Custom Furniture | The right details matter
Quality furniture adds value from day one to your lifestyle
The saying goes that details matter. | Choosing the right builder of Furniture
When crafting furniture by hand and for the benefit of individual clients this is certainly true. They matter and we are obligated to pay attention / accurately deliver proper results.
Taking it a step further, it’s focusing on the right details at the right time that matters even more.
Skilled joinery is crucial. Techniques / experience is what separates the craftsmen (and women) from the factory line workers who focus on speed in assembly.
In custom woodworking, as in many other fields, there are many ways to accomplish a task. Two pieces of wood can be joined together with nails or screws or glue or a dado joint or a dovetail joint or a mortise and tenon joint. Any of these joints can be created with old fashioned hand tools, modern power tools or even more modern computer controlled tools.
The rationale to use a particular method is influenced by many factors.
Available tools and skills of the maker
The desired feeling of the piece or what the client values in the crafting
The expectation of the piece itself, how long will it last, can it be moved many times without losing its strength and integrity.
Structural considerations, how much weight can it hold, uneven floors, etc.
Sometimes a particular joint can be used as an aesthetic element, as in a wedged through tenon. How and where and why to incorporate such details is one of the joys of constructing custom furniture.
Custom Furniture Build | Decision making on choosing a shop
Participation in the process
Ask a lot of questions, learn about the build process, a quality builder wants your input and to share why custom furniture is built differently than factory build it fast methods.
Other times the method of construction is less important than the end result. Too often such methods are used as marketing tools, when in reality they may be costing resources that are not important to the client.
Make sure that you ask the shop you choose about what joint is used and why it is best for the application, details matter. These are the elements that create a lasting physical impact of custom furniture that make choosing the right shop to build your project all that more important.
The key is to discuss what is important for the individual client and the particular situation. Our job as professionals is to understand and share our knowledge / experience to best suit your needs. We as professionals also have an obligation to share details that may not be obvious (which add to the lasting value of quality builds). What details matter to you?
