John was extremely reasonable while helping us design our dream sofa. His shop is full of beautiful examples of his work, definitely stop by and check out the quality. We gave him a budget and he was able to fit everything we needed into it, as well as only $30 for delivery. He also helped us move it into our home. It was nice to buy from someone who loves and takes pride in what they do! read more

U Design It Sofa - Examples from his shop. - Furniture Stores Near Me - Sun Valley, California

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As much as I love the sofa I purchased from U Design It Handmande Sofas, I am beyond disappointed in the poor service I received from the owner, John. I really struggle with the star rating because mind you - I really like my sofa, this review is truly based on my customer service experience. The initial purchasing experiencing went seamlessly well - I met with John at his showroom and we designed the sofa I wanted - he was even gracious enough to give me a really amazing deal and rush my order, providing I paid in cash. So far so good, right? Well, the day John delivered my sofa I was totally in LOVE. It was not until that evening that I noticed that the top of the sectional piece was about an inch shorter than the top of the sofa, therefore creating an uneven look at the top of the entire sofa/sectional. I contacted John immediately to inform him of the issue and he told me that he would pick the sofa up that week. I was pretty disappointed because I had family coming in town to visit and would have no where for them to sit, but informed John that he could pick it up. John then informs me that he's not going to be able to pick the sofa up that week and that he would pick it up the following Tuesday (which would have been yesterday). I contacted John on Monday and didn't hear back from him and again while I was at work yesterday to see what was going on with having the issue taken care of. I asked him if he would be willing to compensate me by taking something off or providing me with some type of bonus for having to keep waiting. Mind you, this exchange was happening via text message because I was at work. John responded and told me no, he would not take anything off because it was a "small problem". My issue is - I don't care how small of a problem he deemed it to be, he should have never delivered the sofa with a clear and visible error. I called John and told him I was disappointed that he would not take something off - I mean even $50.00 for the hassle of having to meet him at my house to pick up the sofa and then schedule time to meet him to re-deliver it. .. a huge hassle for me, the customer. I work just like everyone else and don't have the freedom to be available all of the time. John was not only unreasonable, but yelled and talked over me and was completely horrible to talk to. I felt so uncomfortable with our conversation that I decided not to even bother having him correct the error. I didn't trust that he would return my sofa in the timeframe specified and quite honestly just felt uncomfortable with the way he spoke to me. As a hardworking person, I don't just go around spending over a thousand dollars in cash everywhere - I really felt like John was a good and ethical businessman, but the way he handled things after being paid is simply unacceptable. I'm not writing this to sway anyone from purchasing a sofa with him, I'm simply writing it out of pure and utter disappointment. Now I will be living with a sofa that I can clearly see has a problem. I will never work with this business again - which sucks, because I had planned on purchasing a matching ottoman - looks like that won't be happening. So disappointed in this entire experience. read more

They weren't very friendly & their prices were high. Lost an interested customer.

This place is awful. I would not advise anyone to work with these folks, specifically John. I provided them with a photograph of exactly what I wanted and they did not deliver. Because I had paid up-front and was not available at the time of delivery I was stuck with my purchase. They didn't even give me a courtesy call back after I called 3 or 4x to discuss. They had their money and ran. They claim to be a family business, but when it comes to having any sense of moral turpitude they fall far short. It's a shame there aren't too many other furniture makers running twenty ads a day on CL. If you want anything custom that is of quality - this is not the place. You get what you pay for. Hard lesson. read more

These guys did a great job recovering my vintage sofa. They did quality work, were on time getting it finished, and their price was lower than other places I've used in the past. I would use them again for upholstery work! read more

We ordered a custom piece sofa, love seat and a chair about 5 months ago. The overall design was about 40% true to the original photos we showed him. Very disappointed at first with the overall look. As for the quality, so far its been good. I do see areas that it could of been made better. This place is a one man shop. He takes on more jobs than he can handle and makes promises that he forgets. His price was about half of what we would pay at a high end store, but then again at the end of the day you get what you pay for. read more

