livenUPdesign

custom handcrafted furnishings

Encinitas, California On Etsy since 2010

2,936 Sales | 5 out of 5 stars

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A buyer bought a gift from this shop and gave it a 5-star review!

livenUPdesign

custom handcrafted furnishings

Encinitas, California | 2,936 Sales

5 out of 5 stars

Shop owner

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Announcement    **Follow along on INSTAGRAM: @livenupdesign

Specializing in custom, handcrafted UPholstered and grasscloth covered furniture.

Located in the eclectic, beach town of Leucadia, California, Liven UP design creates custom furniture with a unique flair and style. Each piece is designed to your specifications then handmade with great care and attention to detail by our talented craftsmen using only kiln-dried, solid hardwood. The result is one-of-a-kind, beautiful furniture that is built to last.

We love creating one-of-a-kind pieces at AFFORDABLE prices that look like the ones you'd see on all the best design blogs or in the pages of high-end design magazines! We can do it. We can do almost anything here...JUST ASK... ;0)

Announcement

Last updated on Sep 21, 2016

**Follow along on INSTAGRAM: @livenupdesign

Specializing in custom, handcrafted UPholstered and grasscloth covered furniture.

Located in the eclectic, beach town of Leucadia, California, Liven UP design creates custom furniture with a unique flair and style. Each piece is designed to your specifications then handmade with great care and attention to detail by our talented craftsmen using only kiln-dried, solid hardwood. The result is one-of-a-kind, beautiful furniture that is built to last.

We love creating one-of-a-kind pieces at AFFORDABLE prices that look like the ones you'd see on all the best design blogs or in the pages of high-end design magazines! We can do it. We can do almost anything here...JUST ASK... ;0)

Items

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2936 Sales
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Team liven UP

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Team liven UP

Reviews

Average item review
5 out of 5 stars
(402)
See reviews that mention:
quality 78 shipping 56 customer service 149

  • courtney on Jan 10, 2020

    5 out of 5 stars

    Gorgeous & fast!!

  • melbristow on Sep 19, 2019

    5 out of 5 stars

    Super fast to get the samples. Also extremely helpful and quick responses to my questions.

  • Mandi on Sep 11, 2019

    5 out of 5 stars

    This seller is very responsive (which is super important when you are working on a custom piece and you are on different coasts of the country)! The final product looks amazing in person and is exactly what we envisioned for this project.

  • Sarah on May 31, 2019

    5 out of 5 stars

    We absolutely love our new bed! Everything turned out perfect and I couldn't be happier. Thank you for the awesome job and great customer service!

  • nancygrube on May 12, 2019

    5 out of 5 stars

    The livenUp team was a joy to work with on this project. The x-Benches are beautiful and well made. I would definitely order again from them.

  • schriss on Apr 29, 2019

    5 out of 5 stars

    These turned out so beautifully! I will definitely be ordering again from this shop!

  • KMJ09 on Apr 29, 2019

    5 out of 5 stars

    Beautiful piece that is both well-made and unique.
    The shop owners are very easy to work with, communicative and quicker turnaround than estimated.

  • Ashley on Apr 26, 2019

    5 out of 5 stars

    Beautiful mirror!

  • schriss on Apr 1, 2019

    5 out of 5 stars

    Absolutely perfect!! Thank you so much! I'm very impressed with the quality of your work!

  • Stephen on Dec 9, 2019

    3 out of 5 stars

    I'm glad I purchased this grass cloth sample packet. Jenn sent multiple samples in the colors I was interested in (black, dark blues, grays). It's important that you have a coated sample to evaluate the sheen from the protective coats. Unfortunately I didn't find anything that suited me. The vinyl sample used in the actual grass cloth table they have on display was too blue (darker in the photo) . I probably could have gotten away with picking just 2 colors and saving myself $6.

About livenUPdesign

Sales 2,936
On Etsy since 2010
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This small business exceeded all expectations...

I look back over the past seven years with humility and, quite frankly, pride. Paul and I are a testament to the fact that hard work, perseverance, determination, and just plain stubbornness do have their rewards. Maybe throw some luck in there for good measure. From a two person business, we have grown substantially to meet demand, quality expectations, and customer satisfaction.

It started out rather innocuously. After spending hours sifting through magazines looking for inspiration for furnishing our own home, I became fascinated with bright, boldly patterned furniture. Wanting to be in a position of selecting my own fabric, I decided to learn how to upholster. I found a discarded chair on the side of the road, loaded it into the car, tore it apart and figured out how to re-finish, re-upholster and re-assemble it. I LOVED the process and began revamping our own furniture.

