The Art of Upholstery is Alive and Well
Congratulations and well wishes to J. Jammal Upholstery & Decor! As this third-generation family business approaches its 59th year, the client list continues to expand through devoted word of mouth and the advances of technology. Design afficionados flock to their IG posts and videos to observe the process of authentic and meticulous furniture restoration. “It is definitely a work of art. You are taking what is often a family heirloom and taking it down to a blank canvas to rebuild it,” Jim Jammal explains, speaking from his apartment atop the ground-floor workshop at 647 Newark Ave. At 32, Jim expertly runs the family business with a team of two full-time and two part-time employees. They work six days a week minimum restoring and refurbishing classic well-made furniture to its former glory. All the while adding modern enhancements and fabric as needed or desired.
A second major element of the business is commercial work, which Jim credits his father’s work ethic for building; “My father was responsible for our commercial business being what it is today. He brought in restaurant clients for major projects like Sbarro’s and Houlihan’s and then Newark Airport.” Fast forward to today and J. Jammal upholstery work is everywhere - both custom and larger scale projects. Custom includes work in homes across the City and local restaurants like Orale, Matthews and White Star. Larger scale projects in JC and NYC include work at the Newport Mall, headquarters of Nike and Google, residential buildings, a major project at a Times Square Hotel and long-standing work in Broadway theaters. All we can say is walk by their cozy workroom on Newark Ave. – still looking like the mom-and-pop shop that started it all -and you will be utterly amazed at their output.
None of this success is surprising once you know about the storied history of the Jammal family.
How they ended up in Jersey City is a fascinating story. Jim’s grandparents were Jordanian while
his father was born in Jerusalem and lived in Palestine. The whole family were Arabic Assyrian Catholics and migrated to England in 1946 after England granted independence to Israel. In the conflict that ensued, Jim’s 12-year-old uncle was shot in the leg and thankfully due to a family member’s military service, the family were issued passports to England and eventually made it to America in 1963. (It was that same uncle, mind you, who would donate a blood marrow transplant to Jim’s father that would save his life but that is another awesome story). After the entire clan landed in Jersey City, Jim’s parents and grandparents first set up shop at 780 Newark. They lived in an apartment upstairs from the ground floor upholstery business. Everyone was involved growing the business. “My grandmother and mother worked and sewed and taught me the ropes as my father worked downstairs.” His father’s entrepreneurship included renting business spaces in that area – what we now know as India Square – to members of the Indian community when others were not willing to do so.
The Jamaal family is a shining example of what makes Jersey City what it is today – the most diverse City in the country bolstered by generational talent, grit and community.
647 Newark Ave., 201-659-3676 jammalupholstery.com IG:jammal_upholstery _