John is a great, if somewhat quirky, furniture maker. My experience with him was pleasant overall. He did end up designing the sofa to be precisely 2 inches shorter (on the seating dimensions) than I ordered, but once I pointed this out to him he graciously offered to make me a very nice custom ottoman to go with it. I've owned the sofa for about 6 months now, and it's my favorite piece of furniture. Broke in beautifully, and holds up to some fairly moderate abuse. Love it. Probably cost me 1/2 of what you'd pay for the same gear from your crates, barrels, and whatnot. (not including the freebie ottoman). Be aware that he doesn't take returns, so when you place your order, you should double and triple check that he's got all your measurements and fabric choices mapped out, and in writing. read more

John must have read my review on YELP because my couch was delivered within the week. Thanks Yelp. Now that the couch has been delivered and I have lived with it for a number of weeks, I can say that the couch is beautiful and is exactly what I ordered. Very happy with the end product. I would recommend U Design It Sofa to others. read more

If you need a custom sofa and don't want to pay Design Center prices, this is the place to go. John has been manufacturing custom upholstered furniture for more than thirty years. He knows what he is doing. I walked in, picked a design from the pages of a magazine....ordered a custom fabric that needed to be shipped from North Carolina and Voilla! A couple of weeks later I had a brand new, American Made, beautiful custom sofa. I saved at least $500, maybe more. Highly recommended. read more