Soon afterwards, our son started kindergarten. I decided to try to sell some of the pieces I had completed in hopes of creating a small business that would enable me to be home with our son when he was not attending school. This small business exceeded all expectations!

The timing was fortuitous because Paul was ready for a career change. This type of work suited him and his abilities and it was a perfect fit for my creative energies and organizational skills. After careful consideration and a great deal of deliberation, we made the decision to put our time and efforts into a family business.

Paul's expertise and excellence in woodworking are the culmination of tutelage, time and a finely honed talent. Starting as a toddler by the side of his Grandfather, a college Professor with a passion for woodworking, Paul was gradually introduced to the various tools in his Grampie's expansive workshop. At first together, and then alone, Paul crafted simple and then more intricate pieces, some of which were custom designed. Additionally, as a working member of a family owned business, Ainsworth Cottages on Cape Cod, Paul was responsible for accomplishing his share of the maintenance and repairs. From repairing boardwalks, to building kitchen cabinets, to shingling roofs, Paul has always been involved in wood. Paul's skills as a craftsman and his drive for perfection are now showcased in LivenUP; but to him it is another venue to pay tribute to the man who was his mentor, the man he proudly calls, “Grampie.”

In the early years of LivenUP, I completed all of the upholstery work. However, as our business has grown, so has the time I spend working with our customers to assist with creative design. I help with customization with respect to size, shape and style requirements, fabric choices and budget parameters. I am the project manager and supervise time-lines and realization of customer expectations. I manage the customer service and communication aspects of our business and, in order to deliver a high quality item with exacting specifications, communication is a key factor to our success. I also curate the shop and conduct all of the research and development as well as the sales and marketing.

We have worked with some of the BEST designers in the trade and are very proud of our client list! You can see a few examples of the amazing projects in which we have participated in the photos in our shop listings.

Our products have graced the pages of Domino Magazine, Coastal Living Magazine, House Beautiful, HGTV magazine and Luxe Magazine. In addition, LivenUP's products have also been featured in various online magazines and blogs- domino.com, elledecor.com, elementsofstyleblog.com, christinedovey.com, thezhush.blogspot.com, chroniclesoffrivolity.com, thesweetestthingblog.com, and the list continues. If you are interested, please take a moment to read more about us ~ the more knowledge you have about us, the more trust you will have in our ability to manufacture and deliver a unique, quality product.

Regardless of budget constraints or style choices, we treat each project with exacting attention to detail, and customer satisfaction is our ultimate goal. Our completed products include fabrics and grasscloth ranging in price from $6.95 to $300 per yard. No client project is too small; no client question is too insignificant.

We love what we do and the end results provide proof of that!

Shop members

  • Jenn Ainsworth

    Owner, Maker, Designer

    When I am not working (rare) at this happy accident of a business, I am busy being a mom to a spunky 12 year old boy and a ferocious golden retriever named Kip :)

  • Paul Ainsworth

    Owner, Architect, Creator

    Paul can build ANYTHING! He is our on-site Mac Guyver :) He is an amazing craftsman that takes quality VERY seriously. On the rare occasion that he is not in the shop, you'll find him at the beach stand-up paddle surfing OR working on home projects.

  • Jonas

    Upholstery

    Jonas is a second generation upholsterer with a keen eye for detail and pattern placement. His work can be seen throughout our shop- it is A-MA-ZING!

  • Amy

    Right Hand Wo Man

    Amy works closely with Jenn and is helping out with graphic design & marketing. She also works with our amazing clients. When she is not checking in fabric, she is hanging out with her 11 year old son and best furry friend, Gracie.

Shop policies

Last updated on November 15, 2019
We truly enjoy working with people to find the best match for their design aesthetic.

The custom design process is extremely rewarding for Liven UP design and for our clients. We encourage our clients to be a part of the process and are willing to assist them in any way necessary so that they end up with an amazing, custom statement piece to suit their home.

Making custom furniture requires a LOT of time and communication and we do our best to thoroughly and effectively communicate during the design process with all of our clients. We try to spell out every detail of the custom order so there are no issues and/or design miscommunications along the way.

GRASSCLOTH:
Imperfections and slight variations of color are inherent in natural materials, but that is part of what makes the finished product so beautiful. Don’t expect the materials that grasscloth to be uniform in color.

We will send a tested sample to you prior to beginning a project, so that you know what your finished piece will look like. However, it could look slightly different on a table- vs. just a small tested piece. On larger pieces, the fibers and threads can vary greatly- and that might not be represented in your sample piece.
we inspect the paper prior to starting a project, but we are only looking for flaws that are not "normal"...
slight imperfections can and will appear on the finished piece.

