New Design Firm: Square Foot Studio

Square Foot Studio: Ann Sutherland, Shannon Cotten, Vianey Villalva.

Top Talent . . . Ann Sutherland, co-founder and president of the outdoor textile company Perennials and president of the David Sutherland Showroom entity, has launched a boutique interior design firm, Square Foot Studio.

While most know Ann Sutherland as a powerful force in the world of design, running six national showrooms in addition to one of the most respected outdoor fabrics companies in the country, her first love was interior design. "Before I married David (Sutherland) and moved to Dallas, I was an interior designer in Oklahoma City. I worked for a firm there, and hung up my own single for a while," she says. When she opened Perennials 15 years ago, she put her interior design business on hold, but it was never far from her mind.

"It's fun to get back into interior design, and I think I have an even better understanding of what clients want and what is needed on a project, after being on the product side of things for so long. It brings things full circle," says Ann, who has teamed up with established interior designers Shannon Cotten and Vianey Villalva to form her new firm. Cotten spent 9-years with Wilson Associates and gained experience in residential, hospitality, and boutique commercial design. Her work has been featured in Veranda and Architectural Digest. Villalva has a background in fashion, art, and design and has worked on custom design projects for private aircraft, lighting design, and restaurant concepts.

"Square Foot Studio is a separate design firm (from Sutherland) and we won't be limited by what the showroom represents," explains Ann. "We will use whatever suppliers the project calls for and we have access to a wide range of products. I want to also stress that we will be completely transparent on how we price. We'll have contracts. We are professionals who are reliable and responsible. So many people are afraid of hiring a designer and paying money up front, because they don't know if the designer will show up, or disappear. We want our clients to feel very comfortable hiring us."

Square Foot Studio's focus will be on residential and the look will be contemporary and transitional. "We are interested in designing clean and updated rooms that are fresh and current," says Ann. As a new team, they're working on a 2,400 square foot renovation in the M Streets area of Dallas, whose progress they will document in photographs and post on their site, and on a backyard terrace in north Dallas in conjunction with Lambert's landscaping. Both projects will be ready early next year.

Below is Ann and David Sutherland's AIA-award-winning house in University Park, designed by Lionel Morrison and Square Foot Studio.

Interiors by Square Foot Studio, architecture by Lionel Morrison.

Living room furnishings by John Hutton.

John Dickinson's iconic 4-Legged Table, and view of small inner courtyard.

Interiors by Square Foot Studio, architecture by Lionel Morrison.

Vintage bronze Indian statue; drawing by Louisiana artist

Jean Sidenberg of Taylor Sutherland as a child;

Interiors by Square Foot Studio, architecture by Lionel Morrison.

Interiors by Square Foot Studio, architecture by Lionel Morrison.

Korean temple guardians flank the pool; Peninsula Chaise by Terry Hunziker

View of the living and dining areas from the central courtyard, which features

a limestone-rimmed lap pool. The exterior material is stucco.

Interiors by Square Foot Studio, architecture by Lionel Morrison.

The living and dining spaces have a dramatic view to

the central courtyardvia 32 feet of glass windows and doors.

Interiors by Square Foot Studio, architecture by Lionel Morrison.

The living and dining room floors are concrete, defined by limestone detailing.

Large artwork over the fireplace is by Robert Kelly.

Interiors by Square Foot Studio, architecture by Lionel Morrison.

Carrera marble and stainless steel countertops; Wolf gas range;

Sutherland bar chairs;Dark oak cabinetry is used throughout the house;

Counters in the kitchen are raised to 43" for better working surfaces.

Interior by Square Foot Studio, architecture by Lionel Morrison.

For more information, go to Square Foot Studio.

Three Fun Things

Room by DJ Lucy Wubel with Peacock Alley

POW! DJ Lucy Wrubel's graffitti-inspired, color-soaked bedroom for Dwell with Dignity's spring Thrift Studio design popup is exactly like her personality—wild and fun! (Wrubel did the room in conjunction with Peacock Alley.) Thrift Studio opens to the public on Friday April 19, but you won't want to risk losing out on something fabulous (like you did last year), because things sell out fast. Buy a preview party ticket here for Thursday, April 18, and you'll have first dibs before the crowds show up. Look for stylish vignettes created by some of Dallas' most-loved designers and stores, including IBB Design, Square Foot Studio, Wiliam Christopher Design, Horchow and Studio Ten25. For a complete list, go here. Everything is for sale, with the proceeds going Dwell with Dignity's wonderful programs.

