Bespoke furniture, not as expensive as you might think

8 years ago

I'm a furniture designer/maker based in Cornwall. I recently made a bed for a client after she told me how much she was going to spend on an ikea version. The one she wanted was £740 for a pretty flimsy, poorly made but stylish King size bed.

I told her for that price I could offer her a fully bespoke, handmade bed that she could have control over materials and design.

After this I started looking at the more expensive products that ikea, dfs, habitat etc had to offer and realised that a lot of this stuff would be the same price if not cheaper if you had it made by a local maker.

I wanted to know if anyone else has found this or if anyone one has an opinion why?

Featured Answer

Fay

8 years ago

I think there are a few things going on with this...
1) ikea has a reputation for being cheap, so you assume it is even when it's not. Some things are very cheap, others are overpriced
2) people assume bespoke furniture is way out of their league
3) also bespoke furniture is an unknown- how much would it cost, what it will be like, how to find someone to make it...

I think if craftspeople could give sample prices on websites etc it would help people overcome the fear!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (33)

Sven
8 years ago
I have a few bespoke pieces of furniture and price was always reasonable. I needed a small sized desk for my sitting room and bespoke was the only option. It is also solid wood and solidly built, so will be around many years after flat pack furniture has fallen apart.
Related Discussions
POLL: Thoughts on bespoke bricks and mortar?
Q
Comments (15)
Helenandy126: Travis Perkins came in at the best, but I have a trade account with them and I bargain hard. If I remember, Furness sold direct but they just couldn't get anywhere near what I wanted to pay. There are thousands of bricks out there, you just need to narrow it down but go with the big names such as Hanson or Ibstock as they'll have close copies of most bricks out there. I'm not sure if the merchants still do this but once you give your site address and your brick, they register it with the manufacturers and then no other merchant can quote, meaning your stuck with their price. That's why you'll then be able to find a close match with another manufacturer so that you can then get another price for the different brick.
...See More
expensive furniture and accessories?
Q
Comments (71)
I always come to these discussions with a bit of a 'thrifted' angle, but there's plenty of refurbished high end sofas if you look at the vintage market. They are usually striking design wise and often (though not literally) they're unique, they're usually cheaper than a new sofa and more incredibly they often don't depreciate in the way a new sofa will... So - crazy thought, you could even get a substantial sum of money back from them! Kyle (I might be LTTP, just noticed there's a lot of comments between the original and here :P )
...See More
Bespoke kitchen recommendations (Not Neptune - they're made in China.)
Q
Comments (33)
Their fitting and pairting ARE expensive.... I definitely wouldn’t argue that. I have no idea about handles really, but surely you can argue that you fit them yourself after everything else is completed: so they don’t “handle” them.... Appliance is tricky: they can’t “check and optimise fit” without handling them I think? Presumably if they are painting the cabinets too, they have to lift in and out again? You can have HJ supply only and use your own fitters: that would definitely be cheaper. I don’t think that they dove the same guarantee though. But have heard of people fitting them themselves before. I think that HJ tend to market themselves as the full package (well only dry fit). So far have been very impressed by the service (checking measurements etc). They do carefully check during and after installation etc. I would expect fitting to be spot on. But that is coming at a cost.
...See More
kitchens - which bespoke joinery would be reasonably priced?
Q
Comments (40)
I cant figure out how to send a private message either! £15k on interior design / space planning alone was our budget for a 5 bedroom house refurbishment - I would say that ours definitely isnt ’light touch’ though - we get everything from the from the paint specification to a shopping list for every room and then a styling trip to come and do all of the finishing touches. Every room has everything from the floor covering to the window treatments to the files and designs for bespoke furniture. All rooms come with proffesional lighting plans, which can be handed over to an electrician. We paid around £3k for the structural engineer and £1k for the architect. We managed the project ourselves, so I dont have a comparison for that element i’m afraid but I certainly dont think that number looks unreasonable. I would definitely find out exactly what you are going to get for that money but honestly, presuming that the house is of significant value and your build cost is also significant (clearly important for spend to be relative) then that doesnt seem to be an unfair cost to me. Getting your space planning and interior design right, is a massive part of any project and can vastly change the look and feel of the finished house. We’ve all seen examples where people have spent A LOT of money on major reburbishments and the end result just looks a bit ’blah’ - its there in my opinion that an extra 5–10% of the overall cost would have completely transformed and ’polished’ the final result. Appreciate design is not possible for everyones budget but if its a possibility for you and you like the quality of their work, then I dont think that figure is out of the way.
...See More
Jonathan
8 years ago
In my experience what you pay for on the high street is contemporary style. The pictures show a rustic style bed and my impression of most craftsmen is that they value the authenticity of the product higher than style therefore choosing to feature the wood grain and make the item appear as solid as possible. Personally I would not buy this style of furniture for my home preferring something that is more refined, less chunky, lighter in colour and less heavy (so easier to move). When local artisans realise that not everyone wants lots of chunky natural wood in their home they will no doubt take business from the high street.
PRO
Max Marshall Design
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the comments. The sample prices is a very good idea! I understand what you saying jonathandb1972 I think your right that most bespoke furniture isn't very stylish but is very well made. The bed was made for a client and that's how they wanted it to look. Most of my furniture is made from lighter wood and is very contemporary, so it all come down to the client and the make they pick.
My products · More Info