We apply 3 coats of clear sealer/top coat to our grasscloth items. This offers a good amount of protection, BUT it is not foolproof. Your grasscloth furniture should be treated as you would a piece of stained wood furniture. We suggest sourcing a glass top for high traffic areas.

WARNING:
Do not place your grasscloth furniture in direct sunlight or near a heat register.
Please make sure your grasscloth furniture is stored in a cool, dry room (lower than 86 degrees fahrenheit.)

Accepted payment methods

Paypal Mastercard Visa American Express Discover Apple Pay Giftcard
Accepts Etsy Gift Cards and Etsy Credits
Returns and exchanges
I don't accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Returns and exchange details
ORDER CANCELLATION:
There will be a 15% order cancellation fee.

If drawings have been sent, there is a $75 charge to cover our time.

WE cannot accept cancellations if an item is in the process of being built or has ben built. In the event that this happens, you will lose the deposit for the order.

Clients are responsible for shipping any unused materials back to them.

REFUNDS:
Refunds are given at the discretion of Liven UP and must be addressed within 30 days of receiving the item.

In the rare event that you wish to return your custom item, please know that Liven UP will not assume responsibility for shipping charges. The customer is responsible for all shipping fees.

All of our furniture is custom made to unique specifications and tastes, therefore we charge a 45% restocking fee for returned items.

ISSUES/PROBLEMS after 30 days:
We will review the issue and determine what compensation, if any will be given. We stand by our furniture and will be fair in our assessments.

REPAIRS:
If there is a repair that needs to be made, if it is determined that we are responsible, we will compensate for up to $50/hour in labor for non-local orders.
Payment
Liven UP requires a deposit of 1/2 of the total purchase to get started. The balance plus shipping is due upon completion and before the item ships. A custom listing will be created for you once we have the quote and totals finalized.

Once we receive your deposit, we add your project to the roster. Lead times are typically quoted from the time we RECEIVE your fabric, not when the order is placed. We complete projects in that order. Liven UP strives for quality, not speed. Rush orders are taken at our discretion.

Liven UP has a strict policy NOT to ship any items until full balance and shipping payments are received.

PLEASE NOTE: We require payment in full for a project within 2 weeks of completion. We function in a small shop and CANNOT store large, boxed items for longer than that. WE like to keep things moving through at a quick pace to stay on track with lead times, etc.
**IF THERE IS A DELAY IN YOUR PROJECT- PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE CAN ADJUST YOUR CUSTOM BUILT ITEM IN THE TIME-LINE ACCORDINGLY.
Shipping
We take shipping VERY seriously at Liven UP. We make sure that all of our items are packed securely and to the shippers specifications so that they will make it to their final destination unharmed. It is a loss for everybody when damage occurs. We do NOT want this to happen, so we do everything we can to ensure that it doesn't!

Our clients are responsible for shipping charges. Quotes will be given BEFORE the project is underway and are based on the zip code provided at that time.
Any changes to the original order or the addition of items after purchase incurs extra shipping charges. Change of destination zip code could mean an increase in shipping / freight charges.

Our larger, custom built items require custom made boxes or crates.

We can ship to a receiver or residence. Residential delivery is more costly.

DAMAGES:
*In the sad event that something happens to your item during shipment, PLEASE NOTIFY US RGHT AWAY! The more time that passes, the less likely we are to be able to file a claim.

ALL shipping companies require that you retain ALL the packing materials associated with the order. ***PLEASE DO NOT BREAK DOWN OR THROW AWAY ANY BOXES OR MATERIALS THAT YOUR ITEMS WERE PACKED IN UNTIL YOU HAVE THOROUGHLY CHECKED THE ITEM FOR ANY DAMAGES, ETC.
Additional policies and FAQs
LEAD TIMES:
We do our best to complete projects within the time-frame we quote; however, all items are custom made to order and sometimes things take a little longer than planned. We promise to keep you updated during the process and aware of any changes related to your order. Happy clients are what we strive for!

*****We do not guarantee completion dates. Please inform us of install dates, etc. and we will do our best to work with you to meet the deadline. But no promises will be made.

If our lead time is an issue, please do not place an order with us. We work as fast as we can without compromising the quality of our goods.

More information

Last updated on Sep 16, 2017
Frequently asked questions
Sizing details

We can customize the size of most pieces we offer in our shop.
The dimensions and information in the listings is a starting point for size/cost.

Wholesale availability

We do not sell to retail shops or furniture manufacturers.

Care instructions

Grasscloth items:
Wipe with damp cloth.
Do not use commercial cleaning products on grasscloth furniture.

Fabric:
Contact the fabric manufacturer for cleaning instructions.

Custom

Everything is made to order. WE do not stock items that are ready to ship.