U Design It Sofa Company [a.k.a.] Artisan Sofas, L.A.: They Can Work With Anyone, On Any-Budget!! Hey! 'Got an elegant idea for a Sofa or Chase lounge but, ain't quite sure just how to "flesh it out" and bring it to reality? U Design It will help you make it, REALITY!!! I DID... And, They DID indeed, help me! U Got... 'Champagne' Taste ("Oh yes, quite!!!")... On a 'Beer' Budget ("Awe man. Heck!!!"). What To Do... Hmmm, Its simple, trust yourself and give 'em a call. U WILL BE GLAD U DID!!! Are you diggin' the vibe of a particular Ottoman, or maybe a hot-n-funky Accent Chair... you've seen somewhere? U Design It will help you build it!!! U want a coffee table with an Ottoman flair? Don't despair!! U Design It Sofa Company is Where!! Custom built, lifetime guarantee - 1/3rd THE COST!!! Yep! With Artisan Sofas L.A., U WILL "DESIGN IT YOUR WAY"... at 1/3rd, [33%] of what it costs for a custom job! I ain't lying folks... I, myself did a blend of Modern and Ancient style - I really designed my own thang! I call it, oh... let's say 'Gyptian Elements. Its more like ancient, yet modern Egyptian Elegance in the form of a custom Sofa and an 'arm-less' Chaise lounge (Guaranteed For Life). If... 'You want it done right? Plus, you want it "Guaranteed For Life?" Then, "Design It Yourself!!!" Step One: Have your idea, concept or desire already worked out "in your head", or, "down on paper". Measurements, measurements, measurements; people! Take stock of "exactly just how much space" you have to work with. Don't be "meat-headed" expecting the artisan to think for you - he'll just kick your ideas back to you... causing you to ponder, wonder, and work out the details your self!! After all, U're Designing It. The Sky's the Limit. Use your imagination - TRUST YOURSELF. Step Two: Set Up An Appointment -- [Note: UDesignItSofaCompany / ArtisanSofasLA - take clients by appointment only]. Discuss your desires, and ideas via phone prior to appointment date - to get a sense [rough estimate] of overall project cost. BRING 60% of the CO$T [with you] to your first appointment (you'll be at the studio for 'bout 2-hours). USE THE PIECES IN THE DESIGN STUDIO SHOWROOM AS GUIDES. Select your upholstery type(s), color, pattern, fabric etc. You wanna "stain your sollid Alder frame like this?" Okay, I's Yer Thang, Yeah... Do It How'Ya Wanna Do, Yeah! And... Voila!!! Or, you MAY say "To Heck with My Design"... How much I$ that Modern, or that Chesterfield-looking sofa... Hunnh? Wha'? YE$, I'll TAKE IT!!! THANK YOU!!! The SHOWROOM PIECES ARE FOR $ALE, and are AW$OMELY TEMPTING + COST EFFECTIVE!!! Just thought I'd give folks another option... fellow-furniture-shoppers. Step Three: SABs (Stop, Assess, and Breathe...). There! Now. You've taken the plunge as a "novice layman" into designers' territory - with, a li'l help from your Artisan friendzz. Don't 'chu feel as tall as a Sequoia Redwood? You should, you've just mad an "investment" in something that's hand made here "locally" with wooden feet, and / or, an Alder wood frame - solid, (your choice, or no). Also, its sleak, cool, elegant, and will stand the test of time. Plus, guaranteed for life - at 33% off - of what it would otherwise cost you!!! Again, I e'nt lyin' when I say I designed two custom pieces worth $4500 - $5500 - EASY... And, I made 'em at 1/3rd of what it'd cost retail. One third off - tha's a bargain!!! Bottom Line: U just designed an "ASSET" that "WILL APPRECIATE IN VALUE" OVER TIME ['cause its unique, one of a kind, is elegantly hand crafted, durable and very very sturdy]. I did that? Yeah, I did! Step Four: Finalizing the Details of Your Design - Communicate with your Artisans... they'll build just exactly what is asked of them to build! Be specific and be very detailed. Be Clear, Be Clear, Be Clear! People pleeze, BE CLEAR... as 'your design' is now in its final stages: 85%-95% complete. And, last but, not least... Prepare for Delivery [Note: Delivery Upstairs? Hire an additional person - or - Pick-Up in studio - Explain Your Needs - They 'WILL' WORK WITH U]. All in all, if I had it to do again - YE$, I would... in a heartbeat! YE$! This time I'm thinking... matching Ottoman in Sapphire Blue, with buttons in a Mustard tuft. Hmmmm. Interesting... lemmie call 'em back!!! U Design It Sofa Company: http://udisignitsofacompany.powersites.net/#!prettyPhoto Artisans Sofas L.A.: http://www.artisansofasla.com/home/ A Very Special Thanks to Mr. John Alcala, Master Artisan & Craftsman, and the entire team of finely skilled Artisans & Craft-folk who helped bring a "seven year old's dream of grandure" to life... 42 years later. I would not have been able to do this work without you, my lasting gratitude. read more

I LOVE THIS COMPANY~ John is absolutely amazing! Do not listen to those other people who complained. I PROMISE you will not be disappointed. John worked patiently with me. We designed exactly what I wanted. Tons of fabrics to choose from! OMG I just cannot wait to get my couch. AND prices.... WELL - I beg you to try to find better quality at a better price! read more

WOW!!! Was all set to buy a sofa and two club chairs from Living Spaces, but, then discovered this place at the last minute. John, the owner, was a total professional and very nice. Had choices of sofa styles and an extensive and great selection of fabrics to choose from. From picking out what we wanted and placing the order we had our beautiful furniture delivered to our house within 3 weeks and the price was below what we would have spent at the retail places. John and his partner have been building furniture for 36 years and they did an excellent job. What a great find , I highly recommend them. read more

I took 3 pictures of couches that I liked, but couldn't affort, to U Design It. John drew up a sketch from my direction and the total for two 6-foot couches was less than the cost of one of the ones in the picture! I chose a gorgeous fabric from his massive sample collection. I got to choose the firmness I wanted from the samples he had in his shop. 2 weeks later, my couches were delivered double-wrapped in plastic for safety. They are GORGEOUS! I've never owned custom couches before, but I will never buy from a store again. I can't wait to take him my chairs to recover! read more

