We had the good fortune of connecting with Rhonda Shanahan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rhonda, what is the most important factor behind your success?
It’s important to me that the quality of my upholstery work is excellent. My customer service is equally important. When you have a small business repeat clients, and referrals are essential. Often the pieces I’m working on are heirlooms with a family history. I am honored to be trusted with these pieces.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I would call myself an upholstery artisan. I love creating unique and custom pieces for my clients. I include my clients throughout the entire process sending pictures along the way. My favorite pieces to work on are antique and midcentury pieces with a story.

I started doing upholstery in 2009 working on pieces for our home. In 2014 I decided to turn my hobby into a business. There is much to learn when starting a small business. You have to wear all the hats. I made mistakes but I was always determined to grow from them, and continue to move forward. It’s been a wonderful journey. I’m proud of what The Whimsical Chair has become.

I hope I am an inspiration to other upholstery artists who are just getting started. This is also one of the reasons I started teaching classes. Hopefully, I can help students avoid some of the mistakes I made in the beginning. I also love sharing all things upholstery. You can find the workshops that I offer on my website www.thewhimsicalchair.com.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love living in Castle Rock. It’s a vibrant community. Here is my list of favorite places to visit in the area.

https://thebarncastlerock.com
https://theemporiumcastlerock.com
https://www.crgov.com/2388/Festival-Park Concerts
https://www.crgov.com/3467/Parks-and-Recreation
https://greatdivide.com/castle-rock
https://www.theblockandbottle.com
https://tribehospitalitygroup.com
https://www.outletsatcastlerock.com
https://gardenofgods.com in Colorado Springs

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It takes a village to run a small business. I have had lots of help along the way. Some of the upholstery education classes I have taken that helped me advance my business. These classes are https://upholsteryeducation.com, https://www.workroomtech.com, and https://kimsupholstery.com.

I’m a founding member of the National Upholstery Association. This is a great resource for upholsterers. https://www.nationalupholsteryassociation.org/

I’ve also worked on making local Colorado connections to support my business. I’m thankful for my friends Michelle https://www.cestjoliedesigns.com, Amy https://grayduckupholstery.com, Emily https://www.violetmaefurniture.com, and Claire https://cosechatextiles.com. They are wonderful support

Website: https://thewhimsicalchair.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhimsicalchair

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhimsicalchair

Image Credits
Stephanie Renae Hall photography for personal photos.

Rhonda Shanahan for chair photos.

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