Keel Refinishing & Upholstery

At the first of October I took an end table, a drop leaf dinner table and my favorite leather chair to Keel UpholsteryI met with Roger Keel who informed me 'it was a very busy time of year,' No worries I say, I was not in a particular rush I wanted the dinner table, which has been in the family for 60+ years, to be refinished with the same stain color, as I have matching chairs that were not being refinished as they were in better shape, had been re-caned in the last several yearsThe instructions for the end table were simply to refinish with a clear finishFast forward a couple months....I was advised the tables were ready to be picked upThe quality of the work was top quality, however, the color of the dinner table was nowhere near its original colorIt was as though there was no attempt to match the original colorTruth be told, I like the new color betterAs I still use the chairs in my home, and as I had the table refinished for my son, the mismatch is not currently a problem, and won't be a problem until the chairs and table are reunited sometime in the distant future Now, about my favorite chairIt, too traveled to Keel's place in early October I wanted to have it recovered in matching colored leatherRoger thumbed through his leather samples and was unable to find a similar colorHe told me I would have to find the hides myself if I wanted to keep the same colorHe also refused to take the chair from me until I had purchased the leather hidesOkaySo I schlep the chair back home and get on the internet shopping for leatherWithin a week, I am back at Keel's door with the chair and hidesI was again told of the backlog and, again, reiterated that I wasn't in any particular hurry Fast forward a couple months to the day I picked up the tablesI was surprised to see that the hides I had purchased were still laying (mostly wrapped) on the middle of the concrete floor in Roger's office, where they were placed a couple months earlierI asked about the status of my chair, and they were unable to find itI was told it was likely stored in another building Fast forward to the end of February I paid an unannounced visit to the shop to have a face to face with RogerHe wasn't inI observed that my leather hides were still, partially unwrapped, and still on the concrete floor in the office where they had rested for nearly five monthsThe chair was still "in storage"I stomped my feet and relayed to Jesus that I had run low on patience; that it was no longer reasonable to postpone my work, and that I wanted to hear from RogerRoger called me later that afternoon and told me that Jesus was working on my chair, and would have it wrapped up in a day or two I received the call in several days, and went to fetch my favorite chairBoth Roger and Jesus met me, and walked me to the chairImmediately Jesus started in on the difference in quality of the original leather and the new hidesHe pointed out two very obvious abrasions on the left chair arm; one the size of a dime, and the other the size of a quarterThe finish on the leather was broken revealing the hide beneathHe claimed that the quality of the leather was so low, that these abrasions appeared simply as he was hand stretching the material over the armAll the pieces had already been cut from the hides, so there was no replacing the damaged panelWith no obvious solution, and no offer of any discount, I paid $and left with my newly reupholstered, pre-damaged chair I have now been reunited with my favorite chair for several weeksWhile I know I will stain/damage the yellow leather on my own in time, just as I had over the course of years with the first incarnation, I am completely put out with the abrasions/damage done to the chair while at Keel's shopKnowing that the hides were 'stored' in the middle of the concrete floor in Roger's office for a period of five months, leaves me to wonder if the damage to the hide my have occurred differently than as explained by Jesus? After all, I can rub the leather hard without producing the same result? I think that the truth may be that Keel's Upholstery is not the place to have leather furniture recoveredThere are places where I have material bunching that it didn't bunch beforeThere is also considerably more piping on the chair than there had been beforeNot a good lookAll in all, not a very good experienceBe warned

At the first of October 2015 I took an end table, a drop leaf dinner table and my favorite leather chair to Keel Upholstery. I met with Roger Keel who informed me 'it was a very busy time of year,' No worries I say, I was not in a particular rush.

I wanted the dinner table, which has been in the family for 60+ years, to be refinished with the same stain color, as I have matching chairs that were not being refinished as they were in better shape, had been re-caned in the last several years. The instructions for the end table were simply to refinish with a clear finish. Fast forward a couple months....I was advised the tables were ready to be picked up. The quality of the work was top quality, however, the color of the dinner table was nowhere near its original color. It was as though there was no attempt to match the original color. Truth be told, I like the new color better. As I still use the chairs in my home, and as I had the table refinished for my son, the mismatch is not currently a problem, and won't be a problem until the chairs and table are reunited sometime in the distant future.

Now, about my favorite chair. It, too traveled to Keel's place in early October 2015. I wanted to have it recovered in matching colored leather. Roger thumbed through his leather samples and was unable to find a similar color. He told me I would have to find the hides myself if I wanted to keep the same color. He also refused to take the chair from me until I had purchased the leather hides. Okay. So I schlep the chair back home and get on the internet shopping for leather. Within a week, I am back at Keel's door with the chair and hides. I was again told of the backlog and, again, reiterated that I wasn't in any particular hurry.

Fast forward a couple months to the day I picked up the tables. I was surprised to see that the hides I had purchased were still laying (mostly wrapped) on the middle of the concrete floor in Roger's office, where they were placed a couple months earlier. I asked about the status of my chair, and they were unable to find it. I was told it was likely stored in another building.

Fast forward to the end of February 2016. I paid an unannounced visit to the shop to have a face to face with Roger. He wasn't in. I observed that my leather hides were still, partially unwrapped, and still on the concrete floor in the office where they had rested for nearly five months. The chair was still "in storage". I stomped my feet and relayed to Jesus that I had run low on patience; that it was no longer reasonable to postpone my work, and that I wanted to hear from Roger. Roger called me later that afternoon and told me that Jesus was working on my chair, and would have it wrapped up in a day or two.

I received the call in several days, and went to fetch my favorite chair. Both Roger and Jesus met me, and walked me to the chair. Immediately Jesus started in on the difference in quality of the original leather and the new hides. He pointed out two very obvious abrasions on the left chair arm; one the size of a dime, and the other the size of a quarter. The finish on the leather was broken revealing the hide beneath. He claimed that the quality of the leather was so low, that these abrasions appeared simply as he was hand stretching the material over the arm. All the pieces had already been cut from the hides, so there was no replacing the damaged panel. With no obvious solution, and no offer of any discount, I paid $500 and left with my newly reupholstered, pre-damaged chair.

I have now been reunited with my favorite chair for several weeks. While I know I will stain/damage the yellow leather on my own in time, just as I had over the course of 15 years with the first incarnation, I am completely put out with the abrasions/damage done to the chair while at Keel's shop. Knowing that the hides were 'stored' in the middle of the concrete floor in Roger's office for a period of five months, leaves me to wonder if the damage to the hide my have occurred differently than as explained by Jesus? After all, I can rub the leather hard without producing the same result?

I think that the truth may be that Keel's Upholstery is not the place to have leather furniture recovered. There are places where I have material bunching that it didn't bunch before. There is also considerably more piping on the chair than there had been before. Not a good look. All in all, not a very good experience. Be warned.