Room by William Christopher Design for Thrift Studio

Room by One Kings Lane for Thrift Studio

One Kings Lane is the corporate sponsor of Thrift Studio's pop up this year, and not only have they come to Dallas to create a vignette, but all day April 19 they'll be hosting a Tastemaker Tag Sale with Thrift Studio, so log on and buy all kinds of great vintage and designer furniture and accessories for a great cause!

Azure balcony designed by Urban Interiors for the Turtle Creek Home Tour

WOW! The best thing about high-rise living is the view, don't you agree? The upcoming Turtle Creek Home Tour, held on April 21, is always one of my favorites, since it's a chance to see the Dallas skyline from five different locations, including the Warrington, the Azure, the Vendome and the Ritz. It's also a rare opportunity to walk through some of the most beautiful apartments in the area. Proceeds from the tour go to keeping Turtle Creek looking beautiful—it's one of my favorite places to walk and bird-watch, and this time of year the azaleas and dogwoods are spectacular. It's always in spring and fall that I'm most grateful that Dallas has such a gorgeous area like Turtle Creek. Go here to buy your tickets.

Highland Park home designed by Buchanan Architecture

365 . . . if you're obsessed with architecture like I am, you think about it 365 days out of the year. Fittingly, 365 is also the name of the Dallas Architecture Forum's upcoming home tours. The forum's 365 Modern Living Cocktail Receptions are actually a series of small parties inside some of the city's most interestingly-designed homes, where you'll hear talks given by the architects and designers. It's also a chance to meet some of the top people behind the projects you've read about on the blog and in regional magazines for years, including Mil Bodron, Svend Fruit, Russell Buchanan and Dee Dee Hoak. Go here to buy your tickets.

Architecture and interiors by Buchanan Architecture

This experimental house designed by Buchanan Architects caused a stir when it was finished. You'll find out why when you take the tour (I don't want to give everything away), but I can tell you that some of the highlights include an entry vestibule clad entirely in onyx slab, while the exterior is clad in an insulated metal panel system that's ultra-energy efficient.

Dallas Interior Designer Michelle Meredith

Interior Designer Michelle Meredith

Syle Maker . . . Dallas interior designer Michelle Meredith just finished a glamorous small apartment in New York (pictured here) and she's busy working on the interior design for several projects including a contemporary house in Preston Hollow, a 6,500 square foot new construction in Cedar Hill, and two upscale senior living facilities. And check out her new website here.

I've written a lot about Michelle during the past two years (check out her gorgeous room at the Dallas Symphony City Living Tour and her chic design studio), so I know you're familiar with her work already. Here's what's new with her:

New York apartment by Michelle Meredith & Associates

Michelle Meredith & Associates does a lot of hospitality design around the world, and recently finished two wedding halls in Japan in conjunction with Dallas-based Three Architecture, which if you are getting married in Japan, is a big deal.

"Wedding halls are like country clubs in Japan," explains Meredith. "When a daughter is born, the family joins a wedding hall and pays dues. When she is of age, the family has built up enough money to have their daughter's wedding there." A Japanese wedding hall is much more than a bridal boutique, she points out. It's a whole universe built around the bride, housing stores that sell traditional wedding kimonos and Western gowns, china, crystal, dining rooms, wedding chapels, a florists, and individual rooms for the family and bride.

She took inspiration for the wedding halls' designs from the Carolina Herrera boutique in Highland Park Village, she says, hanging crystal Barovier chandeliers from Italy and lacquering the furniture and casegoods in white.

New York apartment by Michelle Meredith & Associates

New York apartment by Michelle Meredith & Associates

Not many people know that Michelle Meredith worked at Walt Disney's Buena Vista International in Los Angeles before landing her career as an interior designer. Mainly, she designed box wraps for videos, but it was her peripatetic childhood as a military brat that got her the job with Disney's international marketing department. Born in London, Meredith moved every two years. Eventually she ended up at Baylor studying social work and psychology, then followed her now ex-husband to California where he pursued film work.

"Disney sent me to UCLA at night to study graphic design," she says. "Taking the classes I realized I wanted to study interior design and ended up at UNT getting my design degree." After a few years working for hospitality design firms, including ForrestPerkins, she opened her own firm, Michelle Meredith & Associates, specializing in high-end hospitality and residential design in 2000.

New York apartment by Michelle Meredith & Associates

After years of working in hospitality, Michelle Meredith has an arsenal of design tricks of the trade that she uses in residential work.

