The scent of steamed wood and upholstery foam clings lightly to the air inside Anees Upholstery’s Chicago workshop. Natural light pours in through industrial windows, illuminating bolts of fabric, hand-shaped frames, and the quiet choreography of skilled hands at work. Here, in a space that hums with intention rather than urgency, a curved chair begins its transformation—not by machine, but by memory, muscle, and touch.
For nearly three decades, Anees Upholstery has quietly built a reputation among top interior designers as the place where bold visions and refined craftsmanship meet. Founded in 1997 by master upholsterer Mujahid Anees, the studio began as a one-man operation and has grown into a multigenerational family business. Today, it’s run in part by Mujahid’s son, Wahaj Anees, who oversees the evolution of the brand while staying true to its hands-on ethos.
Every piece at Anees is bench-made, start to finish, in their Chicago facility. Frames are built from kiln-dried hardwood, steam-bent with care, and layered with precision-cut foam. Upholstery isn’t an afterthought—it’s the soul. Whether it’s a sculptural mohair chaise or a sharply tailored banquette, the pieces coming out of this studio feel as considered as couture.
The process is deeply collaborative. Designers often send sketches, inspiration boards, or sometimes just a feeling—and the team at Anees turns that into engineered furniture, drawing on decades of experience and an intuitive understanding of proportion and pitch.
Inside the workroom, you’ll find long-serving artisans who’ve perfected techniques that rarely appear on spec sheets: hidden hand-stitched seams, blind tufting, curved welt lines that sweep like calligraphy. There’s a rhythm to the way they work—measured, intentional, and quietly masterful.
And while the studio stays grounded in tradition, it’s hardly stuck in the past. The team is fluent in the language of modern interiors, adept at interpreting the vocabulary of contemporary design without losing the craftsmanship at the heart of their identity.
In the Showroom
Now on the floor at Dennis Miller: an Anees-designed swivel chair upholstered in creamy mohair, its recessed base nearly invisible, the silhouette curved like a comma. It doesn’t shout. It draws you in.
See It In Person
Experience the craftsmanship of Anees Upholstery up close at the Dennis Miller showroom. And discover what it means to collaborate with a maker who truly listens.