Recloth Modern

Recloth Modern owner Asil Teebi learned the importance of following her heart from her father. He had been a doctor, encouraged by his own father to find a profession that would provide well for a family. But his first love was painting. “And Arabic poetry,” Asil adds.

Her father also had a passion for collecting antiques but didn’t have the time to have each piece restored. When he died, Asil’s mother didn’t know what to do with his collection. Asil, who shared her father’s love of antiques, said she would have them. She pleaded with her mother to let her finish what he had started.

“It started off with a pair of chairs that he had,” Asil recounts. “I started painting them; I recovered the seats, but it was far from perfect, so I decided to take some courses at an upholstery shop. I did learn a better way of doing things, but I realized that upholstering is a craft, not just something I could dabble in. That’s when I realized I should just go with a professional.”

Once she found upholsterers with a high level of skill, Asil began her own workshop in Mississauga. Four years later, in the fall of 2014, she opened a showroom on Roncesvalles in Toronto’s west end. She felt there were an excessive number of warehouse-style upholstery shops across Toronto, but felt she had something unique to offer. At Recloth Modern, Asil doesn’t just make sure the material is replaced and the wood is restored properly, she helps design the look of each piece from top to bottom.