Hidden Gems: Meet Chelsee Karnes of Doug’s Upholstery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsee Karnes.

Hi Chelsee, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Abilene, TX and learned to sew from my grandma. I bought my first sewing machine when I was eighteen years old and haven’t looked back. I’ve always found myself gravitating towards creative, artistic, and maker communities. That’s one thing that drew me back to Austin after living out of state for over a decade. I knew I wanted to be close to family, but nowhere else in Texas has what Austin does.

In my twenties, I began sewing bicycle gear – messenger bags, backpacks, that sort of thing. I found the market was already saturated (I was living in the Mission District of San Francisco) and it was hard to break in – it wasn’t a sustainable way to make a living. So like most artists, I did a lot of bartending. I also began taking courses in metal sculpture and art history at the Academy of Art University. At the time, I still was unsure where art was going to take me, but I knew I had to keep it in my life to maintain a mental stability. At some point, I put down the art and picked up the bottle. San Francisco is very much a party town and I was having more fun than anyone. After too many hazy memories and failed relationships, I decided to move to Oregon and start over. A year and a half of living in Eugene, Oregon I got pregnant with my son and everything changed. I am happy to say I live a drug and alcohol-free life for three years now and feel f*cking great!

And just like that, the creativity came flooding back. At this point, my hands cannot create fast enough for my mind spitting out new ideas I obsess over until they are done and I’ve made it.

I’ve always wanted to be my own boss and the natural evolution of my craft has been to larger, more complex projects, so upholstery was definitely appealing! After an apprenticeship in Austin, I’m making the leap and have started refurbishing upcycled pieces and doing repairs on benches and barstools at a handful of Austin bars, restaurants, and tattoo parlors.

The name Doug comes from a childhood nickname. I have a twin sister and our mom calls us “Doug and Toby”. I grew up with a very young single mom, and much like her I aspire to build my own successful business. Still to this day, if I called her right now and she answered the phone she would say,” Hey Doug.”

I know I will always be a maker, and right now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else in a better place. I feel at this point, I’m coming into my own creatively, socially, and mindfully.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Returning to Austin in the summer of 2021 was one of the most chaotic experiences of my life. I decided to move back to be nearer to my family. I have a son who was one year old at the time, Olly Evan. (He’s named after Dolly Parton) On top of managing the move with him being so young and it being the middle of the pandemic- unfortunately, during the move my entire tool collection, including my sewing machines and fabrics, both of which took years to build up – were stolen by the moving company we hired that simply never showed up with all of our things. It was thousands of dollars worth of tools and supplies that I used daily to make my living. It was devastating.

This happened last August and I’ve been slowly rebuilding my tool kit. Even small hand tools that are related to upholstery can be costly. I got a job at a local upholstery studio within three weeks of arriving in Austin and with every paycheck, I would buy one tool, or if I worked extra hours I’d allow myself to buy something more expensive like a foam cutter and then a button maker. It was a huge blow to arrive here empty-handed but it wasn’t possible to give up – if anything, I ended up feeling more committed to making it work. I truly believe holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick. I worked threw my anger and disappoint by upholstering furniture I picked up off FBM for free. If you find yourself pissed off at an uncontrollable situation, I highly suggest ripping apart an entire couch with a staple puller and a mallet.

Olly and I love our neighborhood in East Austin and things are certainly looking up this spring. We’ve met some great people and reconnected with old friends I haven’t seen in over fifteen years. The city has really grown in the decade+ that I was absent. I’m excited to get to raise my son right here in the Hill Country.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We specialize in custom upholstery and furniture repair. I’m really committed to a world with less waste so giving new life to well-used pieces is extremely gratifying.

Our business also has a mobile service, where we come to your business or home to do the repairs so you don’t have to worry about getting that couch through the doorway.

I also upcycle quite a lot and have many pieces with unique fabrics that I sell. My business is one month old so right now you can see the pieces on Instagram, and in the next couple of weeks we will have a website up to showcase the furniture for sale, I’m really going to work towards getting a small storefront in the near future. Since I only refurbish pieces that I upcycle, I can keep my prices low. A lot of thought and creativity goes into this element of my business- it’s where my personal style gets to be expressed! I’m a 90s baby so a lot of what I create draws inspiration from that decade.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I’m new to it, but I’ve got a presence on social media now for Doug’s Upholstery and I’m blown away by the support and morale-boosting I get from other creatives across the world. It’s inspiring, but I’d also like to network more locally.

I would love to collaborate with other Austin artists! I have some furniture pieces that I can’t finish until I find a metalsmith and a woodworker. I’m always on the lookout for textile artists to collaborate with, and I’m also looking for a home for my storefront and workspace and I would love if it was a part of a larger community.

Contact Info:

• Email: dougs.upholsteryATX@gmail.com
• Website: www.dougsupholsteryatx.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougsupholstery/

Image Credits:
Thierry Denevers