By Carol Fisher-Linn
Custom builds, on-site or in-shop repairs, and reupholstery…
I called Mark Bukowiecki to interview him about his work. The first thing he said to me was, “do you know Johnny the Barber? He’s a really nice guy – in his 40s and has been a very successful barber in this area (Cattaraugus County) for many years.” As he started to tell me more about how great Johnny the Barber is, I interrupted and asked what Johnny had to do with an interview about Pumpkin Hollow Furniture. It turns out he was getting to that but first had to tell me how great Johnny is. That told me a bit about the nature of the person I was dealing with. Bukowiecki is hardly a “blow your own horn” kind of guy.
Back to Johnny the Barber. It turns out he bought a 1914 barber chair once used in Ellicottville, perhaps on Monroe Street. He asked Mark if he could bring that old relic back to life. Bukowiecki took it apart, repaired and reupholstered it and it is now used in the barber shop.
I met Bukowiecki when my own recliner misbehaved. Bear Hollow sent him to me so I thought he was their repair guy. It turns out he is freelance and is a contracting repairman for several companies in the area including Bear Hollow Furniture in Great Valley, Singer Country Furniture in Lewis Run and Carpets Unlimited in Belmont.
In the beginning, Bukowiecki began as an independent carpenter doing kitchen and bath remodels. As business slowed, he worked for Olean’s Raymour and Flanigan taking care of their furniture repairs and learning the furniture repair trade. When he left Raymour & Flanigan, he started his own business, Pumpkin Hollow Furniture based out of his residence on Pumpkin Hollow Road in Great Valley. Bukowiecki, his wife Courtney Ingham and their three children might be considered “mini homesteaders” between their home-based businesses, growing a good portion of their own fresh food, raising chickens, and home-schooling their children. Ingham taught language arts in the NY public school system until she decided to stay home to have their children and school them herself. Their eldest will be graduating high school this year. These days, she is also a Director of Programs at Real Vitality, a Birth and Healing Arts Advocate, an independent instructor offering online classes for women and families and publishes free astrology updates on Substack.
Bukowiecki says, “I’m still a repair guy, but the majority of my work these days is in reupholstering.” A dealer for Charlotte Fabrics, he rebuilds pieces and will also build an entire sectional for your room’s specific contours. Even if a piece is poorly made and has gone past it’s intended life (some age out at 7 years) he can amp it up, replace with higher quality materials, screws instead of staples and extend the life of the piece. Go to his business Facebook page, Pumpkin Hollow Furniture, and you will find a sampling of the kind of furniture building he can do. As for rebuilding furniture, he’s your guy. He repairs broken boards, replaces legs, and swaps out tired saggy cushions for firm, crisp new ones. He noted that it was interesting that an unusual amount of people wanted cushions swapped out this year. When I asked about springs in a 40-plus year-old sofa my husband wants us to keep resurrecting, Bukowiecki says springs very often retain their resilience. That being said, he will tell you fairly what your piece of furniture might need. Bukowiecki stressed that one thing he won’t attempt to replace is veneer. He might be able to replace a piece here or there but will not attempt a complete overhaul. If you have a beloved piece you can’t part with but it truly cannot be used as is, call Mark Bukowiecki to create his little bit of magic to give it new life.
For more examples of Bukowiecki’s work, follow Pumpkin Hollow Furniture on Facebook. He can be contacted by phone at 716-604-6426 or email at pumpkinhollowfurniture@gmail.com.