Want your rooms to feel more like a spa? Here are some of her Tips for Soothing Interiors:

* Use of color is important for creating soothing environments. In smaller areas, you can do more of an impact of color, such as pale champagne accented with a dark mahogany, open grain wood. It's more modern to contrast the light walls with a dark wood.

*Use marble that has some organic movement to it, with beautiful grain. I love some of the new granites and stones that have recently come out. I used White Eagle travertine on a project recently -- it's creamy white with taupes, pale blues, and lavender tones.

*I love the pale colorations in succulents. I use natural succulents a lot, and I usually find beautiful ones from Grange Hall and Avant Garden. I love flowers, but everyone should have succulents. It could be an air plant in a beautiful bowl. At work, we all have a tiny succulent on our desks. It gives you the feeling of life and serenity.

*For a more spa-like feeling, my favorite colors to use are champagne mixed with pale aqua and celadon. We accent them with shades of lavender.

*Combinations of pale silver blues are classic and appeal to a wide variety of people. It's a personal favorite of mine. We accent silver blues with more modern touches, like a big graphic on a chair.

*On the City Living Tour, I used lots of rock crystal votives from Madison. The colors were clear to pale gray tones. With a candle, they put off the most beautiful light. Without a candle, they're the perfect natural accent, very sculptural and textural.

*I use a lot of polished, creamy white lacquer.

* The flow of a space makes it soothing. Flow can be created by using similar finishes throughout rooms, including the hardware on doors and windows. Keep the architectural finishes simple but beautiful. Polished nickel looks like silver and is one of my favorites to use.

Lamp by Meredith Miller Collections

Cake plate and server by Meredith Miller Collections

Dallas-based master glassblower Aaron Tate carries out the lighting and accessories designed by Michelle Meredith and Catherine Miller. See him at work, here.

New hand-blown kitchen glass pendants by Meredith Miller Collections

Michelle Meredith's design studio

"Luxury can be affordable. You can create a very resort like feeling with your own space," says Michelle Meredith. "Your home is your haven away from the world, which is why I created my design studio the way I did with the courtyard and gardens, to make it a respite from work." See more of her design studio here.

Michelle Meredith's design studio

Inside Kevin and Cheryl Vogel's Art-Filled House in Dallas

At home with the Vogels' collection of great art and classic furniture

Living Among Art . . . in 1953, artist Donald Vogel and his wife Peggy purchased six acres of undeveloped land off Spring Valley Rd, in what was then far north Dallas. They built a contemporary glass and brick house, which was initially a combination artist studio, gallery, home, and frame shop. Dubbed the Valley House, the Vogel's home became an enclave for artists, musicians, and writers, who gathered over meals and drinks to exchange ideas and inspiration. The sculpture gardens which I wrote about on this blog a few years ago, are spectacular.

Fort Worth architect John W. Jones and artist

Donald Vogel designed this mid-century masterpiece.

Donald's son Kevin Vogel and his wife Cheryl inherited the 3,5000 square foot house and the operation of the art gallery in 2004 after Donald died. Having grown up in the house and worked in the family art business since he was in high school, the ensuing renovations were a labor of love. "I almost lived in the creek down in the back," says Kevin. "We had heat, but no air conditioning, and the fans were going 24/7, with the windows open all the time. The house was weird to my friends, because no body else had ceilings that were almost 14 feet or big open rooms like this." Kevin and Cheryl met in 1978 when she was at grad school at SMU and Donald hired her as the gallery's secretary.

The Vogel's backyard is actually a sculpture garden,

which they allow the public to visit.

The first phase of renovations shored up the home's crumbling infrastructure. Built on a flood plain, the house survived a major flood in 1964. "We had 54 inches of water in the house, it was above my head," he says. A second phase of renovations included updating the kitchen and bathrooms, with the help of Arthur Johnson and Scott Hill of Square One Furniture.They replastered the walls, but kept the original wire-cut antique brick floors (originally sourced from a building in Colorado by interior designer Earl Hart Miller) and dark-stained ceiling beams in the living room. "We tried to do things that Donald would have liked," says Cheryl.

They're still making changes, but most of the new furniture was moved into the house a little over a year ago.

A pair of iconic Vladamir Kagan sofas are as sculptural

as any of the artworks in the house, and create an intimate space

for the Vogel's gatherings, which often include artists, writers, and musicians.

