Custom vs. Store Bought Furniture

I often work with clients in Manhattan who have serious constraints on the dimensions of the furniture they need to fit their space. They ask for a combination of style and function, but often when you're looking for something in a very specific size, the style can fall short. That is why I often suggest to my cleints to go custom. Their first reaction is normally, "That is way too expensive!" But to many client's surprise, often building a custom piece of furntiure is less expensive than buying something from a furniture showrooom.

Here's the process I follow when designing a custom piece of furnitrue.

1. Identify what the client is looking for. Is it a bedside table, a dresser, a chest, a storage unit?

2. What are the size constraints? Measure carefully and also make sure that the sized unit will fit up any elevators or staircases.

3. Look for inspiration! I will often show my client's other pieces of furniture from various showrooms (regardless of price) to get an idea of the style they are looking for. Going custom allows us to mix and match different aspects of various pieces of furniture.

4. Sketch it out. I'll normally do an autocad drawing for the client's approval before moving forward to make sure we're all on the same page.

5. Wood samples! I'll request wood samples from my millworker. I often request many different finishes, species of wood and colors for the client to review.

6. If applicable, we must pick out hardware for the unit. This is the jewlery of the unit and can really dress a piece up.

7. Once all the pieces are in place, I ask my millworker to get started on building the furniture. He often sends the client and I photos of the piece in process. This is very exciting!

8. Delivery day! Finally, we have the furniture delivered and for a fraction of the price, you have your ideal piece of furniture, styled to your liking, fitting perfectly in that "impossible nothing fits here' nook in your apartment!

If you're interested in having custom furniture built, feel free to reach out to us at Avenue Desing Group. We're here to help! allison@avenuedesigngroupny.com