table would have looked in its early years.

The QA Group team feels privileged to have worked with State personnel who are meticulous in historic preservation. Take a look at the finished product in the photo above.

Categories : Announcements, Blog, Olympia

Salish Lodge Dining Room Receives Custom Chairs From QA Group

By QA Group
Monday, April 9th, 2018

If you’ve ever watched the 90s cult classic TV series “Twin Peaks,” you may recognize the Salish Lodge as the real-life setting for the fictional Great Northern Hotel.

The luxury resort and spa, which is located 30 miles east of Seattle and overlooks Snoqualmie Falls, has been a longtime customer of QA Group. We’re proud to have completed multiple projects for the Lodge over the years, the majority of which have revolved around chair maintenance (including cushions and banquette seats and backs) in The Dining Room restaurant and various other areas.

Most recently, the QA Group sales, design, and production teams collaborated with the Salish Lodge purchaser and general manager to create an additional 25 dining chairs. When the Lodge discovered its existing dining chairs were no longer available through the original manufacturer, the team had to find a cost-effective solution to increase its seating capacity. QA Group designed custom-made dining chairs to match the Lodge’s existing set for a uniform look, all while saving money, time, and resources that would have otherwise been spent purchasing all new chairs throughout the entire space.

We upholstered the chairs using hi-test faux leather and faux linen to withstand rigorous daily use in the restaurant environment. Our design and production teams also color-matched the wood from the original chairs and replicated the craftsmanship so the difference would be virtually undetectable to guests.

Due to the pre-planning of the design team, the process went smoothly from start to finish, and we were able to complete the job ahead of schedule — just in time for Mother’s Day to accommodate the large quantity of bookings and reservations.

The Lodge team loved that the vinyl material provided the look and feel of linen, and they were especially ecstatic upon realizing they’d no longer need to contend with blueberry cobbler stains — they simply wipe right off after dessert service!

Categories : Blog, Snoqualmie

Why Travel Season Is the Perfect Time to Prep for Hotel and Restaurant Furniture Repairs

By QA Group
Monday, April 9th, 2018

It’s official: peak travel season is well underway. If you’re in the hospitality industry, here’s why now is the time to protect your hotel furniture from wear and tear and anticipate post-peak repairs.

Types of Damages

Rowdy guests and rock stars aren’t the only causes of damaged hospitality furniture. Normal wear and tear results when furniture quality begins to deteriorate due to regular guest use.

Furniture wear and tear is an issue especially during peak summer travel, when hotels experience higher-than-usual traffic. Examples of wear and tear include furniture impressions or faded fabric from sunlight exposure.

Options

If you notice wear and tear and furniture damage, your options are to buy new furniture or fix your existing hotel furniture. Constantly buying new furniture at a hotel is an expensive endeavor, especially for tourist destinations that have a steady flow of guests and are more susceptible to accelerated  wear and tear.

Refinishing and reupholstering your existing furniture may be more cost-effective for your hotel. Be sure to look for a professional upholstery business for quality service that will last.

How QA Group Can Help

QA Group specializes in custom furniture repairs, refinishing, and upholstery for luxury commercial businesses. We produce durable, long-lasting, and beautiful results for hotels, restaurants, and beyond (including schools, health and fitness centers, nursing homes, and much more).

Our specialists will freshen up lobby and guest room furnishings or build custom designs, with a full selection of materials to suit your needs. QA Group also refinishes and reupholsters hotel restaurant seating for booths, tables, bar-tops, chairs, and more. Other services include onsite repair service, design consultation, and mobile hotel furniture upholstery.

Ways to Minimize Damage

Whether you decide to buy new furniture or use a reupholstering service, there are ways to minimize damage to hotel furniture. Some tips to maintain furniture quality include:

  • Select fabrics with high wear test rating
  • Use fabrics with appropriate stain coating to withstand commercial use
  • Verify high density foam is used to prevent undue stretch on fabrics
  • Use durable outdoor furniture fabrics indoors
  • Vacuum furniture weekly and treat stains promptly
  • Use custom fitted slipcovers that can be cleaned
  • Choose fabrics with synthetic fibers that are best for heavy usage
  • Use spray treatments to protect fabric from water, stains, and mildew
  • Turn the cushions regularly for even wear
Categories : Blog

QA Group: Commercial Project Spotlight

By QA Group
Monday, April 9th, 2018

QA Group has been hard at work helping businesses bring unique upholstery and refinishing visions to life. From Lynnwood up north to Bellingham, our team has been taking on an influx of architectural upholstery projects — or, in other words, projects on which our custom furniture expertise lends a hand to third-party construction companies as they complete an architect’s building plans.

We’re proud to collaborate with business owners, architects, builders, and other project team members to hand-select materials, execute design goals, and prepare commercial operations to best serve their customer base — all within a reasonable timeframe. The following projects were recently completed in our Seattle production facility and delivered to our satisfied clients.

Custom seating for Tony’s Coffee in Bellingham

QA Group was glad to assist the Bellingham-based Chuckanut Builders team, who is currently completing the full buildout for an upcoming Tony’s Coffee location. The Tony’s management team worked with Neil Gracey, QA Group’s very own consultant with extensive custom furniture building experience, to nail down the perfect booth and banquette styling and layout to fit their needs. We referred to the client’s original architectural drawings and collaborated with both Chuckanut Builders and Tony’s Coffee to optimize an upholstery plan that would maximize space in the cafe.

After reviewing and approving the plans, the Bellingham team ultimately selected a faux black leather material for a banquette series that could fit against a long wall and flex to accommodate tables for larger groups and intimate smaller groups.

Our Seattle shop then got to work building frames; fitting furniture with springs, webbing, and padding; cutting and sewing the material; assembling each booth and banquette; and hand-tufting each button to create the unique triangular design pictured above.

Finally, our team delivered the finished product to be installed… and voila!

Updated exam chair for Virginia Mason Lynnwood Medical Center

Virginia Mason Medical Center is a long-term QA Group customer. We’ve completed many projects on the main campus in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, but this particular project was completed for a doctor at the Lynnwood location.

Our doctor client liked the functionality of the exam chairs they had long used, but the covers were dated and slightly damaged on the surface. Instead of replacing the chairs altogether, VMMC called in QA Group to reupholster the existing chairs.

Our team removed the old panels off the chair frame, brought them back to our shop, and completely re-padded and reupholstered each panel with contract-grade black vinyl. This material was selected in part for its ability to stand up to medical-grade cleaning. For extended durability, we also treated each panel with a coat of PreFixx protective finish.

Before we installed the newly upholstered exam chair panels, we used a custom dye blending technique (we call this “overcoloring”) to match the chair’s new body to its original arms, which were kept intact due to their superior condition.

The best part? We completed the entire process, from start to finish, in only 24 hours. The practice was able to see patients as usual on the following day.

QA Group is proud to be one of the only local upholstery firms with the capacity and experience to provide medical upholstery panels with a quick turnaround.

Are you a business owner or commercial contractor in need of professional upholstery services for your own project? We want to collaborate with you, too! Contact QA Group today.

Note: If you’re looking for upholstery, refinishing, or other luxury furniture solutions for your home, contact our residential furnishing experts right here at Queen Anne Upholstery.

Categories : Announcements, Bellingham, Blog, Lynnwood
Contact Us

1414 S Director Street
Seattle WA 98108
206-639-6700

What Our Clients Say

  • I know I was a pain in the tush with the timeline and getting this project…
  • Our rooftop chairs were delivered this morning. They look great! I’m really pleased with how they…
  • I received the refinished table and it looks great. Thank your team for us.