Testimonials

Denise & Enrique have been happily serving the community for 30 years! Don't believe us? No worries, here are just a few reviews you can find about us online:
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• "I almost hate writing this review as this place is a fantastic SECRET and as soon as word gets out I probably can't get my work done so quickly or for such great prices again. Simply put, Denise (the owner and MASTER upholsterer) is an artist! She is uber-precise, detail-oriented and super-nice to boot. I had some great pieces, some of which came from my mother-in-law, who can afford great furniture like George Smith and antique Henredon. I, on the other hand, have champagne taste and a beer (ok, domestic wine) budget. I needed to re-upholster these pieces but could not stomach the cost of a professional interior designer and their markups. However, I did want the designer fabrics that only licensed interior designers can access. (sigh). After many calls to famous fabric houses only to be rejected in my attempts to purchase directly from them, I found a couple of outlets through Google that sell designer textile remnants (anywhere up to 20 yards, in some cases!) Denise was super-gracious when I brought her my fabrics and she and I planned the design of my re-upholstery pieces together. Any nervousness I had about the process (as a novice) was completely eradicated by the kindness, professionalism and affordability of this wonderful artist! My pieces are STUNNING and everyone who has visited me (including my mother-in-law who has incredibly good taste and the matching eye) has raved about them and assumed I paid a fortune to have them re-done. Even though my home will never be featured in a design magazine, Denise and her team made my furniture pieces look like they ought to be!" - Yelp Reviewer 
• "I came to Denise with a project to reupholster 3 antique chairs that were originally made with rattan seats.  The chairs were literally in pieces, but have a beautiful Regency style and are made of Honduran mahogany, a wood, I am told, that is no longer sold.  Well, Custom Design Studio did an amazing job of restoring and re-gluing, even saving parts that I thought were lost.  The chairs are perfectly balanced and light, just like, I imagine, when they were first made.  
  
  This little store is a gem, and should be on everyone's list.  As someone else has said, for those of us with Champagne taste and a beer budget, they are not to be missed." - Yelp Reviewer
• "Dreamlike!!! I discovered Custom Design Studio by accident & they are truly a gem.To say 'Great Service' it'll be an understatement. This family owned business is Amazing!!! I refer all my friends & family here."  - Google Reviewer
• "This custom design upholstery and furniture restoration studio is a true find in NYC. I called Denise to pick up my sad old Carlyle couch that had been through the mill with pets and kids with much wear and tear. I had hope for this couch & purchased new fabric.
  When my couch was completed I was so thrilled to have it back home.
  It looked way better than when I first purchased it. Denise and her team of pros made a new and much improved & even better quality couch the workmanship & design were amazing. Denise is easy to work with and will get the job done in a timely manner. They also restore beautiful antique furniture and design custom pillows.
  The best part of my transaction with Custom Design Studio was the very good price for a job well done and great service. Others in Manhattan quoted much higher prices without much interest in getting the job done promptly" - Google Reviewer
• "A fantastic, friendly, family-owned business, who made my first experience re-upholstering an absolute pleasure and education. I was a bit nervous finding the right professionals to handle my very pricey Clarence House plaid, hand-loomed kilim, and Edelman leathers to re-upholster some furniture pieces. Well, Denise (the principal upholsterer) allayed all my fears with her absolutely STUNNING, beautiful, and precise work. Plaid is definitely not easy to handle but she employed precision cutting and sewing and matched every single line without wasting any fabric. And large leather pieces, with their textural "quirks" requires expert skill to cut and fold in the right places so those natural bumps and marks do not show. I was especially skittish about my hand-loomed kilim as it was discontinued and the 10 yards I gave her were the only piece left. Denise and her professional team lived up to all their assurances and my pieces look magazine-ready!" - Houzz Reviewer 
  
• "This "friendly, helpful and attentive" shop works with several area decorators on a regular basis, as well as directly with clients. Manhattan designers insist that the great prices and "lovely workmanship" are worth the trek up to the Bronx. The firm produces custom upholstery and furniture, and will also do antique and furniture restoration and repair, as well as window treatments upon request.
  
  Denise Cruz has been building her firm since 1989 on quality work and "loyalty to her customers." A small group of seamstresses and hand finishers produce pieces for both commercial and residential customers, keeping the shop busy and eager to please. Custom Design Studio has been praised in print from New York Magazine to the Antiques Newsletter" - Franklin Report
• "Denise has integrity and always delivers." "Can-do firm, determined to please." "I have been working with Denise for fifteen years and am always satisfied." "Her prices are a good deal for the work she produces." "If I tell a client her sofa will be delivered on January 15th – Denise makes it happen." "I can get to her shop quicker than traveling to other upholsterers in Manhattan." "Very rarely is there ever a problem – and if there is they fix it right away." "Very nice people." - Franklin Report