If you are redecorating your home or moving into a new house, bespoke furniture or pieces of furniture built to suit your specific needs and sense of aesthetic are a distinct stamp of luxury. Increasingly, homeowners are moving away from mass-produced furniture to unique, one-off pieces that add the ‘wow factor’ to their homes. If you are planning to commission bespoke furniture for your home, here are some tips on briefing your furniture designer that could make all the difference in achieving exactly what you had in mind.
Consider the “why”
In other words, identify the purpose of the furniture. Do you want it to fit into an awkward space like an alcove? Do you want a sofa of a specific size or dining chairs of a particular material? Or it could be simply to be a talking point. Ask yourself, “what do I want this piece of furniture to achieve?” The answer to this fundamental question will help your designer understand what you want created.
Style me beautiful
Once you have identified its purpose, think about a style you want your bespoke furniture to be made in; contemporary or modern, classical, shaker style, rustic, vintage or French just to name a few. Of course, this will depend on your preferences, current décor and the look you are trying to achieve. It’s a good idea to create a portfolio of styles and pieces you are drawn to as a visual record to show your furniture designer.
Materials can make or break
The material you select for the furniture is a key decision and has the power to take your piece of furniture to another level of aesthetic brilliance. The kind and colour of wood, for instance, oak or beech or ash, will determine the hardiness or fragility of a piece. At Dogan London, our Rattan furniture has been extremely popular of late. Not only are they a deserving talking point, but they are hard wearing, easy to maintain and come in a variety of colours and patterns.
“You sit better on a colour that you like” Verner Panton
We’re not sure if that’s true, but think about your overall colour scheme. You may want your bespoke pieces to match with your other furniture or you may want a completely contrasting colour. This goes back to the purpose of your piece. If it’s a bookshelf you are commissioning, you might choose a colour that blends in with the rest of the house. If, on the other hand, you are commissioning an armchair for your living room, as a statement piece, you might choose a dramatically different colour.
Size is everything
Get a handle of the dimensions before you meet your furniture designer. He or she will need to assess the space in which your piece will sit to be able to create something that’s proportionate. If, for example, it’s a piece that needs to fit into an alcove, exact measurements are key. If you are purchasing dining chairs or bar stools know the size of the table or your island. This will allow the designer to plan and design pieces that fit appropriately into the designated space.
Seeing is believing
Whilst you don’t have to be an artist, if you can sketch your dream piece out, your designer will get an understanding of what’s on your mind. It may be that creating the exact piece may not be achievable from a practical point of view, but your designer will be able to visually understand and create something as close to it as possible.
The elephant in the room
Sometimes the thought of how much a piece of bespoke furniture is going to cost, puts people off from commissioning them. And yes, a unique piece designed and handcrafted for a specific purpose will be dearer than a mass-produced item, but the value and sense of satisfaction achieved when it’s installed in your home is second to none.
At Dogan London, every piece of furniture is handcrafted and designed to suit your specific purpose and taste. Please visit us in our showroom in Battersea or give us a call on tel: 0207 228 5339 to book an appointment. If you prefer, drop us a line at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