The Bucket Chair · More Info

Scandinavian style wooden clock · More Info

Wooden Cage Lampshade · More Info
PRO
Bitsnbats
8 years ago
This is a really interesting issue.

I think many craftspeople and artists are not very good at promoting themselves and what they are good at. I think they enjoy the design and make process and are often very good at it, but then fall short where marketing is concerned.

As a maker myself I very much appreciate bespoke items, but find it very difficult to find a craftsperson to make it. Hence, many of the items I would like I renovate or make myself.

fayzd definitely makes some good points, it is not easy for the majority of people to know what type of style they like, let alone describe that style to a maker. Ikea makes it easy in some ways as there are rooms set up so you can understand the possibilities of a piece of furniture. People are buying an idea a lot of the time, rather than the product. I know someone who bought 3 sofas in one year for the same tiny bungalow living room. They got it wrong each time as the settee was either to low, too poor quality, the wrong material. This person has no idea of styling and very little of functionality. What a waste of money and time and effort. After some help they now have a second hand sofa of very good quality materials that suits the space very well.

jonathandb1972 also makes a good point. Many craftspeople like doing a specific thing, but aren't good at showcasing what they are actually capable of. They tend to be quite narrow in their field. I know a brilliant carpenter who lost his business because he refused to diversify.

I think its the same in the art world and where jewellery is concerned too. Trying to find something that is just that bit different or personal is really difficult sometimes. I'm not talking the same thing spewed out with a different name written on it - that's just naff in my eyes.

I very much agree with you that craftspeople are the way forward if you want something that will stand the test of time and be original. It is very difficult to find a specific craftsperson that you think will be capable of or will be open to doing something a little different. They are not all on the internet and it often means that chance meetings or visits round the country are the way to find makers. Its the same with artists.

PS does anyone know a good upholsterer in the North of England (Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield triangle). They seem to be like gold dust!
Max Marshall Design thanked Bitsnbats
PRO
Max Marshall Design
Original Author
8 years ago
All good points. I think you are right that a lot of makers like too just stick to what they know or what is easy!

I love to experiment just got into steam bending and making my own veneers.

I no a very good upholster down my way if you get stuck?
Amy Brook
8 years ago
I grew up in my grandparents workshop where they restored antiques, built clocks and various other things so I have a great love of real furniture. Just today I saw an item from a high st store that I know has so-so quality so I am going to see about having it made properly. I also have a 1/2 built table (made from recycled American oregan) that I need completing

its a shame I don't have access to their workshop anymore.
alant1000
8 years ago
My first thoughts are, which ikea beds are £740 (if you mean just the frame)? The most expensive I could see was Stockholm at approx £660, but pretty much every bed they produce is under £450 for a king size frame?

