Sofa Disassembler
December 7, 2005
Big sofa, small hall? You need a sofa disassembler. And a family that’s ‘been in sofas’ for three generations is our pick: Z Bros., 914.769.3839. Joe Zeolla’s grandfather used to build sofas and his father started Z Bros. 34 years ago.
A standard sofa breakdown costs in the $250 range. Their work is guaranteed and they’re bonded and insured. They do the work in your apartment whenever that’s possible, but they also have a warehouse to disassemble and reassemble. If you buy a couch that you know is trouble, you can have it shipped directly to their warehouse. If you buy a couch that you don’t know is trouble and it’s currently wedged into a staircase, Z. Bros. will make an emergency call (for an additional fee).
One way to avoid S.U.S. (Sofa Uncertainty Syndrome) is to ask the sofa retailer if they will make a “fit call” as it’s sometimes known. That means they send someone out to check halls, doorways, and other potential tight squeezes and determine whether the couch will fit. Room and Board, for example, will do a fit call for $30. Z Bros. will also come out for an ‘estimate,’ as they call it. That’s $50, but the fee gets deducted from the final price if you use their service.
Lamp Repair
March 21, 2006
Repair
Restoration and Design Studio, 249 E. 77th [2nd/3rd] 212.517.9742, is run by Paul Karner, who restores many kinds of things but specializes in repairing lighting fixtures. He does rewiring and can recreate missing pieces such as sockets.
City Knickerbocker, 665 11th [48th/49th] 2nd flr. 212.586.3939. This family-owned company has been around since 1906 selling antique, reproduction, and contemporary lighting, though they’ve moved to this new 11th Avenue location. ‘City Knick’ also does fine work repairing all kinds of lamps.
Lite Brite Neon, 232 3rd St. [3rd Ave.] Bklyn 718.855.6082, was started in 1997 and since then has become the go-to place for neon repair. The company also sells its own very cool line of designs.
Parts
Grand Brass, which was a retail store for more than 90 years, has closed up their Soho shop and now sells its merch online from their Brooklyn warehouse. It’s an incredible selection of lamp hardware, bulbs, chains, dimmers, sockets, shades, crystal prisms, switches, lamp wire, et al. Just ignore the creepy animated guide to the site (though it’s kinda fun, after she’s done with her spiel, to make her eyes follow your cursor).
The Fix Is In
August 15, 2008
Appliance Parts
For your fridge, your oven, microwave, AC, and many other appliances, RepairClinic.com offers an amazing array of parts and accessories.
Audio Repair
“We have seen the future…and we can fix it” is the motto of Soundsmith, 914.739.2885, the single best place for audio repair we have found anywhere. That’s why so many people send off their turntables, amps, speakers, receivers, DVD players, and VCRs to this Peekskill company – and have for over 30 years.
Furniture Repair
Joseph Biunno Ltd., 129 W. 29th [6th/7th] 212.629.5630, is a third-generation company with a staff of artisans for carving, cabinetmaking, turning, gilding, polishing, painting, metal work, and custom drapery hardware.
Glass Repair
Apprenticed in a glass factory at age 15 in Czechoslovakia, Augustine Jochec is considered one of the best glass restorers anywhere. His business, Glass Restorations, 1597 York [84th/85th] 212.517.3287, has been in NYC since 1970. You can have your repair done fast or done right – Mr. Jochec, artisan that he is, will choose the latter every time.
Jewelry Repair
At Rissin’s Jewelry Clinic, 4 W. 47th [5th/6th] 212.575.1098, Joe Rissin repairs all kinds of jewelry, both fine and costume, as well as eyeglasses. He fabricates intricate clasps for better pieces. “A good clasp is one you can hear click from 10 feet away,” he says.
Lamp Repair
For rewiring and to have parts replaced, try Restoration and Design Studio, 249 E. 77th [2nd/3rd] 212.517.9742 or Oriental Lamp, 223 W. 79th [Bway/Amst] 212.873.0812 and 816 Lex [63rd] 212.832.8190.
Porcelain Repair
With porcelain, there are two kinds of repair: “museum” and “commercial” – “museum” does the least amount of interfering with the piece, so you’ll still see the cracks. When things break, wrap each piece separately so there is no grinding of the edges and take them to ARK Restoration, 252 W. 37th [7th/8th] 212.244.1028 or Hess Restorations, 200 Park Ave. South [17th] 212.260.2255.
Reweavers
You might not want to even touch a sweater this week. But if you’re the plan-ahead type, you can have any holes, tears, or rips repaired to a sweater (or most any piece of clothing) by French-American Reweaving, 119 W. 57th [6th/7th] Room 1406, 212.765.4670 or Superior Weaving and Mending, 41 Union Sq W. [17th] Suite 423, 212.929.7208.
