Rebranding a custom upholstery business for growth

Overview

This custom upholstery and furniture restoration business had built a strong reputation entirely through word of mouth, but its name and web presence hadn't kept pace with the quality of its work or the higher end clients it was already attracting. I renamed and rebranded the business as Atelier Arruzo and rebuilt its site end to end, backed by user research, to position it for a broader home and commercial décor business.

The Challenge

A competitive review against similarly positioned upholstery and furniture restoration businesses found the business's own site was thinner than most of its direct competitors: no gallery for past work, no way for clients to reach out beyond a phone call, and nothing that reflected the high end clients it was already earning by reputation alone. The identity and site needed to read as a design studio capable of more, without losing the hands on craftsmanship the original business was known for, a balance that's easy to get wrong in either direction.

The Approach

I started with research: an empathy map of prospective clients, then a problem statement and hypothesis (an intuitive site with clear service information would put clients at ease and encourage them to reach out) to keep the redesign anchored to a measurable goal, more site traffic and more inquiries, rather than a visual refresh for its own sake. A How Might We session turned that research into concrete directions: stand out from direct competitors by showcasing higher end work, build trust with success stories and reviews, and make it easier for both clients to reach out and staff to add new project photos. I ran those ideas through a MoSCoW pass to scope the first release deliberately: reviews, company background, a contact form with image upload, and a real portfolio of past work made the cut, while e-commerce and any pricing or sale messaging stayed out of scope for this phase.

Competitive analysis comparing the business against four direct competitors on price, services, reviews, and website features — Benchmarking the business against direct competitors surfaced how much its own site was lagging behind, despite a stronger reputation.

MoSCoW prioritization grid sorting features into Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won't Have — A MoSCoW pass scoped the first release: real reviews, a proper portfolio, and an easy way to get in touch, with e-commerce and pricing left out for now.

Hand drawn pen and paper wireframe sketches for the homepage, services, gallery, success stories, and contact pages — Early pen and paper sketches translating the prioritized features into page layouts.

Grayscale mid-fidelity wireframes for Home, ReUpholstery, Gallery, Success Stories, About Us, and Contact Us — Mid-fidelity wireframes locking down structure before the new identity was applied.

The finished rebrand and site: the new Atelier Arruzo name and identity applied across all seven pages.

The Outcome

A rebrand and site positioned to support the business's expansion beyond custom upholstery into home and commercial décor, scoped by real research and prioritization rather than guesswork, with a visual language flexible enough to grow with the work.