Zachary Phillips of Tri County Upholstery (Oakwood, VA)
What does being an upholsterer mean to you?
It’s freedom! Every project that comes in the door is a
blank canvas for you to show what you are capable of.
How did you get started in upholstery?
Our trade school offered a class in upholstery. I took it
for one semester in my senior year, got bitten by the upholstery bug, and went
all in after that. When my dad asked what I wanted to do after I graduated, I
told him all I needed was his signature and I promised I’d pay for it with my
sewing machine. When I made that promise, I couldn’t sew and didn’t even have a
machine to work with!
.jpg)
.jpg)
What types of upholstery do you do?
I do about anything. Automotive, marine, canvas work. I don’t
turn much away if I can do it.
How long have you been upholstering?
This year makes 8 years total, 5 years full time.
What is your biggest consumer demand?
Pontoons are the biggest, but I’m starting to see a lot of
cars and trucks in the last year.
.jpg)
What is your favorite upholstery project you’ve done?
I got to do an interior on a Kodiak 5500! The theme was “western
hauler”. I love that truck; I even did the headliner in vinyl to match the
seats.
 fave project.jpg)
 fave project.jpg)
What was the strangest item you’ve found in a
restoration?
We were working on a 40s Dodge Car and had to recover the
front and rear seats. The back seat on the passenger side had a hole in it between
the door panel and seat on the skirt section of the seat. The hole was hidden,
so we tore the seat down and between the material and the burlap was a pack of
male contraceptive devices - 5 pack and one was missing.
It was a family car that his grandfather had since the 40s
(the manufacturing date was 1942). The owner went home and asked his
grandfather about them and he said, “that’s still in there!!”
Priceless find and best story ever!
Have you noticed any up and coming trends?
A lot of my customers have been leaning toward browns! When
I first started out all anyone wanted was black. I have always tried to recommend
other options to better suit the overall direction of the build brought to me. However,
most people struggle with seeing the vision without actually seeing a finished
project first. After the first person trusted me, it’s been brown ever since!
.jpg)
.jpg)
What changes would benefit the upholstery industry?
I started my shop with nothing but a whole lot of want to
and a prayer and the main thing I’ve noticed is that we don’t have very many
resources for those who want to learn! I called other shops and asked
questions, joined Facebook groups, searched YouTube - you name it I tried it-
learning little bits at a time. But the number of shop owners that wouldn’t
answer any questions was unreal! They would gatekeep information from a kid who
just wanted to learn. We’re a dying industry, not for lack of interest – for lack
of teachers! So now if I see someone asking for advice, or someone comes to me,
I help them out to the best of my abilities!
Have you ever been featured on television, online, or in
another publication?
This will be my first time being featured in anything.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Do you have a shop animal?
Yes, I have a dog named Rubble. He spends most of his days wading the creek. He likes to follow his swims up with a good roll in the parking lot to make sure the dirt is evenly distributed!
Some answers have been edited for clarity.
