Bea Furnishings
Bea Furnishings was founded in 2017 in Santa Barbara as a service-based upholstery business, offering both residential and commercial work. From antique reupholstery to custom cushions, all work is approached with care, expertise, and precision.
Rooted in a deep respect and understanding of the upholstery trade, Bea Furnishings draws not only from hands-on work experience, but also from a background in interior design and collaborative work within the trades.
The next chapter of Bea Furnishings includes a retail collection of pieces made from rare, vintage deadstock fabrics. This includes a line of throw pillows, as well as one-off, upholstered pieces available for purchase online and in retail locations.
Looking forward, Bea Furnishings is evolving beyond traditional upholstery. The future is grounded in exploration, pushing the boundaries of what upholstered furniture can be. Through the use of unexpected materials, forms, and concepts, the goal is to create pieces that exist not only as furniture, but as art.
About Joanna “Bea”
Named after her grandmother, Beatrice Joan Shultz, Joanna Beatrice works under the name Bea—an artist identity that carries both legacy and intention.
Raised in Solvang, CA, Joanna studied Interior Design at Santa Barbara City College and later earned her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from San Francisco State University.
After exploring different paths within the design world, she found her way to upholstery—drawn to its physicality, precision, and transformative nature. The trade itself held a deeper appeal: its rarity, and the level of long-term commitment required to truly be skilled. With no prior experience, she relocated to High Point, NC at the age of 23 to study at Guilford Technical Community College.
From there, her experience expanded across the country. While in North Carolina, Bea worked in factory production at Stickley Furniture, and continued developing her craft through a wide range of upholstery work, from antique restoration to new builds, in cities including New York City and Denver.
After seven years immersed in the trade, Joanna returned to Santa Barbara to establish Bea Furnishings.
Her work is driven by a desire to shift how upholstered furniture is valued and experienced. While her foundation is rooted in a self-driven, hands-on approach to learning the craft, her commitment to precision and quality reflects a much larger vision.
Joanna is not only an upholsterer—she is building toward a role as a curator of furniture. Through her work, she aims to push the boundaries of design, elevating upholstery as both a craft and an art form, and fostering a deeper appreciation for the materials, process, and presence of upholstered pieces in our lives.
