Student Postcard: Thomas Craig
Caroline Wolfe Papocchia Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 9:00AM Give him your tired, your poor...your furniture, that is. Distressed divans and crestfallen couches find new life in the skilled hands of Sheffield Interior Design student and professional upholster Tom Craig. After calling on him to transform some of our own pieces we could not pass on the opportunity to find out all we could about Craig: what makes this talent tick?
(Upholster Tom Craig in his studio. Photo: Tom Craig)Craig, who lives in Locust Valley on Long Island's north shore, discovered his hidden talent for sewing and upholstery shortly before retiring from a corporate job. "I started at IBM when I was 21," Craig told us, "and I always looked forward to what I might do when I retired after 30 years. Towards the end I was pretty anxious." About two years before leaving IBM, Craig began casting around for hobbies and ideas, and custom upholstery was the only thing that captured his interest enough to try.
Craig's IBM training was surprisingly useful. He taught himself sewing and upholstery techniques from books, manuals, and videos - just as he had been trained on new equipment in his prior career. A friend in the canvas business advised Craig on which sewing machine to purchase: a Consew industrial machine, his first big investment. "I figured it had to be good if he had it - and if I had any trouble, I could ask him," Craig said. That same machine is still by his side, as well as a special Juki cylindrical sewing machine. Does he have nicknames for these loyal servants? "Betsy, " he says while laughing. "Just kidding. I don't have names for them but they are my bread and butter."
A neighbor gave Craig his first commission (in exchange for a restaurant gift card). A Louis XV-style armchair had been banished to the neighbor's basement for 20 years after an unfortunate run-in with his son. The broken-armed, torn and de-tufted chair had little to recommend for itself.
(Armchair before reupholstery by Tom Craig. Photo: Tom Craig)
A few days with Craig? Voila.
(Armchair after reupholstery by Tom Craig. Photo: Tom Craig)It was a beautiful piece which sealed Craig's fate: "I loved doing it. After that chair I knew upholstery was for me - and I quickly realized that a single piece of furniture does all the advertising for you." Between word of mouth from the neighbor and his wife's connections through her job in the local school district, Craig's business took off. His first paying job was recovering a 10-chair dining set, and his current project is recovering several pieces for the mother of a groom who is hosting the wedding party in her house. That job is particularly ambitious, and due in August. Craig is up for the challenge; clients may have to wait but he does all the work himself, allowing for creative and quality control that results in excellent craftsmanship.
Craig's workflow has distracted him from his studies, but he loved the Sheffield Interior Design course, and feels that it has added a special dimension to his innate talent. As he put it, "I occasionally work with interior designers so I wanted to be able to understand the lingo and have meaningful conversations. Also, I am now able to offer guidance to customers who have questions about color schemes and fabric decisions."
Fabric-wise, Craig prefers things that are thick and cozy, but he rarely questions the decision or taste of the client. And while his efficient side dislikes the waste required to upholster with patterned fabrics, he thinks clients should never compromise on what they love.
Over the years Craig has seen myriad pieces of furniture, and claims whichever he is working on at any given moment to be his favorite. But a couple of pieces have stuck in his memory, including a very old classical Victorian sofa sagging on a rotted wood frame. Craig has done wood repair (self-taught as well) to the delight of many clients, but this particular sofa presented a challenge. "I had to bend wood. I made a custom jig out of PVC pipe and bent each piece of wood with steam." Had he done that before? Nope.
(Victorian sofa before reupholstery. Photo: Tom Craig)
(Victorian sofa after reupholstery. Photo: Tom Craig)
Challenges like these and the variety of the work keep Craig interested in his new-found passion. He enjoys giving new life to vintage and antique pieces, particularly those with a family history. Having lived and raised his family in the same town where we grew up lends Craig an appreciation of heritage and tradition - both good and bad. "I have to be careful about pricing, because my clients all know me and each other, " he said, laughing, "I still have friends here from kindergarten!"
(Orange chairs prior to reupholstery by Tom Craig)
(Orange chairs are now tan thanks to reupholstery by Tom Craig.)
Craig might be living the dream - a successful second career in something he loves. As he put it: "What can I do where I can work from home? My shop is in my basement (I waterproofed and added a wood pellet stove). So I have no commute, no boss, and no employees. I get to work with my hands and see the results of my labors. My wife goes to work and my children are in high school and college. So I don't drive them too crazy by being home. I love this job!"
May we all be so lucky.
Thomas Craig is a professional custom upholsterer in Locust Valley, New York. He can be reached at tcraig4@gmail.com
Interested in interior design, decorating, and furniture? The Sheffield Complete Course in Interior Design teaches everything you need to know to create and transform a space, from color theory, to drawing floorplans, to selecting fabric and accessories.
Reader Comments (5)
nice pictures - talk about rags to riches - very impressive work
Wonderful to have talented people doing great work like Tom! Wish he wasn't so far from my neck of the woods :-)
He's also a great professional in upholstery!
Very impressive.
Greets