U-Fab has announced that it will double its space this summer when it moves to a new 25,000 square-foot location at 3120 W. Marshall St. in Scott’s Addition. The expansion will allow the store to offer more fabrics and custom furniture and will provide it with a larger workroom and more areas for one-on-one consultations. The new location also will offer sewing and upholstery classes, something owner Travis Hamilton says customers have been asking for since the store opened in 2008.
“We have been really pressed for space on Robinson Street,” says Hamilton, who has been considering the move for the past year.
U-Fab has continually grown since it opened in 2008 with just 1,100-square-feet of retail space. In 2009, the business expanded further into its building at 106 S. Robinson St., moved its upholstery shop and office across the river and added a second location in Charlottesville. In 2011, they took over more space on Robinson and in 2013, opened an outlet location near Chesterfield Towne Center.
Not bad for a business Hamilton says he started without a real plan. “I was in the furniture industry and my company was going bankrupt,” he says. “I had no goal. I just needed a job.” A friend, whose mother was an upholsterer, suggested he open a fabric and upholstery shop and he decided to give it a go. He attributes the store’s success to its focus on value and the latest trends. “We have a good eye for design, taste and trend,” he says, “no matter the price point. I think we do a really good job curating.”
With the move, U-Fab’s workroom and offices will again be in the same location as the store, greatly improving the efficiency and communications. “Right now we have a van that goes back and forth between both locations three times a day with different stuff and people,” he says.
The larger space will also allow U-Fab to expand its custom furniture offerings from Dexter and Younger Furniture which allow customers to use any of U-Fab’s fabrics on its frames.
Hamilton says U-Fab also will be adding more rugs, occasional tables and accent furniture to its mix, but that the store will “still focus on custom furniture, fabric and fabrication.”
U-Fab is expected to relocate sometime this summer. “We love the up-and-coming vibe of Scott’s Addition with the breweries and other neighbors. We’re kind of a [shopping] destination, we we didn’t want to be located anywhere with heavy retail. It will be easy for our customers to get in and park.”