"The house is like living in sculpture," Cheryl says. "It's beautiful without one stick of furniture." When it came to choosing furniture, though, decisions weren't made entirely on looks. "I like a bold piece of furniture that makes a statement, but the conversations in the room need to be more important. We didn't buy anything just because it was pretty, it needs to be comfortable too." Her first purchase started with a collection of black leather Matteo Grazzi chairs from Scott + Cooner for the dining table.

"I love the way four people can sit on one of these sofas

and have their own private space," says Cheryl.

People can seat themselves on the hearth if they like,

and the room spills out onto the terrace." The tripod table is from Brant Laird.

After spotting this antique wing chair at Nick Brock Antiques,

Cheryl decided to leave it in its unfinished state. "It looks so skeletal

without its upholstered arms," she says.

The house has no hallways, and virtually all of the rooms are utilized all of the time, says Cheryl. "Everything happens off the main room, kitchen, and living areas. It's a place for us to show large scale paintings and to have a comfortable conversation and watch movies.

"We have five or ten events for charity a year here, and parties for artists or friends," she says. "The piano, an old Steinway built in the late 1800s, drives the party," says Cheryl, who had the piano reconditioned to concert-level status so that musicians could give performances at the house. The Vogels also host many charitables events in their house each year, and Cheryl, who loves to cook, gives dinner parties for artists and friends almost every weekend, such as one she gave for Tary Arterburn, founder of Studio Outside, who is the consulting landscape architect for the gardens now. "It's a wonderful kitchen for everyone to be cooking together," because it opens onto the main room.

After mounting a show by SMU professor

Barnaby Fitzgerald, the Vogels were enchanted

with this painting so they bought it for their house.

The Vogels have a large collection of 19-c. watercolors and drawings, but because of all the potentially damaging sunlight that floods through the house, they keep them stored away. "We bring them out one at a time and display them. It's very Japanese to do that, I think."

They fell in love with the Barnaby Fitzgerald painting, above, after an exhibit of his works several years ago at the gallery. Says Cheryl: "It didn't sell, and so of course we didn't hesitate in buying it. We just brought it in and put it on the backs of chairs until we knew where to hang it. It was one of the first things we bought that made me feel like I was at home."

Plaster hand remnant is from a sculpture by Frederick William Sieveres.

The white sculpture in foreground is actually a naturally occurring

mineral formation, which was excavated from the

Fountainbleau area of France. "I bought it because it reminded

me of sculpture by Jean Arp," says Cheryl. The terra cotta goat is

by Charles Umlauf, and the painting is by Donald Vogel.

Donald Vogel's former art studiois now a conversation area

and repository for the Vogel's personal collection of canvases.

It still includes many of the artist's original furniture and art.

The paper lantern is Noguchi; the tall wood sculpture is by Phil Evett.

Despite the home's mid-century design, "I'm not a modernist person in the real sense," says Cheryl. "I grew up in Florida with lots of color and pattern. I do like to shop for modern furniture though. There's a great store on the Rue du Seine in Paris that has great modern furniture that inspires me. And I'm always looking at magazines. In the construction phase, I got some good advice from Paul Draper, a friend and designer who urged restraint. He said 'You can't just fill up your house with all your favorite bold furniture.'" She also credits photographer David Gibson and architect Bill Booziotis, also friends, for informally helping them redesign the house.

Artist Donald Vogel's original desk includes his old paint brushes.

In the top photo, the figurative wood sculptures are by Phil Evett.

"I'm very influenced by the homes of artists I visit," says Cheryl. "It's about people being together in a space, rather than fussy objects. It should be a space that is amiable for conversation, and there should be books everywhere. I'm always running out of book space. But this house is very demanding. the more we live here, the more we take out and the better it looks." Like a temperamental artist, "The volume of the rooms has a special quality that demands to have its own way," she says.

A version of this story first appeared in Modern Luxury magazine, here.

River Oaks Redux

The River Oaks lobby, as conceived by Rottet Studio

Midcentury Masterpiece . . . For the longest time, great midcentury buildings in Texas have been torn down or renovated into monstrosities of pastiche—slap some white columns on that clean facade and rip out the original terrazzo floors and you have a building that appeals, and sells, to everyone... in theory. I'm convinced that people often just buy what's available, and much of what's out there is bad design. Create something beautiful, and the people will come. 

Case in point: The River Oaks in Houston. Currently under extensive renovations, the 1960s-era mid-rise is staying true to its stunning original Mies van der Rohe-inspired roots, and is well on its way to becoming one of the most glamorous residences in the country. 

