Upholstery Is Not a Dying Art: How Riana LeJeune Is Bringing It Back

Описание: What does it take to turn worn, outdated furniture into luxury, and turn creativity into a lasting legacy?

In this episode of NAWBO On the Go, we’re sitting down with Riana LeJeune, owner of Repinned Luxury Upholstery Workroom, NAWBO Iowa member, and the chapter’s Woman Business Owner of the Year.

Riana’s entrepreneurship story did not start with a “luxury brand” blueprint. It started with saying yes, refinishing secondhand finds for fellow moms, then pivoting into upholstery when she realized the craft was being misunderstood as “dying” simply because education is not accessible.

And as she puts it, “after all, what is a room without furniture?”

We also talk about the bigger mission behind the work, including how motherhood shaped Riana’s drive to build something that lasts and why she advocates for neuro-inclusive hiring practices after her daughter’s diagnosis (and her own later-in-life diagnosis).

Plus, we get into the innovation side of her journey:

Why upholstery businesses often struggle to scale (and what can change that)

How Repinned helped create Iowa’s first registered apprenticeship for custom upholstery with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship

Her AI-powered visualization platform Renewable, built to help home furnishing pros quote faster, sell smarter, and bring artisans more visibility

What it looks like to build tech while staying rooted in craft, community, and storytelling

If you’re a woman business owner building something uncommon, reinventing yourself, or trying to scale a skill-based business without losing your soul, this one is for you.

Learn more about NAWBO: https://nawbo.org