A peek inside the Nicole Crowder Upholstery pop-up in Van Ness

by Marlene Berlin

If you’ve lived around here a while, you might remember the upholstery shop at 4340 Connecticut Avenue. Mill End Shops had a rather traditional bent.

The upholsterer who is opening a pop-up shop at 4340 Connecticut for the next month has a more modern aesthetic. Nicole Crowder of Nicole Crowder Upholstery likes to give her work some “punch.”

Nicole Crowder in her temporary showroom at 4340 Connecticut Avenue.

The dining room chair in the photo above has two fabrics, one muted and the other an orange that gives it that extra punch. She can also turn down the splash to more of a ripple, such as the lime green piping on this teal blue chair.

To prepare for the pop-up opening, Crowder has filled the showroom in the heart of Van Ness with her customized love seats and loungers, mid-century lounge chairs, a dining set, accent chairs, pillows and pouf cushions. A corner where she does her work includes a wall of fabric swatches.

It is our great fortune that Van Ness Main Street and Crowder found each other and are now partnering in this perfect pop-up space to show off her talent. Her work is exciting, as is that of fellow artisans whose work fills out the space. They include Bethany Slater Pottery (@bethanyslater on Instagram), Vintage Glam Tea Party (@vintageglamteaparty), artist Chanae Richards (@olorointeriors), and St. Plant (@st.plant). St. Plant owner Amira El-Gawly has also provided poufs and pillows from Morocco and some of the wall art.

Thinking about refreshing an old piece of furniture? Or perhaps you’re looking for a unique item to fill a long-ignored space. Crowder will be there to consult with you. The official opening day is Friday, October 25th after the Thursday pop-up preview event from 5 to 8 p.m. Bethany Slater Pottery, Sweet Evelyn and Frères Branchiaux Candle Co. will join Crowder for the evening.

After that, the pop-up shop will open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through November 23rd. Thursday and Friday hours are noon to 6 p.m., and the pop-up will be open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Crowder is planning other events, too. There will be a tea tasting on November 3rd hosted by Vintage Glam Tea Party. Flower shop She Loves Me will be popping into the space around mid-November. Stay up to date by checking Crowder’s Instagram and Van Ness Main Street’s social media accounts.