The project is being led by developer Richard Leibovitch of New York-based Arel Capital, interior architect/designer Lauren Rottet of Houston-based Rottet Studio and Andre Landon, principal architect at EDI International in Houston. Leibovitch could have built a massive high-rise on the three-acre property overlooking the tony River Oaks neighborhood, and presumably made a lot more money. Instead, he kept much of the original footprint of the building, which will house 84 large residences, including extravagant 10,000 square foot penthouses with private pools and terraces. Something I've never seen associated with a high rise before are the six ground-level, two-story townhouses with 2,200 square feet of secluded private gardens. The building's surrounding grounds are stately and expansive, and views of the city will likely never be compromised by high rise development, since the building's neighbors include low-rise residential areas, St. John's School and St. Luke's United Methodist Church. 

Lauren Rottet is one of the most exciting interior designers working in the country today—in fact, she made it to the top of Leibovitch's list before he even knew she was based in Houston. She's author of some of the most glamorous spaces in the country, including the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Surrey in NYC and the St. Regis in Aspen. Rottet's plans for The River Oaks include curated art and furnishings, rich woods, natural stone and expansive use of glass in the lobby and common areas. The building will have 24-hour concierge service, a dog park and dog grooming facilities, overnight guest suites, gym with separate massage and yoga facilities. 

The River Oaks website is now up, and the sales office opened earlier in July. Units start at $875,000. 3433 Westheimer, Houston, TX, 713.600.5978

The River Oaks exterior view

The River Oaks lobby

Condominium inside The River Oaks

Private penthouse pool view

Ground-level townhouse with private gardens

The Best Custom Upholsterer in Dallas

(Photography by Rebecca Sherman)

A chair awaits reupholstery at Marroquin Custom Upholstery

It's about time... I've been writing about beautiful rooms for magazines for many years, and it's usually the designers who get most of the attention in a story. But designers are the first to tell you it's the behind-the-scenes artisans whose work can make or break a room, a whole project, and even their reputations.

CUSTOM UPHOLSTERERS in particular work non-stop the week before a magazine photo shoot to get things camera ready, sometimes for free for their favorite design clients. The best ones donate their time and talent for show houses. For a variety of reasons, upholsterers almost never get the credit they deserve: Space is limited in print magazines and there's rarely enough room to mention the supporting cast on a project. Understandably, designers often won't divulge who their upholsters are; they're afraid others might steal them or that they'll get so overrun with new business they won't have time for their regular customers.

But upholsterers are the unsung heros behind some of the most dazzling homes in the country. The refined, highly skilled detail work, often referred to as dressmaker details, are perfected by the best of the best and can make a plain piece of furniture sing.

Marroquin Custom Upholstery's work shop is a

whopping 55,000 square feet

THE BEST OF THE BEST

Marroquin Custom Upholstery, owned by Jesus Marroquin and his family, is arguably among the top upholsterers in the country. He's the secret design weapon of Dallas designers Emily Summers, John Bobbitt, Paul Garzotto, and Betty Lou Phillips, all who are regular customers.

"I describe Marroquin as the De Angelis of the Southwest," says John Bobbitt of the legendary New York upholstery family used by Peter Marino and the like. "Marroquin is capable of executing any kind of custom detail that I can come up with. They're especially good with difficult upholstery like horsehair, leather, and suede, and with fine nailhead designs, historic detailing and antique furniture."

Jesus Marroquin oversees every piece himself and is notoriously picky and obsessive. "He won't rush a piece even if you're standing over him screaming," says Bobbitt with a laugh. "I have to say though, they always get things done on time."

A chair await new life at Marroquin Custom Upholstery

FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO YOUR HOUSE

After producing a custom line of furniture for 21 years for a top Dallas showroom (many of Marroquin's pieces ended up in the White House and Camp David), Marroquin has recently moved on and, in addition to reupholstery work, is partnering with Nancy Caperton on a line of furniture at CULP ASSOCIATES called the Caperton Collection.

You don't have to be a designer to bring your furniture to be reupholstered by Marroquin, and they'll help you design a custom piece from scratch, with or without your designer.

Jesus Marroquin, owner of Marroquin Custom Upholstery

DALLAS WAS HIS DREAM

Jesus Marroquin was 23 years old when he came to America in 1973, and like most immigrants from Mexico, he came across the river. A priest picked him up in his car and asked where he was going. "I said Dallas. I just liked the sound of it," says Marroquin, who by then already had years of training and experience with some of the top furniture upholsterers in Mexico City. Soon, he started working with well-known Highland Park upholsterer Art Jones and his son Robert. By the time Marroquin left ten years later to start his own reupholstery company, they'd produced a line of furniture and opened 20 showrooms across the country.