My husband and I were thinking of getting a couch from IKEA. So happy we didn't. The large 1960's style couch sectional turned out amazing! It took about 8 weeks, but well worth the wait and the price wasn't bad either. The couch is perfect and I am so happy we went with this company. When ordering with John be sure to go over everything you want for the couch twice and check your paperwork and you shouldn't have any problems. I will be getting more pieces of furniture from him in the future. read more

U Design It Sofa - 1960's style couch sectional with sea foam fabric. - Furniture Stores Near Me - Sun Valley, California

Amazing, Juan is a true artisan!! We ordered the sofa we wanted and he delivered as promised. I have no idea why people are complaining, this is a small mom and pop shop where him with his own hands makes all this beautiful art! He has been making sofas since the 70s, I totally recommend people to go and see him you will not be disappointed. He is amazing!!! I can't wait to get more sofas!!! Increíble, Juan es un verdadero artesano en lo que hace!!! Our couch retails for thousands of dollars in MCM places and they do not compare to what he does... Please stop looking around and go see him, you will NOT BE DISSAPOINTED. read more

SO i never write reviews but this has been really bothering me. i got a custom couch made by U design it. And not only did it take way longer then he told me it would be but a tuff has already came out after 4 months. I am a very understanding person, I'm easy and when I called him to see when it would be ready he kept pushing the date back with no sympathy that i was living with no couch for 2 months. I understand he was busy but he should have been honest from the get go. NOW, about the tuff coming out; i called him and he said he would fix it as part of the warranty but i need to bring it in... all the way to sun valley.. its my responsibility apparently? i paid good money for this couch its really unfortunate that i have to pay to bring it to sun valley to get one tuff fixed; i live in downtown LA. couch looks great but in all honesty its not exactly what i told him the day we talked about what i wanted in a couch and now i have to deal with getting this tuff fixed. OY VEY! good luck. read more

From the second we walked into Johns shop we knew we found the right place we wanted to purchase our couch. He patiently listen to my husband go back and forth on what we wanted, he said it would take 3 weeks for couch to be ready, it took 21/2 and we could not be more happy with it. We highly recommend this place, it's family operated and they do quality work. We are very happy!! read more

U Design It Sofa - We love the ottoman/storage - Furniture Stores Near Me - Sun Valley, California

I could not be happier with John's design. The workmanship is flawless, beautiful lines and very sturdy. I was pleased with the time he took to make it and felt the price was extremely reasonable. I would not hesitate to recommend this company to anyone. Kudos!!! read more

John is AWESOME! We were able to have a quality mid-century modern sofa set custom made to our exact specifications and at a much lower cost than a department store. John is very friendly and does quality work. read more

fast delivery & good price. they were very helpful with all our questions and we were able to customize our dream couch for a way better price than what you get at the furniture store. So far its holding up very well! the leather is a bit scratch sensitive but besides that perfect :) read more

Amazing quality, pricing and customer service! We ordered multiple items and John went far above and beyond the call of duty including delivery. The attention to detail and finished products are amazing and exactly what we ordered according to our specs. We got so much value in return for our investment. read more

We had our couch custom made here. The price was definitely reasonable and the quality so far we have been very satisfied with. These guys have been making furniture for a long time and it shows, they finished our sofa in about 2 weeks and it jas held up really well against our 80lb dog. Much better quality then anything you'd find at living spaces. read more

