From made-to-measure storage to one-off designs, custom-built furniture can do more than just improve the look of your home – it can also transform how you use it. Contrary to popular belief, it needn’t cost a small fortune either…
By Kirsty Lake
From Narnia-like wardrobes (housing more fur coats, fir trees and lonely lampposts that you could possibly imagine) to hidden libraries and fold-out home bars, bespoke joinery pieces can transform even the most unpromising corners of your home, turning dismal spaces into tactile, practical playrooms. As an interior designer, I love the way bespoke makes the most of every available inch of space, helping your home feel bigger, function better and look sleeker – but it’s not always an easy sell. Clients can feel intimidated by the whole process – the sheer range of options, how long it might take, and, yes, the potential cost.
And I get it, I do. But the thing is, the benefits so often outweigh the potential issues so significantly that you’d be a tad blinkered not to at least consider it for your next project. On these pages, I hope to persuade you why.
Commissioning furniture may sound indulgent, but it can be practical too. What you create should perfectly suit your tastes and needs, but it’s also an opportunity to support a maker you believe in, while the creative process can become a joy in itself; you become part of the story, and the piece part of your life and your home, an heirloom to leave in situ or pass down the generations.
Why do I like bespoke joinery so much? I’ve many answers, but they all come down to one thing: the level of customisation it allows. Clients can specify every detail, from the obvious – how big it is, and what it’s made of – to such finicky minutiae as finishes and hidden functional features. As designers, we get incredibly excited by all this, and love exploring the options – from integrating textured wall coverings and mirrors to playing with exotic veneers and all the incredible ironmongery on offer. And our clients love to get involved with this too. Where budget allows, a lot of the fun comes from exploring textures and materials, so while a straight painted finish is certainly timeless, more playful details can really make a design really sing. The end result should do more than just maximise storage potential (though this is not to be sniffed at), but perfectly fit, or even define, the style of the room. Bespoke joinery can also add value to a property, not just enhancing the aesthetic appeal, but making it more attractive when the time comes to sell.
Bespoke is often associated with superior quality and craftsmanship too – and that’s certainly been my experience, as I’ve been lucky enough to work with the sort of skilled joiners and carpenters who constantly impress with their high-quality materials and meticulous attention to detail. The results: durable and handsome pieces offering far better longevity than most mass-produced alternatives.
Yes, yes, I hear you cry. But what about surely the main drawback of bespoke joinery: the cost?
And you’re right, custom pieces are generally more expensive, there’s no getting around it. But it’s not difficult to see why: they demand skilled craftspeople and high-quality materials, while the process is nothing if not labour intensive. When you’re on a tight budget, it can’t help but feel an impractical option.
And there are other downsides too. The whole process is time consuming, built of certain unavoidable steps – the initial consultation, the design phase, the material selection, then the actual crafting of the piece – which are a real disadvantage when working to tight deadlines. That said, seeking professional advice as early as possible in the process gives you at least a fighting chance.
Finally, the success of bespoke joinery relies heavily on the skill and experience of those making it. Finding the right joiner can be challenging, but luckily designers and architects have little black books full of wonderful possibilities, and can help navigate the entire process, not least handling the most tedious and technical of the hundreds of – sometimes tiny – design decisions you’ll need to make along the way.
One last warning: though the possibilities are endless, that too can be a trap, so proceed with caution. Get too out-there with your design, finish it in the most unlikely surfaces or go too stylised (read: wacky) in terms of the design, and you risk creating a piece that speaks only to you. The worst bespoke joinery is not something with rough edges, or sticky drawers, but rather a piece that adversely impacts the resale value of your home – and which the new owner will simply rip right out again.
Future classics
How to ensure your custom piece is one you’ll treasure forever…
Consider the exact use, not just generalities. If you want a piece to house audio equipment in your living room, say, you need to know exactly what it is you want to hide, what you want on show, and that you have the correct depth for everything. Mesh-fronted cabinets are on trend, for instance, and offer air circulation that’s ideal.
Make the most of unusual spaces. Consider the eaves of a vaulted ceiling, say. These can be beautifully maximised by made-to-measure joinery.
Embrace small spaces too. Sure, they’re tiny – but sometimes you’re only wanting to store small things. In my experience, the more bijoux the space, the more innovative the solutions.
Think carefully about the type of timber and finish (gloss or matt, wax or lacquer) required – and remember, you don’t have to stick just to wood. Inlays in wallpaper, leather or marble can be incorporated, as can metal trims.
Speaking of wood, you can specify the type you want to use. Went to highlight your eco-credentials? Reclaimed timber is a possibility. Storing clothes? Cedar is a good option, as it has natural moth-battling properties. And remember, no two trees are exactly the same (it would be a shame if they were) so embrace their natural ‘imperfections’.
Be open to new ideas – especially once you have a good, ongoing relationship with a designer or joiner. Think you want a drinks trolly in a particular space, but they come up with a sideboard design for the same space that you prefer? Then roll with it – the brief has been fulfilled, just in a different way than you expected.
The Big Tip
When going custom, you want to talk, talk and talk some more. “The more clients understand about the process, the more satisfied they’ll be,” a joiner once told me, and I’ve never found reason to disagree. The better I understand my client’s requirements, the more smoothly the process will generally go – and that goes double for furniture makers. (But after that, a little faith is needed. Let the joiner work their magic – after all, they’ve done it before.)
Image Credits: See published article
Magazine Published by Media Clash, Bristol Life
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