Rawson’s Custom Upholstery

Very nice job on a couch, love seat, and chair. As mentioned earlier, job site looks a bit shabby, but the work was absolutely first rate. Considering the workmanship, the cost was reasonable.

This is a dying trade and so as an interior designer, I’m thrilled to find Joe. THey do such a good job no matter how big or small the project is. It’s great to have a source that gives me confidence. I use them again and again.

A sane person might take one look at Rawson’s rather dingy, unkempt storefront in downtown San Marcos and ask, «Hmmmm…do I want to trust these guys with reupholstering my couch?»
Let me answer that: Yes, you really do.
We brought to them a curve-​backed monstrosity of a sofa that we picked up at Goodwill for a song. It was a Victorian channel-​back thing with horsehair cushions and it weighed 9,000 pounds. I think it had car shocks for springs. The sofa had spent a few terrifying months in our old, falling down shed and I’d be shocked if critters hadn’t built a little subdivision in its undercarriage. (The old shed had rats. Lots and lots of rats. I’ll just leave it at that.)
Total Woman picked out some modern, funky upholstery and had Rawson’s switch the channel-​back design for a tufted back. They also tightened the strapping and restuffed the cushions. It was an overhaul, pure and simple.
It took many months, but we weren’t in a hurry and they knew it. Occasionally, we’d get a phone call with a question or two. On a couple of occasions, they asked us to drop by to confirm that they were going in the right direction. These guys clearly cared.
When it was done, Rawson’s showed up at our door and carried the sofa in. The owner — not a young man himself — and his father did the hauling. Combined age? I’d say 140. I’m not kidding. It was a sight to behold, but impressive. They would not accept help from me.
The work was beautiful, and they made a broken-​down couch extremely comfortable.
So if you go, don’t let the environs worry you. Rawson’s is housed in a 90-​year-​old building built for a Model T dealership. Here, you will not be met with an overwhelming sense of order. It’s a warehouse vibe, and a messy one at that. Supplies and furniture are everywhere.
But who cares? They do great work. Our neighbors, whose home was built in 1913, trusted Rawson’s to upholster their walls. Twice.
Their WALLS, for God’s sake. Now that says something.