Belmar Custom Upholstery, Company

With Markus Miretsky, it's bred in the bone. He learned the art of upholstery from his grandfather, a Ukrainian master who restored furnishings of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. After receiving a degree in upholstery engineering in Kiev, Miretsky became foreman of a 500-person upholstery factory and did the furniture restoration for Peter the Great's original home in Kiev. Markus, his wife Bella and daughter Ilona recently celebrated their 16th year as co-owners of Belmar Custom Upholstery, located in a sunny, immaculate loft near San Francisco's design district. Belmar provides not only upholstering, but also restoration and design services to the trade. A Belmar artisan, in consultation with Miretsky takes each piece from frame to completion. Not only does Miretsky inspect the piece at every step, but the designer (and, if possible, the client), is called in to inspect the item before it receives the final fabric. Any necessary adjustment will be made to ensure the customer's comfort, such as changing the depth of the seat, or making a firmer or softer cushion. Traditional techniques include the use of only hardwood for the frames and coil springs double tied ten ways. Pieces are double-stuffed and upholstered in muslin before final upholstery. The best feather down is used for cushions. At the Belmar studio showroom, designers can choose from an array of styles at designer net prices. They can also bring in their own sketches for realization by Miretsky, who will work closely with them to create a piece that will suit the vision and the budget.