The Book

In 2009 we began work on the upholstery book—the first in our pattern book series.  We commissioned over 200 hand-drawn illustrations from artist Anara Mambetova-Finkelstein.  These drawings present a comprehensive range of ideal models of upholstery, from traditional to contemporary.  Each sofa, chair, day bed, roundabout, chaise lounge, ottoman, and bench are rendered in black pen to clearly convey the design elements.

The world of upholstery does not have a unified language.  We hope to begin the process of systemizing many of the terms and techniques, and identifying by name, commonly used models, such as the Paley sofa, Odom chair, and of course the Bridgewater!  The confusion over the terms “roll”, "scroll" and “English” when defining a particular arm can result in the wrong shape for your sofa. 

For this reason, images will always be valuable, but practical information like pitch and other measurements, fabric widths, filling materials and construction, are equally important.  Our informative appendices and introductory text address the practical considerations one must take into account before talking to an upholsterer and selecting a size or style of sofa or chair, or before selecting a fabric from a showroom.

Contributions from trained artisans will be included in each pattern book. For the upholstery book we are very fortunate to have custom upholsterer, Jody Xuereb, as a contributor.  With over twenty years designing and constructing upholstery for discriminating clients, Jody provides the invaluable technical eye and voice that the upholstery book needs.

Our philosophy

We believe in quality craftsmanship and attention to detail.  The subjects we choose to focus on, as well as the physical make-up of our books, reflect this.  Each title in our pattern book series will be well bound in ¼ cloth and durable boards; and the images are printed on heavy quality art paper to try to replicate the sense of the original drawings.

We love what a good artisan can accomplish and we want to encourage their craft with these books.  Customization allows for personalization, whether one is choosing a sofa, a built-in library, or a glass chandelier blown in Murano.  Using trained artisans to provide custom-built elements in one’s home or office is an option we should all consider more often. 

Our books will facilitate communication with the artisan, and between the architect or interior designer and their client.  Knowledge and understanding help us avoid costly mistakes and delays.

Background

As a bookseller for over 18 years I learned that many reference books were not available to the professional interior designer or architect. In fact, many architectural details and interior design elements were simply neglected by the high-end publishers.

I started to make a list of the subjects that were in demand: paneling, staircases, fireplaces, doors, windows, built-in cabinetry, lighting, decorative plasterwork, furniture histories (especially Italian!), pillows, upholstery and so on.

When I founded Bauer and Dean Publishers over two years ago, we decided to fill the gap by producing a series of visual sourcebooks on these subjects.  We based the format on the pattern book—a model of publishing that originated in the 18th century.  These pattern books offered ideal designs that an architect or cabinetmaker could use to replicate. 

End in sight!

Producing a book is an arduous process involving a team of talented people who design the layout, draw the illustrations, proofread the text and analyze the proofs before going to press.  

After two years of exhaustive research and preparation, The Pattern Book of Upholstery is ready for the printers. The artwork and book design have been paid for, but the printing costs, including prepress proofs, are a hurdle you can help us clear!

We have come this far and now need your support to get to the final stage of actually printing the book.  With your help The Pattern Book of Upholstery will be available this summer.

Funding

Your contributions will pay for:

• Pre-press proofs
• Printing costs for the first 3,000 copies
• Duty fees at the NY port
• Freight forwarding to the warehouse

Upholstery is just the beginning!  If we exceed our Kickstarter goal we will use the additional funds to prepare the Pattern Book of Lighting and the History of Venetian Furniture for the printers.

Please visit our website to learn more about our projects and for further video interviews with our authors: www.baueranddean.com

We thank you in advance for your support!