Doug Moffet of Moffet Kustoms LLC (Granby, MO)
What does being an upholsterer mean to you?
As an upholstery specialist, I have the freedom to make people’s dreams come true and see the excitement in their faces as we bring it to fruition.
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How did you get started in upholstery?
I spent 25 years (starting in 1985) working for a global furniture manufacturing company. Fifteen years of which were in the upholstery department. In 1987, I started my own business on the side doing upholstery in my own shop while still working at my full-time job. In January 2016, I opened Moffet Kustoms LLC full time. I could not have done it without the support of my wife, Rennie. We’ve been married 44 years, and she stands behind me in all my endeavors and projects!
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What types of upholstery do you do?
Starting out I only did furniture; however, my real love was automobiles. Over the years, I have evolved from doing a little bit of all types of upholstery to now being able to focus on custom hot rod interiors with big rig interior work as well.
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How long have you been upholstering?
40 years!
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What is your biggest consumer demand?
Something "one-off" is our specialty.
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What is your favorite upholstery project you've done?
2 of them come to mind: A really nice ‘56 Nomad that we finished last year and a 2000 Peterbilt that was finished last March.
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What is the strangest item you've found in a restoration?
Found a woman's diamond ring in a chair one time. Customer's family was really grateful to get it back!!
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Have you noticed any up & coming trends?
I see a lot of the work that others are posting on the web and I travel to a couple of large shows a year to try to get a finger on the pulse of the trade. I see a lot of people using nice, quality leather and doing really beautiful work. However, I also see several owners that show/ drive their cars on a regular basis that prefer the "high end” vinyls and materials because of the ease of upkeep.
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What changes would benefit the upholstery industry?
Training new people in the trade on how to use their minds and visualize their projects. Be real craftsmen not just "seat changers" as I call them.
Have you ever been featured on television, online, or in another Publication?
- Speed and Kulture Magazine did a feature on a car called "Scalawag" that had our interior work.
- 10-4 Big Rig Magazine has had features on some of the trucks that we've done the upholstery for.
- The Nomad Post had a section on the 1956 Nomad that we did.
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Do you have a shop animal?
Bailey is our black and white Minnie Aussie. She's very comforting to have around.
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Some answers have been edited for clarity.
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