5 Questions Your Fine Furniture Shop Should Be Asking You
When evaluating a custom furniture artisan, there are a number of key questions to ask. But what should that artisan be asking of you during the initial discussion? What questions, and how they’re asked, can give insight into how the design/build process might go, what the relationship with that craftsman might be and how likely it is that your overall experience and product will meet your expectations.
What is the purpose of your proposed piece of furniture
How do you want to feel from the furniture
What are your priorities
Have you experienced custom furniture
How do you live
Note that these questions tend to have specific targets. We’re not asking “what do you want” but instead trying to understand what’s behind the drive.
Questioning the purpose gets at the reason for the piece of furniture. Why it should exist, and why a custom build should be the preferred approach. Is it to take up space? Create an heirloom? Provide storage? It’s the functionality, not the form.
The feeling from a piece is entirely different. It’s a question of what emotions you want when you enter the room. Serenity? Grandeur? Pride? Community?
Understanding your priorities can speak to the heart of a custom build. Is it pure functionality or is the form factor more important? Some folks have an aversion to manufactured products like plywood. Others are intimately in tune with the finish process. Again, having your shop understand your priorities will make the entire experience smoother and more enjoyable for all.
Commissioning custom furniture is an investment. Of time, energy, emotion and money. Understanding a previous experience, whether positive or negative, or both, helps foster the current experience and should drive it in the positive direction.
How do you live is more of a thought prompt than an answerable question. It’s designed to push the thought process deeper. Again, custom furniture is an investment. Thinking about how you live drives your answers to the previous questions and helps get to your goals.