This has been a very unfortunate experience. My wife and I drove up from San Diego to have a couch made by John. His pricing was very reasonable, he was very friendly and we felt good about ordering a couch from him. We designed a couch "based" off a floor sample of his, with modifications (We wanted a different color, material, higher arms, deeper seat and a different back) and it had to be 15' long. John recommended that we actually build two couch pieces that meet in the middle with a seamless look. We took measurements drew a basic design, gave him our deposit and were told it would be ready in two weeks (All good so far). 1 week prior to it being complete, my wife and I were passing through to visit family up north; we stopped in to take a peek on the progress of our couch and ottoman, they looked great! At this time I asked john if a hook or bracket would be placed in between the two couches to connect them, he assured me that it would not need it and the couches would stay together. The following week our couches were delivered. I helped John's son unload them and place them in our house. All seemed to be good, and they left with the plastic still on the couches. When my wife and I removed the plastic we began to notice some issues. 1: There were only 3 rows of tuft's on the seat of the couch (the same as his floor sample, yet our couch is deeper, thus leaving a 9" gap with awkward seams from the last tuft's to the back to the couch. 2: There were marks all over the couch. Yellow, orange red. Located tufts, on the seat of the couch and on the back. 3: We we push the couch to completely meet in the middle the whole couch has to angle in on the ends. If we make it a straight line, there is a huge gap in the middle. As soon as we noticed these "issues" we texted John right away. His response blew me away. He told me to come to his shop and pick up a "solution" he had that would take out the yellow stains as he suspected it was chalk. He did not respond to the Tuft issue or the angle of the couch. I was persistent about the other two issues even though he denied any responsibility and said that I based my design off his floor model and it had the same number of tuft rows so I would he would not cover it. Even though I had to explain over and over that our couch was bigger with a deeper seat and called for another row of tufts he continued to deny deny deny. I really wanted to come up with a simple solution, so I thought, hey what if we added throw pillows to cover the gap. He tried to charge me... Finally, when I said we will just have to settle in court because he didn't want to help, even though he assured me he would fix any issues; he decided to give me the throw pillows. Not optimum, but he was trying so I was OK with it. When I went to pick up the pillows he gave me the "solution" for the stains. No luck. the stains are still all over the couch and will not come out. Mind you, he wont even acknowledge the couch not meeting up without having to be angled, but now he has said he gave me pillows so he wont come fix the stains. He has stated that if we want, we can bring the 15' couch that we spent over $4,000 on to his shop (3 hours north of our house) and he would try to get them out there.... HE STILL WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE ANGLE ISSUE and has stated that he gave me throw pillows so everything should be ok.... I really wanted this place to be a special place that I could refer and buy all of our furniture at... Oh well. RJ read more

Absolutely five stars for this company! John is a consummate professional who takes a lot of pride in his work. He built us a custom sectional sofa down to the inch, at a fraction of the cost of any other custom furniture maker in town. The build quality is extremely professional, and the sofa is very comfortable and looks beautiful! My wife is very happy, and it arrived on Valentines Day! We would absolutely recommend this company, and will return for more custom work in the future. Thanks John! read more

I am a business woman and have run my own business for twenty five years. I was about to buy a couch from a man named John who runs this business and I have NEVER NEVER in my life been treated so poorly as a consumer and wouldnt give him one penny of my hard earned income. He is rude, condescending, unaccommodating to the point of being a NASTY MAN..................... , he won't answer simple every day questions that anyone would ask, threatened to tear up the invoice, clearly an unprofessional sales tactic to scare me that he wouldnt fill the order, charged extra for this and extra for that, I said I would give him cash could he please waive the delivery or take a little off, "absolutely not, everyone pays me cash and I expect to be paid in cash ", glared at me, showed me pictures on the internet that he could have pulled from anywhere and it maybe wasnt even his work, THIS IS THE CORKER; WANTED 60% down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEFORE delivery. Is he kidding? I haven't given anyone 60% down in the 68 years I have lived on this planet. I think that is his cost and then if you dont like it he doesnt lose and the 40% was his markup. I wouldnt do business with this concern if it was the only place on earth. I left there so angry I had to write this yelp. What a horrible experience. His work is average but his attitude is a complete turnoff. Enough said! read more

Two great custom-made sectionals made and delivered by John. When there was a small mistake, he fixed, free of charge. Great business!

