Commissioning a piece of custom furniture is not something most people do every day, and so it’s quite normal for people to have questions about the process. Obviously, each customer’s experience is unique to their specific project, so different customers will have different questions, but there are some questions that tend to commonly come up, especially as a potential customer is trying to decide whether working with custom furniture makers is the way to go.
Having completed custom projects for many years, these custom furniture makers serving Murrieta, CA want customers to feel comfortable with the process before starting, so they welcome any and all questions beforehand, as well as throughout the time they’re working together. Here are some of the questions that come up the most.
Is Custom Furniture More Expensive?
At first glance, yes. The price tags on custom-built furniture are typically higher than what you’ll see in a furniture warehouse or retail store. The full answer is a little more complicated, though, because those comparisons are not always apples-to-apples comparisons. Custom furniture and mass-produced furniture are different things, and the differences in prices are usually for good reasons.
One of the most important factors to consider is durability. Custom furniture makers take care to use quality materials and time-honored construction techniques, which ensures that the pieces they create will stand the test of time. Not all mass-produced furniture is poorly made, but the quality spectrum is wide, and it can be difficult to truly discern how well what you’re purchasing will hold up. In other words, just because a piece is more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more robust.
In order to truly compare prices, you need to compare pieces that are the same—solid wood construction, the same type of wood used, and the same construction methods. If you are able to find a true comparison like this, then you may find that that custom-built piece is actually less expensive, as there are no middlemen, no retail markups, and no shipping costs if your craftsperson is local.
Does Custom Furniture Take a Long Time to Build?
The answer to this question depends entirely on what you would consider to be a “long time.” Generally speaking, when you purchase a piece at a retail store, you can either take it home that day or arrange for it to be shipped to your home within a week or two. Some stores do more customizable pieces where you can choose colors or designs from a menu of options, and those lead times tend to be in the six- to eight-week range.
A piece built by custom furniture makers might take around that amount of time, or it could be longer or shorter. It truly depends on the piece that’s being built. If the craftsperson happens to already have the wood you want on hand and the piece you’re commissioning is a simple piece that doesn’t require a ton of cuts and joinery, then the lead time may be on par with some stores. On the other hand, a piece with rare wood that the craftsperson needs to go source and that has a complicated design or unusual size is going to take longer. Some pieces may even require multiple craftspeople to be involved—for example, not all woodworkers also do upholstery, which means they need to call in another artisan to do that part of the work.
Remember that when you work with custom furniture makers, you are working with one person who is going to do the work with their hands. There’s no assembly line and there’s no factory. That’s how you can be sure your piece is 100% unique. But that also means that the work usually takes a bit longer.
You just need to ask yourself what your non-negotiables are. Is this piece an emergency? If so, that will guide your decision as to whether or not to work with custom furniture makers for it. If quality, durability, and having a one-of-a-kind handcrafted piece are more important than timeline, then that will also guide your decision.
Will the Cost and Time Invested in Custom Furniture Be Worth It?
Absolutely. Any custom furniture maker can confidently answer this question for you because they know that as the customer, you are the most important part of the process. The goal is for the craftsperson to create something that meets your exact specifications, and you will have opportunities for input and feedback along the way.
Once you have made the decision to go with custom furniture makers for your next piece, you likely have already reconciled the time and cost questions. And the question of whether or not it’s worth it in the end will come down to your relationship and communication with the custom furniture makers you are working with. Be sure to choose a craftsperson with whom you can build a good working relationship so that communication is easy and comfortable.
When you meet with custom furniture makers and start discussing your specific project, many more questions will come up, and they are all important. But hopefully, by thinking through the more general questions listed above, you’ll be able to confidently make the first decision you need to make, which is whether custom furniture makers are the right choice for your next furniture piece.
