Custom Furniture Guide | Let’s Start Talking About Money
The costs involved in independently crafting handmade custom furniture are high. Creating a beautiful solid wood dining table or a unique credenza takes time to design and build, resources to outfit a shop, and years of learning and experience.
It’s pretty common for potential clients to lead with the question of cost. Or really price. The price is what you pay for the piece. The cost is what it takes the maker to make. While understandable, leading with money is not what high-end, top quality, unique custom furniture is about. There’s more to it than meets the eye.
What Is Your Priority? | Price vs Value
Custom vs store-bought will never be an apples to apples comparison. The long term value of store bought is limited and the quality of materials and methods will never be close to being hand built. Much has been marketed about buying from the big outlets. Remember that you are getting a consumable product that has been manufactured with significant push from accountants and supply chain experts. So, much of it is going to be based on how fast they can produce and ship, and how they can lower their cost of goods.
Think volume over hand-crafted. Many of us grew up with a dining room table or piece of furniture that has lasted generations with its solid construction and high quality materials and finishes. In today’s world that level of quality is difficult, if not impossible, to find at the big box furniture places. Smaller production shops and truly small custom shops are the ones that have the commitment to generational quality.
Time represents the largest cost for any project that represents quality craftsmanship and lasting value. And the first chunk of time is with the design. This is custom furniture, after all, so we’re not taking someone else’s piece off the shelf.
Design collaboration typically takes 8-12 hours or more. This includes, but is not limited to:
Discussions about visions and goals
Time for generating ideas
Drawing those ideas onto paper or 3D modeling software
Design review meetings
Design revisions
Connect With Your Maker | Colorado Furniture
Making a connection with your custom furniture builder is really important at this point. Without it, walk away. Getting the design right is the first step. And it takes time. Time that is not free. If your maker does not charge a separate design fee then it should be wrapped up in the overall price charged. If it’s not, then you should question the vigor with which they’re designing.
Every project varies in size and scope. A custom piece is unique. It takes longer than a production piece. But that’s the beauty here - creating a unique piece tailored to you. We believe that in the details is where the magic lives. Details matter. And they take time.
Are you ready to invest what it takes in your unique lifestyle?