Hazel Tree Design Studio

05/26/2026

Vendor Spotlight Q&A: Copley Upholstery, Inc. 🪡

For 20 years, Copley Upholstery has been our go-to for upholstery, making them the longest-standing vendor in our little black book. Our co-owner and lead designer, Karen Starr, was first introduced to them by the late interior designer Joel Wolfgang, back when she was his design assistant and just starting in the industry.

Copley Upholstery is a third-generation family business, 36 years strong, with all four sons working alongside mom and dad. Grandma retired back in 2010! The kind of craftsmanship that takes time, skill, years of hands-on experience, and a whole lot of heart.

Pictured here with our design client Amy C are Simon and Gordon Budimlic of Copley Upholstery.

We had the chance to ask the family behind the business a little more about their work with our team and the craft on which they've built their name:

What's your favorite thing about working with Hazel Tree?

"We love Karen and Hazel Tree's focus on sourcing local and sustainable products and services for her clients."

What makes Copley unique?

"We are family-run and focus heavily on using high-quality materials and traditional methods, with a focus on sustainability and being able to save as many pieces from the landfill as possible."

Any favorite or most challenging projects over the years?

"We have been in the business for 36 years now, so it is hard to pick a favorite or the most challenging. Some memorable projects would be those where our pieces are on display at a museum exhibit, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, local hotels, or the Cleveland airport, but truthfully, those pale in comparison to the pieces that have a personal story or sentimental value to our clients."

An upholstery secret most people don't know?

"Most people don't realize how much prep work and years of hands-on experience it takes to create beautiful reupholstered furniture."

Grateful for partners like this. 🤍

Scroll through to see some pieces they did for us and make sure to give them a follow!

05/21/2026

When sound isn’t managed, noise builds, conversations blur together, and people begin to pull back.

We carried that awareness into our work on the Stow Community and Senior Center ( Fun in Stow ). With a large room, vinyl tile flooring, and tall ceilings, the space was set up to amplify every sound rather than soften it. Acoustics had to be part of the plan from the start.

The solution? Suspended acoustic baffles from MDC Interior Solutions, a vendor we love for their work in wall coverings, acoustics, and paints. Designed to absorb sound and support clearer, more comfortable interaction.

But we didn't stop at function. We wanted the baffles to do more than perform. We wanted them to be art. So we leaned into a subtle ombre pattern that adds a soft wash of color, draws the eye upward, and highlights the peak of the ceilings.

Instead of fading into the background, they became a defining feature. Something that not only improves the way the space sounds, but transforms the way it feels.

Swipe to see the before photo!



In Stow Interior Solutions

05/21/2026

Huzzah!! 🎉

🎉🙌Today, we celebrate a monumental victory for community power, as the demolition of 284 Crosby St. (former Theiss Mansion) has been successfully stopped! This triumph is a shining example of what can be achieved when dedicated individuals and groups come together to shape the future of Akron. We're excited to see the outstanding ownership matters resolved under the expert guidance of Attorney Max Thomas, and we're confident that a brighter future is on the horizon for our community and this historic home.
📷: Naturaclaimed

05/19/2026

One of our favorite commercial interior design projects from 2025!

05/18/2026

Meet some of the real stars in the lives of our HazelTree clients 🐾

In honor of National Pet Month, we’re celebrating the pets who bring comfort, joy, and companionship to the families we support every day. From loyal cuddle buddies to energetic playmates, these pets are truly part of the journey. ❤️

We would love to see the pets that mean the most to you too. Feel free to share a photo in the comments.

05/16/2026

🌼 🌺
Plant sale in the neighborhood tomorrow!
West Hill Neighborhood Organization tomorrow

05/14/2026

Pairing paint with stone is one of our favorite puzzles to solve. A few principles we always come back to:

→ Pull color from the flecks or secondary tones — not the dominant one
→ Always bring the swatches to the stone, in the actual room light
→ Match the undertones — warm with warm, cool with cool

Here's a sneak peek at a project we're wrapping up after a year-long new build! Stay tuned for final picks. 🎨

05/12/2026

A new record at Hazel Tree! 🖼️

This piece came in at 54" x 78" — officially the largest thing Hazel Tree co-owner and Certified Picture Framer Jon has ever framed!

For perspective, when we say "oversized" around here, we usually mean 40" x 60" mats and backing boards. This one needed materials in a whole different category:

➡ Only a couple of matboards on the market are large enough for a piece this size, and they come only in white or off-white.
➡ The backing board had to be pieced together. Nothing comes that big as a single sheet.
➡ We got genuinely lucky sourcing a piece of UV-filtering acrylic large enough to cover the whole thing (it's shatter-resistant, lightweight, and protects the art from fading).
➡ And the final twist? After all that work, we couldn't get it around the corner to leave the shop. It had to go out flat, straight through the gallery window opening where Jon and Steve are standing.

Every oversized piece comes with its own puzzle to solve. If you've got something unusual that needs framing, bring it in. We're up for the challenge!

05/09/2026

Sometimes the bravest design decision is the one that makes people say, "Wait, you did what?"

This condo had two and a half bathrooms and almost no storage. On paper, it looked fine. In real life, it wasn't working. Our client knew it, and we knew it too. So, we removed a half bathroom and created a catch-all closet that the client actually needed.

One detail worth mentioning: we didn't remove the plumbing. It's capped off, so the owner could easily restore the powder room if they ever wanted. The change works for how our client lives now, without closing the door on what someone else might want later.

Again, it's not a decision we'd make lightly or suggest often. But sometimes the right answer is the one nobody expects!

05/08/2026

Check out these beautiful cabinets from our friends at Strauss Studios! 😍