Marroquin married wife Elsa in 1980, and their four children, Monica, Ivan, Adrian, and Andres, now work in the family business, doing a variety of jobs from marketing to accounting, shipping, and designing. All of them have trained on the floor, learning how to upholster furniture to their father's exacting standards. "You can't expect to be upstairs on the computer taking orders if you don't know how a chair is done," says Ivan, 27.

A custom chair in progress.

Everything is meticulously hand finished.

SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

Marroquin bought a 55,000 square foot warehouse space near the Design District in 1999. Depending on demand and the economy, they employ between 45 and 20 full time people, including head tailors, seamstresses, carpenters, tanners, painters, and master upholsterers. Some have been with Marroquin for 26 years. "It takes five years to train people to do the quality we require, and we always start with ones who already have a lot of experience and knowledge," says Jesus. "Quality is the biggest thing for us, and it takes time to train employees to understand that. It's easy to just let the little things go. It's a lot harder to find the flaws that the clients won't see."

Daybeds, chairs, and stools waiting to be reupholstered.

Marroquin often tears a piece down to its frame,

rebuilding it if necessary and

completely redoing the springs and webbing.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

On average five people will work on a single piece of furniture to be reupholstered. "The team works together otherwise we couldn't do it," says Jesus. "But I'm involved in everything, even the smallest piece that comes in." Each employee has years, if not decades, of experience specializing in a particular detail of work, including springs, nailheads, skirts, button tufting, refinishing, and making frames.

Marroquin's seamstresses are experienced in working

with expensive anddifficult fabrics from

Fortuny to leather to horsehair.

BEFORE/AFTER

A faded settee from the 1970s gets a makeover,

including new springs, webbing, foam core with down wrap.

Master upholsterer Luis Lopez has been

working for Marroquin five years.

Marroquin oversees the tufting and shirring done on the settee.

AFTER: Meticulously executed, the settee is transformed into a

glamorous piece worthy of Rita Hayworth.

Tools of the trade

Precise and exquisite, it's the dressmaker

details

that are Marroquin's specialty

Charming details on a custom chair

Ottoman from the Caperton Collection now at CULP ASSOCIATES

Sofas from Marroquin's custom collection

At left, master upholsterer and 26-year veteran Jose Marroquin

cuts buffalo hide to fit a club chair. At rightmaster

upholsterer Luis Lopez works on a chaise.

Alberto DeHoyos, an apprentice carpenter and upholsterer,

hammers nailhead trim on a custom sofa for John Bobbitt,

which was used in the Fort Worth's Designer Showhouse.

Designer Paul Garzotto pulls fabric from

thousands of leftover yardage in stock at Marroquin's workshop.

From left, master upholsterers Ricardo Aquilar and Jose Valderas,

who has worked for Marroquin 26 years.

Here, Valderas isfitting fabric to the curvature of a chair,

similar to how a tailor fits a suit to a body.

Master painter and finisher Fernando Robles

puts the final touches on a frame for a custom ottoman

Master Upholsterer Terry Balka works on a pair

of chairs. He's been with Marroquin 9 years.

Every piece of furniture, old or new, gets 8-way hand-tied springs

that will last at least 20 years.

This hand-operated machine is the traditional way

to cover buttons for tufted upholstery

Marroquin has more than 150 different styles of chairs,

sofas, and ottomans ready to be made.

"The key is to build the frame exactly right. After that, no problem," says Jesus, who can make any custom design you want from a photograph or sketch.

Every piece of furniture is photographed and documented

by Ivan Marroquin in the company's photo studio.

Once a piece is documented, it's ready to be crated and shipped (depending on how far it's going). They ship to Europe, South America, Mexico, Dubai and beyond.

The Marroquins pose for a family portrait.

Top left, Monica with Godzilla, Adrian,

Ivan, Elsa, and Jesus (not pictured: Andres)

"One of my dreams when I came to this country was to do furniture for the White House, and I did furniture for the White House," says Jesus, who became a naturalized American citizen in 1986. "Another dream I had was to have a beautiful wife. I am not so handsome, but I got a beautiful wife. And I dreamed to have really good kids, and I got them. I also dreamed to build this company and this facility. As you see, I came to America with nothing but a lot of dreams, but this country took me in and kept me. I made a success of my life. For a Mexican like me, this is the American dream."

To view more of their custom furniture and to contact them, go to marroquincustomuph.com.