Too often furniture looks snazzy on TV or in a retailer’s showroom, but turns rickety rapidly. Sometimes the result is not only quickly fraying fabric, but a literal pain in the rear from poorly designed springs and minimal cushioning.

Savvy consumers are creating a new trend.

Out: cheap imported furniture destined for the dump. In: durable U.S.-manufactured furniture.

Richmond-based u-fab interiors and North Carolina’s LEE Industries are collaborating on this flight to quality as the era of nesting sparked by the pandemic continues to thrive.

Travis Hamilton, u-fab president, founded his company in 2008 with a 1,000-square-foot fabric and upholstery shop in Richmond and has grown it to a 28,000-square-foot showroom and fabrication center, along with a 2,500-square-foot satellite in Charlottesville.

LEE started in 1969 with a 7,500-square-foot factory in Newton, North Carolina, and has grown to four manufacturing plants with a broad array of furniture for every room in the house. The company's products have been featured in House Beautiful, Veranda, Decor, Luxe and Southern Living magazines.

LEE’s furniture populates u-fab’s showrooms with an array of styles, from contemporary and coastal to designs fit for a mountain lodge. LEE makes pieces for living rooms, bedrooms, bars, dining and outdoors.

As part of its #ufabulous makeovers, u-fab also fabricates custom window treatments, bedding/quilting, pillows and cushions. While it provides in-home consultations, most customers’ journey starts in the store.

“People come in and get a sense for what we offer. They sit on things. Fabric is very tactile,” said Hamilton. “A lot of our customers come to us looking for LEE. They know the brand and the quality.”

LEE sources 98% of its products from the United States and uses solid hardwood for frames. Its eight-way, hand-tied springs are the highest standard in the industry.

“We reupholster LEE pieces all the time. We can make them new again because the frames are built for that,” Hamilton said. The u-fab team includes 10 staffers who specialize in upholstery and slipcovers.

LEE is also popular for a more than 25-year focus on sustainability, such as using recycled fibers in cushions, Hamilton notes.

The collaboration between u-fab and LEE gives plenty of opportunities for customers to choose their own fabrics and cushions, whether it’s the neutral tones that are still in vogue or something more adventurous. LEE also has a RapidLEE initiative that can deliver some of its most popular styles in three to four months, while many furniture companies can take six to 10 months, Hamilton notes.

As part of the nesting trend, large sectionals continue to be popular, rather than combinations of sofas, love seats and chairs, Hamilton finds. Swivel chairs with more oomph and comfort are also in vogue.

u-fab’s customers want their furniture to look good and feel good. They also understand quality much better than they did even four or five years ago. “They are making their homes nicer and I think they are realizing throwaway furniture is not the best option,” Hamilton said.

For more information, visit u-fab.com.

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.