I get why you would want to 'question' someone's decision to go to ikea, but in my experience of having a quote for both a kitchen and some wardrobe units made bespoke, the quotes were never like for like and the designers seemed obsessed with pushing their design preferences into me, it was a bit off-putting.

If a bespoke designer could design something as good quality (it doesn't have to be better), cheaper and deliver it as quickly, I'd go bespoke.

I've just bought a £500 bed frame from habitat and am sure it will last a long time!
PRO
Max Marshall Design
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi alant1000, thanks for the comments.

The bed was an Ikea king size Stockhome, it costs £740 from there website but I don't think that includes delivery?

Don't get me wrong I love Ikea great design and unbelievable price! It does however have a very short lifespan that's the only down side.

Designers should advise but not ignore the client. We work for you not the other way round!

Like for like quotes is a tricky one! If someone came to me and wanted me to make them a kitchen just like a B&Q one I would just say get the one from B&Q. Most high street kitchens, furniture etc.. is mass produced in some other country, using cheap materials like white plastic covered chipboard (what 90% of kitchens are made from).

As a designer and maker why would I aspire to make stuff as bad as high street stuff. when I make something I design it to last generations not years.
alant1000
8 years ago
No problems just thought I'd share my perspective!

I don't think ikea / habitat etc are badly made at all though to be honest. Sure, it's possible to buy their entry level bed or chest of drawers (for example) for under £100, but bespoke furniture makers are not competing with this, and ikea (for example) are not claiming these to be their premium products.

The only possible comparison to make are the products at ikea that match the lowest price you'd be willing to produce and sell a bespoke item. I don't know what your prices are but, let's pretend your beds can be made for £500 like for like. The bed from ikea will come with a warranty of 10 years.
Their kitchens have 25 years, sofas 10 years, office furniture is 10 years, flooring is 10 years, their taps are 10 years and appliances are 5 years. These warranty periods are well beyond most companies out there. If they develop a fault I know I can get another one for free, in theory.

For a bed, the faults are likely to lie (pardon the pun) with loose fixtures over time or wood splitting if assembled incorrectly. Beyond that, there isn't much that will actually go wrong. I'm sure there are some technical reasons why a bespoke product will have better joins etc but I've never known of someone to have a problem.

Im sure bespoke furniture offers a level of quality which may or may not be superior to some high street items. I very much doubt though, that if in 10 years time my IKEA bed started to play up, or after 25 years my kitchen looked shabby, I'd be annoyed. I'd simply go and buy another.

I'd be much more keen to work with a furniture maker who sold the concept to me based on flexibility of design, my choice of materials, or if I simply couldn't find what I wanted on the high street. If the sales pitch is how terrible the quality is of ikea etc, based upon my experience so far with high street companies, it's not something I'd be convinced by.

Your furniture looks nice - you don't need to slate the opposition! Why not just promote your nice designs rather than tell people ikea will fall to bits, most people who shop in IKEA know what they are getting!
PRO
User
8 years ago
We offer example prices on our website, so that you get a rough idea. It's not that expensive to buy good quality materials and the quality of labour involved in bespoke goes way past that of flat pack. Good quality furniture will last for donkeys years, when you get bored with it, paint it, paint it again! Solid wood can even be amended down the line by adding bits, carving bits, routing bits out. Possibilities are endless with a bit of imagination, once flat pack, always flat pack !
Amy Brook
8 years ago
I'm heavily bias but f ikea cause I just had a fairly new bed break on me. It was always iffy (bit wasn't glued right) but I didn't expect it to randomly collapse one night, I woukd have sent it back when I saw the dodgy glue job but my partner had used it for a few months.

