The launching of the Home Décor Learning Center, an upholstery and home décor sewing school, was fifteen years in the making. I have been sewing, like many of the ASDP members, all my life. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to sew and am constantly seeking knowledge in the areas of sewing and upholstery. Sewing is a skill where you can never know it all – there is always a new or different way of doing something and more than one way to do a particular task. Since upholstery and home décor sewing utilize many of the same skills, putting them together made good sense.
About fifteen years ago, I decided I wanted nice furniture in my home, but didn’t want to spend a lot of money buying new furniture. The idea of taking upholstery classes had been eating away at me for some time. So, I finally enrolled in an upholstery class at Mt. Diablo Adult Education. The first couple of classes were spent helping a classmate remove the old upholstery on her set of 8 dining room chairs. After a couple of weeks, I found that my first project – a channel-back chair - had a difficulty of 9 on a 1-10 scale. It turned out great and convinced my skeptical husband that “used” furniture can be great.
When I ran out of projects of my own to do, people started hiring me to do theirs. This went on for several years while I continued to take upholstery classes. Mt. Diablo Adult Education had two upholstery teachers at the time. One of them had wanted to retire and the school was having trouble finding someone to replace him. The administrator finally approached me about the possibility of teaching upholstery. I gave it some serious thought, discussed it with my husband, and decided to go for it. I started teaching upholstery on a part-time basis while continuing my home-based custom clothing and alterations business. As time went on, I found myself spending more time on upholstery projects and less time on garment sewing.
In the fall of 2009, Mt. Diablo Adult Education announced they were going to discontinue the upholstery program. The students were shocked and there was an outcry, which sparked the idea of an upholstery school and workroom. It took about two and a half years of intermittent attempts to perfect the business plan and collect the necessary equipment to establish the Home Décor Learning Center.
In June of 2012, the Home Décor Learning Center was opened in a four thousand square foot warehouse and the summer was spent setting it up. We have everything needed to do upholstery, industrial and home sewing: upholstery machines, a large compressor to handle the staplers and nail guns, table, miter, and band saws, household sewing machines, a long-arm quilting machine with a 14-foot table, and great work tables.
The Home Décor Learning Center offers many classes with subjects as varied as upholstery, quilting, window treatments, fabric painting, slipcovers, build-your-own ottomans or headboards, auto upholstery, and sewing classes for the beginner, as well as for the more advanced student. We take in jobs on a limited basis. We also have the hard-to-find products needed for students to complete their projects available for purchase. For those who want to look and get an idea of what we are all about you can visit our website.
The people who come here are thrilled to find such a workspace. There is no other business quite like this anywhere in the greater Bay Area, which makes us unique. I had a call from a woman recently asking about what is possible to do here. As I explained things to her, she kept gasping in delight and then said, “Where were you 10 years ago?”
The prospect of launching a business, especially one like this, can be very scary. There are many things to consider – money, the impact on your life and family, money, your social life, money, legal considerations, and more money. As with any business venture, make sure you are protected legally. The business entity should be something like a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) or a Corporation that separates your personal assets from the business. Another important thing to have is a good and signed,Waiver and Release form. Insurance does not cover students; they are considered to be engaging voluntarily in an inherently dangerous activity. However, once in a while a person can come along who turns out to be a major risk and you need to be protected. Students who come to a facility like the Home Décor Learning Center have no problem signing a waiver – they understand the reason for it.
Fifteen years ago, I would never have dreamed that I would be doing something like this. Getting up in front of a group of people was something I shied away from. I discovered that if the subject is something I know well, there is no problem with standing in front of a group people. The satisfaction of helping others achieve their goals is immeasurable when you see students walk out the door with a finished project in hand and big smiles on their faces.
The skills being taught can help launch a career. One of our students is in the process of taking over an upholstery business. Though he has much more to learn, he credits me with giving him the confidence to go for it. I am so happy for him and hope he does well. Another student is so enthusiastic about learning the business, he shows up almost daily bringing something new he found at a garage sale, antique shop, or along the side of the road. He has a “good eye” for projects that will teach him the skills needed for a future career in the business.
The creative atmosphere in the workshop is infectious. Most students, as I did in the beginning, find the process therapeutic and they want to keep on going. Another student recently told me about her fight with cancer and the effect it had on her thinking processes. She finds working through a task is forcing her to concentrate and therefore has a healing effect. I’ve heard similar stories from others, which makes me feel I’ve made the right decision in creating this business. Here’s hoping my company can go on long after I’m gone!
Written by Rachel Myers
