Bespoke upholstery, built one piece at a time in Los Angeles.
Our Behind the Brand series continues with The Tac Room—a Los Angeles design workshop built on a simple idea: real upholstery should be made by hand, one piece at a time, by people who know exactly what they’re doing.
A Los Angeles Workshop, Start to Finish
Every piece The Tac Room produces is manufactured entirely on-site in their Los Angeles factory. Frames are constructed from kiln-dried hardwood, chosen specifically because the drying process prevents the wood from warping or the joints from loosening over time. Heavy-gauge corner blocks reinforce every joint, and a horizontal stability bar adds extra strength to the base of each frame—details that matter far more once a sofa has seen a few years of daily life.
From there, the frames are hand-strapped with heavy-gauge jute webbing in a checkerboard pattern, then padded with high-density foam, cotton batting, and Dacron. Seat decks and backs are individually sprung by hand, using no-sag sinuous springs that are bound together with padded steel wire and hand-tied to the frame with hemp twine. It’s a slower, more deliberate process than most manufacturers use today—and it shows in the durability of the finished piece.
Customization Without Compromise
Because every item is bench-made rather than mass-produced, The Tac Room offers a level of customization that’s difficult to find elsewhere. Clients can send in their own COM (Customer’s Own Material) fabric, and the team will build the piece around it—matching patterns, running fabric in a specified direction, and tailoring the frame to fit the vision a designer has already established for a room. Seat cushions can be specified in a Trillium wrap for a fuller, more inviting crown, or a Dacron wrap for a flatter, more tailored look. Legs, finishes, and even sleeper mechanisms can be adjusted to suit the piece.
The result is furniture that isn’t just customized in name—it’s built from the ground up around the specific needs of the client and the room it’s going into.
Manufacturing with an Eye on Sustainability
As members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, The Tac Room also builds with an eye toward responsible manufacturing. Frames are constructed from FSC-certified kiln-dried wood, springs are made from recycled steel, and adhesives and stains are low-VOC and non-toxic. Foam is not treated with flame-retardant chemicals, and cushions can be filled with Trillium Fiber—a recycled-glass-based material that’s hypoallergenic and mold-resistant—or with responsibly sourced goose feathers and down. It’s a thoughtful approach to materials that doesn’t ask clients to choose between craftsmanship and conscience.
So Why The Tac Room? Alexis Explains
The Tac Room brings genuine bench-made craftsmanship to our portfolio—every frame built and hand-strapped in their Los Angeles factory, seat decks individually sprung, and cushions made to order down to the fill. Our designers appreciate being able to build a true custom sofa or sectional down to the inch for any client.
— Alexis Varbero, Owner & CEO, Schwartz Design Showrooms
Ask your Schwartz Design Showroom representative about The Tac Room to learn more about their custom capabilities and bring their craftsmanship into your next project.
Stay tuned for the next installment of Behind the Brand, where we continue sharing the stories behind the manufacturers shaping exceptional interiors.