Thankfully my head now rests soundly on a Heals bed.
Dan Rule
8 years ago
Hi,

I too run a bespoke furniture business and find the same problems. All to often people go to buy from these chains that import badly made furniture. For example, we had a short contract making mirror frames for stores up and down the country (OK, not imported and we made them well!). The price they paid us to make them was peanuts and the price they sold them at was crazy!! If the customer had come to us we could of saved them 50% on the retail price!!

On the other hand a furniture importer showed me a solid Oak bathroom cupboard that he had imported for £30. Which we can not compete with. What we can compete with is environmental and morally acquired timber.

Thank you,

Dan Rule

www.puretreedesign.co.uk
PRO
splinterdesigns
8 years ago
Hi,

I also run a Furniture studio, we make bespoke pieces and design products for retail. Dan Rule makes a good point. Retailers add at least a 50% markup on the manufacturers costs. In some cases you really can make it bespoke for around the same price but with much better build quality and materials. In other cases its almost impossible to match the high street cost as they produce in such large volumes, they can source materials at minimal costs and all the mass production techniques are designed to reduce costs. But with increased production volume you almost always get reduced quality. The benefit of having things made bespoke is you get something that is handmade by craftsmen with close attention to detail, you can have it designed to suit your requirements and you can be involved in the process of its creation. Furniture that is made well with good quality materials will last a lifetime. If you buy well you only buy once. Some of the cheaper high street options are produced to be disposable with a lifespan of a few months to a couple of years. Furniture produced before mass production really got going is still in circulation and sought after today, many years after it was made.

Jacob Pugh

http://www.splinterdesigns.co.uk
Dan Rule
8 years ago
Hi Jacob,

All the shops i have dealt with nearly always put a 100% markup on products bought!

In most cases the cheaper furniture is always imported from other countries.

I think awareness of our points should be more well known.

Cheers,

Dan

www.puretreedesign.co.uk
PRO
splinterdesigns
8 years ago
Yes i totally agree.

Cheers

Jacob
PRO
FALLEN FURNITURE
8 years ago

Hi Jacob

We also find it very hard selling through retailers, due to our products being so time consuming and expensive to make. We were in talks with Harrods for over a year however couldn't go ahead because of this reason .

Thanks

Harry
PRO
splinterdesigns
8 years ago
Hi Harry,

Thats a shame as your work looks incredible. If the price point wasn't ok for Harrods, would it be possible to sell your work at auctions? Its not something i have any experience in but i assume thats where they sell high value pieces of art and jewellery etc.

All the best

Jacob
PRO
FALLEN FURNITURE
8 years ago
Hi Jacob,

Thank you for the compliment. We have actually sold pieces through Christies Austion and recently held an exhibition at the fine art gallery Mead Carney based in Mayfair. I have attached a snap shot just to show you out of interest.

Kind regards

Harry
PRO
Max Marshall Design
Original Author
8 years ago
Looks great!!
PRO
FALLEN FURNITURE
8 years ago
Thanks Max!
Jonathan
8 years ago
Please may I make the points that bespoke should not be trying to compete with the Ikea price point and this thread illustrates that generally people do not perceive a quality issue with what is commercially available.
If you have a unique product showcasing innovative design or unusual materials then there is a market for this and these people don't want Ikea filled homes.
This market may even be through retailers who do have a mark up to pay for the showroom space they provide as many people will not buy something substantial unless they can see and touch it but many retail spaces cost tens of thousands of pounds a year even before they have paid VAT and tax and business rates and heating cost and Staff and insurance and advertising and factored in some losses for theft and damages and for holding stock that just won't sell
PRO
S V Interiors
8 years ago
So excited to find so many people who do bespoke furniture on here!

