Why Choose Custom Furniture Over Retail

What is Retail Furniture?

You know the answer to this one. It’s the furniture you find ready to buy at a furniture store or online. It’s pre-made with a limited range of options such as fabric color that you can purchase quickly as you need it at a seemingly low price. Would you be surprised if I told you that the price might be higher than you think?

For example, a client wanted to replace two vintage Henredon chairs in her master bedroom. Her preferred budget was around $500 per chair. This price point gets you a similar, nice looking chair made from less expensive materials that will not last as long as the better made originals. She would be spending the money again to buy new chairs in 3-5 years.

I showed her that by spending a little more per chair ($275 including fabric and labor) she could get a semi-custom, updated look, save those chairs from the landfill, and they would last at least another twenty years. Not only did the workroom change the fabric, but they also reworked the arms to look more balanced, and changed the legs to something more substantial that better fit the chair for the same price.

What is Semi-Custom Furniture?

Sometimes Your designer may have more options that you can choose from to customize the piece that you want to purchase. More fabric choices, leg style and finish, cushion upgrades, etc. These add to the cost of the piece and you get closer to getting exactly what you want and takes a little longer to receive. Typically 6-8 weeks. The size options are limited as well.

What is Custom Furniture?

I bet you can guess! Also called “bespoke” or “hand-crafted”, this means that your designer creates a piece of furniture from scratch that fits exactly what you want and need. The size, the fabric, leg style and finish, cushion inserts, etc. can all be made to order. Yes, this takes longer to make since the frame itself is not mass produced and is usually made by hand. The piece is made to last from better materials as well. Expect 8-12 weeks.

Why Should You Choose Custom Furniture?

1. It’s not always cheaper in the long run. Spend a little more in the beginning for a higher quality chair that will last for many years and doesn’t need to be replaced as often. Think of your furniture as an investment and custom pieces will save you money because you won’t be replacing it nearly as often and maybe instead of replacing it, you can reupholster to get more use out of those pieces.
2. You maximize space in your floor plan. Your designer puts together a furniture plan that not only looks beautiful, but fits perfectly in your space. Many times, the furniture that you find in the store looks like it will fit, but you may not have measured beforehand to make sure. After your purchase and on the day it arrives is not the time to find out that it doesn’t fit. Your investment makes more sense when you let your designer build custom pieces that you know will fit the space before it ever arrives.
3. No one else will have the same piece of furniture that you do. It’s unique. You get one of a kind pieces that are timeless. Designers work closely with their vendors to create each piece specifically for your home or office.
4. You get to choose the fabrics and finishes. Retail stores may have limited fabric selections that are offered because they are popular. This means that many people have chosen the exact same fabric or what you see is the only choice. What is offered may or may not work with the rest of the colors in your home. With a designer, your fabric options are endless and he or she can pare those options down to just the right choices for you. We have a library of fabrics to choose from and you can see and feel the fabrics right in the room where it will live.
5. Custom furniture pieces are typically hand-crafted, packaged, and delivered with care. Each piece is wrapped carefully to protect it during transit and your designer has a team of people who store and deliver those pieces to your home. Retail pieces are mass-produced and hastily packaged for quick delivery. I have seen pieces from retail vendors that had to be replaced because they were damaged in the warehouse before they were packed for shipment. The replacement also arrived damaged and it had to be repaired which incurred an extra expense.

When you hire a designer to create unique pieces, you get what you want and you don’t have to worry about the details because they do that for you. This peace of mind is priceless.

Many people want a beautifully furnished home, but don’t have time to figure out every small detail. Christina Rodriguez of Diva by Design guides you through the process of creating a perfectly planned, personalized, and pulled together space. This way you can relax stress-free in your fully finished home or office. Let us take care of the details so you don’t have to. click here to contact Diva by Design today.

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