FLUS – Fabric Leather Upholstery Supplies – has only been open for about 15 months, but it’s already building a reputation for its craftsmanship, customer service and fabrics.
Brothers Sami and Abdul Tayarah launched the business in 2020, opening their doors just as other businesses were doing the opposite during the pandemic. But the roots of FLUS go back about seven years, when the brothers’ father, a high-end carpenter, took up the trade and included his sons in the endeavor.
The Tayarah men traveled to the nation’s furniture capital, North Carolina, where they bought some fabric, frames and furniture and then brought them back to Northeast Florida where they began to hone their skills.
The brothers worked hard to learn the process using the frames they had purchased.
“We would upholster it and then just strip it and reupholster it and strip it and reupholster it, perfecting the craft,” he said. “My brother is quite the craftsman now in upholstery. He’s really a master now.”
In those days, they worked out of a warehouse. But then the opportunity arose to open a store, and that’s when FLUS really took off.
Since the beginning, an important consideration has always been the quality of the materials. The Tayarahs attend regular shows in North Carolina to select high-quality fabrics and to keep up with trends.
“I get fabric from all over the world,” Sami Tayarah said. “I have fabric from Turkey, from Germany, from Italy, from Indonesia. Fabric from different countries looks different, feels different. It has different texture, different energy.”
Still, they don’t want to cater only to customers who have deep pockets. While they carry fabrics that start at $100 a yard, they also carry fabrics that start at $15 a yard.
“I want to be able to cater to everybody,” Sami Tayarah said.
Customers have given FLUS glowing reviews online.
“We provide excellent service,” Sami Tayarah said. “And we provide quality. Because my father is a high-end craftsman, and he taught us from a young age not to cut corners. If you’re going to do something, you’re going to do it right.”
Those who are interested in having furniture custom upholstered – or reupholstered – will find the FLUS website a good place to get acquainted with the possibilities. There’s even a 360-degree virtual walk-through.
For further information, go to flusjax.com. The phone number is 904-343-9415.
