At House of Covers, we take great pride that our experience building beautiful auto upholstery in Albuquerque over so many years has evolved into the level of expertise, craftsmanship and value that we are known for. Today’s HoC customer will experience the very same level of focus that classic, hot rod, driver, performance, exotic, motorcycle, marine and aviation owners who know us well have come to expect.

Whether a restoration to truly original condition, expert repairs and updates, custom seat covers, car and dash covers, trim and carpet, headliners and convertible tops, to fully unique fabrications, House of Covers in historic Nob Hill on old Route 66 will be here for you just as we’ve been for so many satisfied owners over so many years.

Fire it up! After 26 years in the military as a warrant officer, Hector Gongora was not going to let his organizational skills go to waste. He and a partner with experience in upholstery and trim started their new Albuquerque auto upholstery shop from scratch. To expand, “we called a few auto dealers in the area and they came with us”, and we’ve built House of Covers ever since. “We advertised the first six months and stopped. After that, it had been mostly word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business.”

With a strong managerial background, and an infectious smile and welcoming personality, Hector brought a ”clean” approach to the shop, pure and simple business practices, and a fresh business perspective that has established an extraordinary foundation for the House of Covers you know, today.

Steve Gongora, now retired, will tell you that House of Covers “will always be a family business.” You might find Steve at a local car show or spinning class where he’ll share that HoC is a very labor-intensive business, and “while it’s good to be aware of what the other guy is doing, it’s more important to spend the majority of time minding your own store, which means having the best tools, the very best talent, and having both the cleanest and safest environment for our employees to work in to build exceptional auto upholstery and interiors.” Steve, a super talent and committed car guy, was president and lead craftsman at HoC for close to 40 years, and built and managed a highly skilled staff of craftspeople and technicians.

Along with his wife, Rita, who welcomed new customers with a warm smile and a super-focused level of expertise, Steve and Rita grew House of Covers to become the region’s ‘go-to’ auto upholstery shop. Located in the historic Nob Hill district of Albuquerque on old Route 66, HoC has helped owners across New Mexico and the Southwest maintain their automotive investments and seriously improve their rides.

A craftsman and artisan, and car guy at heart, Jake Schlessinger, nephew to Steve Gongora, will tell you that beautiful automotive interiors are all about the details. And that the details can only happen “one stitch at a time.” In addition to his 20 years expertise beginning as apprentice to both Hector and Steve Gongora, soon becoming shop manager, and with decades of experience building fine auto interiors and in general upholstery, Jake brings a level of sensitivity and significant acumen to the family business.

Now, as president and lead craftsman, Jake drives excellent communication and a culture of accountability at HoC. With the support of his wife, Gabbie, who has deep expertise in customer care and process, Jake and Gabbie are committed to building upon the legacy of House of Covers while nurturing their vision for the future of the family business.

Out of our Albuquerque auto upholstery shop in historic Nob Hill on old Route 66, the House of Covers customer today can expect the very same level of craftsmanship, focus and value that classic, hot rod, driver, performance, exotic, motorcycle, marine and aviation owners who know us well have come to expect.

After over 50 years crafting beautiful auto interiors for customers in Albuquerque and the Southwest, the view from the showroom, our auto upholstery shop, and the HoC Material Vault is still the same – a uniquely fresh perspective that is underlined with innate expertise. You see, House of Covers is a family business and we will always believe in our mission to deliver both a beautiful level of craftsmanship and an extraordinary level of value. You have our name on it.