I have had a few things made some have been good - others not so much - eg I took a picture of a bed to a furniture maker who assured me it could be made same as the picture - when it turned up it was nothing like the picture I had given..... I think that sort of thing is the reason people go to big brand stores - they can see the product before buying
PRO
S V Interiors
8 years ago
Max at Fallen Furniture - I LOVE your chair!!!! Can I ask how much it is?
PRO
FALLEN FURNITURE
8 years ago
Hi, my name is Harry :)

The Chair retails for £19,995
PRO
S V Interiors
8 years ago
Sorry Harry - had Max's name in my head from your previous comments :-)
June Hulton
8 years ago
I too always had the thoughts that hand made pieces were much more expensive...but not always the case... And its immensely satisfying when you get the style, size and colours of what you would need... My brother in law has made me just a few piece... Very simple, for storage.. But THEY FIT. just where they need too.. I love wood.. My Dad was a French cabinet maker in the early 50's and as child I would sit at the table and watch in amazing ways he worked with wood... Small pieces he would make us simple little toys, or no's... Nothing painted. We were very lucky in our home to have cupboards in the kitchen, on the wall fitted and it was covered in Formica... We also had a beautiful solid wood fireplace... Shelves for Mums little ornaments (which would never touch, look with your eyes only). I too like to work with wood, when having the chance...memories that will stay with me forever.. (Sorry for the reminiscing.).. But yes so wish I could afford to build my own home and incorporate all the things...Made By hand... Thanks for a very interesting article....
PRO
FALLEN FURNITURE
8 years ago
Thats ok :)
PRO
Rag and Bone Workshop
8 years ago
interesting conversation!
PRO
Steve Attwell Ironwork
7 years ago
Interesting discussion. I also make bespoke furniture. I think it's nice that the customer can have some input and end up with something more personal to them. Here's one of my beds.
One of the seven beds I made for Hotel Las Orquideas Los Romanes SpainBed · More Info
catherinehale7
7 years ago
Personally I find lack of clarity around pricing major turnoff. Appreciate hard and fast estimate difficult to give without full knowledge but 'somewhere between x & y' is fine. Recently walked out of stove shop because chap refused to give me rough idea - to nearest £1,000 - how much it may cost. Massively frustrating and waste of time for all. A website with previous commissions with very rough price would be perfect. Don't want to fall in love with something to be told it's totally out of price range
PRO
Steve Attwell Ironwork
7 years ago
I think you've been unlucky. Anyone who can't give you a ball park figure on a new project or an exact figure for something they have made in the past or for something that already exists, ie the stoves is a chancer and are not worth dealing with.
3designangel444
7 years ago
How much was the bed, i think some claimed to be artists liike pallet shelf candle holder for £150 that hou could make yourself puts peiple off but a price guide woulf help and not the cheapest thing in your range in the addd only to find out the pieces you want are 10 times that clear pricing.

Bespoke furniture, not as expensive as you might think

Fay

Comments (33)

Sven

Related Discussions

Jonathan

Max Marshall Design
Original Author

Bitsnbats

Max Marshall Design
Original Author

Amy Brook

alant1000

Max Marshall Design
Original Author

alant1000

User

Amy Brook

Dan Rule

splinterdesigns

Dan Rule

splinterdesigns

FALLEN FURNITURE

splinterdesigns

FALLEN FURNITURE

Max Marshall Design
Original Author

FALLEN FURNITURE

Jonathan

S V Interiors

S V Interiors

FALLEN FURNITURE

S V Interiors

June Hulton

FALLEN FURNITURE

Rag and Bone Workshop

Steve Attwell Ironwork

catherinehale7

Steve Attwell Ironwork

3designangel444

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Bespoke furniture, not as expensive as you might think

Comments (33)

Related Discussions

Max Marshall DesignOriginal Author

Max Marshall DesignOriginal Author

Max Marshall DesignOriginal Author

Max Marshall DesignOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Max Marshall Design
Original Author

Max Marshall Design
Original Author

Max Marshall Design
Original Author

Max Marshall Design
Original Author