As seen in Sources+Design
November 2011 Issue

Showroom
Excellence Upholstery & Design
Phoenix, Arizona

Matt Cepkauskas of Excellence Upholstery & Design is somewhat like the Sigmund Freud of sofas and chairs. Bring in a client, and he’s likely to gently size the person up, asking them where the proposed seating will be used, how it will be used and by whom. Cepkauskas will also ask the clients to sit in one of four different “test” armchairs, all done in a neutral beige fabric, to determine which seat depth and back height is best.

“I can look at a person on a piece of furniture and tell if something is comfortable for them,” explains Cepkauskas. “It’s all about how far back they sit on the seat and the position of their knees.”

The Excellence Upholstery & Design showroom features a variety of seating options.

Such analytical attention to detail is the hallmark of Excellence Upholstery & Design, a firm that Cepkauskas founded in 2005 with business partner Angel Iniguez. Cepkauskas, who has a background in customer service and wholesale upholstery and drapery workrooms, handles the business, sales and marketing side of things. Iniguez is the artisan, bringing more than 20 years of experience in hands-on upholstery. Their 3,200-square-foot space in the Deer Valley neighborhood of north Phoenix includes an airy showroom and a spacious workroom, where Iniguez and staff create everything from new sofas, chairs and ottomans to more unusual projects, such as an upholstered table and bookcase. “We do reupholstery and slipcovers, too,” says Cepkauskas, “and, lately, we’ve been doing a lot of wall upholstery on site, for home theaters, bedrooms and powder rooms.”

The trade showroom, an ASID Industry Partner, specializes in custom designs. Working with designers’ photographs, magazine images, sketches and descriptions, the Excellence team will create a just-right piece within about six weeks. Fabric is usually C.O.M., but Cepkauskas points out that he’s adding a small selection of fabrics and leathers. The most important aspect of the process, he notes, is the structural integrity of the furniture. “You can hide a multitude of sins under the fabric,” he says, “but we have high quality standards for the construction of the furniture. It makes a big difference in the end product.”

Angel Iniguez, left, and Matt Cepkauskas, the founders of Excellence Upholstery & Design.

Recently, Excellence has begun offering a line of casegoods, in the form of occasional chairs and tables, with the chairs based on exposed wood frames imported from Italy. Additionally, the showroom is offering a selection of outdoor furniture, available with standard or custom cushions.

Despite a less-than-ideal economy, business has been good at Excellence Design & Upholstery, something Cepkauskas attributes to value. “These days, interior designers are finding that their clients don’t want to spend $5,000 or $10,000 for a simple sofa,” Cepkauskas says. “We do quality work and offer value. We don’t up-charge for every little thing. We also include delivery. We want to make sure the piece works and looks right on site.”

The chair- and sofa-fit psychoanalysis, notes Cepkauskas with a smile, is complimentary.

Excellence Upholstery & Design, 2017 W. Rose Garden Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85027; (623) 582-9555 or www.excellenceupholstery.com