I can only agree with the majority of the other reviewers. We will NEVER pay retail for a sofa again. John is a gentleman & he knows his stuff. We spent quite awhile with him showing him photos we took in stores and discussing ALL the measurements like depth of the seat cushions. We also spent a long time looking at fabric swatches, narrowing things down. And when the actual fabric came in for John to use, it was "slightly" different than the swatch. If he had made the sofa, we would never have known the difference, but he mailed us a swatch from the actual goods for our approval. Do not hesitate to use him, you will not be dissappointed! read more

We worked with John five or six years ago when we were moving to our new house! We had two sofas ourselves and the previous owner had left this ancient furniture, which John redid. We liked him and his work (not to mention the prices) so much that when we were ready to reupholster the dining room chairs and this old armchair that someone had given us, I didn't even bother look for anyone else. John was nice and professional. I needed the chairs quickly and brought them back in less than a week. I highly recommend him. read more

We needed someone who could do a creative job (it involved cannibalizing fabric from a different piece) - and in a short turn-around. We shopped around for recommendations, and came here, even though we live in the city. The result was fantastic! It was well worth the drive. Easy to deal with as well. read more

John, the owner, did some satisfactory work for me a few years back. I went back because of good reviews to have some motorhome furniture recovered. I told him at that time, if the upper cushions, couch, or chair needed any additional work/repair, to please let me know. He took almost a month to recover my stuff. And, that's all he did. The work was unsatisfactory to the point of thinking a first grader sewed the new fabric. He covered old foam without a courtesy of a phone call to inform me it needed more padding. So, the cushions were returned with damaged old padding and poorly sewn back together. He demanded money up front, which should have been an omen, and was very rude and threatening upon being approached to correct his extremely poor workmanship when it was done. I'm now having the job done correctly by a reputable upholstery shop. I'm thinking seriously of taking him to small claims. He and his shop have dropped off my radar and buyer beware......... read more

John did a fantastic job on my new sofa! I love it! His work is great. It's so nice to work with someone who still takes pride in their work and customer satisfaction. I couldn't be happier! read more

John, the owner is so wonderful and experienced. He provides excellent customer service and is so easy to work with. We brought him a picture of the couch we wanted and he spent time with us getting it exactly right. It is evident they have been in business for over 30 years. I highly recommend them! read more

Love these guys. John the owner is very hands on. I was very impressed by their quality, price & turnaround. I looked for weeks for the perfect couch, literally going to what felt like every furniture store in LA. I didn't want to spend $3,000 on a mid century couch with a pre-determined color that wouldn't fit my living room style. I brought in a picture to John of the couch I wanted, hand picked the fabric & cushion type, and in about two weeks I had a new couch! He's been in the biz for 30+yrs and made me feel confident every step of the way. He even delivered it to my house for a reasonable fee. I would definitely use these guys again and have already recommended them to all my friends. read more

We love our sofa! We've had it 6 months now, and it's holding up great. John was able to accommodate all of our requests, and it looks beautiful. read more

Ordered and received a couch and 6 chairs in modernist style. Took 3 weeks or so and absolutely love everything. I had a custom width to match a dimension in my house (a Schindler designed house) and it was perfect. Great job. read more

I found the factory through Yelp and the reviews were crucial in using U Design It. John was very helpful. Reasonable price and sofa came out as designed and on time. Very satisfied. read more

I designed exactly what I wanted with John. There was a small problem and he corrected it no questions asked. Great customer service, beautiful furniture, and fair prices! read more

Working with Juan was great. He is patient and helpful and diplomatic, which made selecting materials easier for my wife (the Commodore) and I to agree. Did a good job on the recovering (sofa, 2 chairs, ottoman and 4 benches. Reasonable costs with pick-up and delivery. read more

Awesome service. Awesome couch. Awesome price. Don't overpay at a furniture store....what you get here so so much better! Support your local small business and get a smokin' good deal and smokin' hot furniture! read more