So, you’re thinking about purchasing a piece of hand crafted studio furniture. Whether you’re buying from some available pieces or having one custom made, the process can seem confusing and perhaps a bit overwhelming. Good news! It doesn’t have to be.
Here are three things to consider before you spend all of that hard earned money on a beautiful piece of finely crafted studio furniture.
Your personal style:
What style do you seem to gravitate towards? Do you live in a period style home, or does your interior reflect a particular design style? When looking for a custom piece of furniture for your home, it’s important to keep in mind the style that is prominent in your home, or in the particular room in which the furniture will reside.
Too many times, people have come to me AFTER purchasing a piece somewhere else, and realized it didn’t fit at all with their existing style. Even if you consider yourself an eclectic collector, take the time to examine what you already have in the house. This will give you a starting point in selecting a piece that will blend with and even enhance the space in which it will live.
The style of the maker:
Now that you have an idea of your personal style preferences, it’s time to match that up with a designer/craftsman whose work reflects those preferences.
Why is this important?
When looking at a maker and their portfolio, it’s important to see where their style and yours meet. A studio furniture maker specializing in 18th century reproductions does indeed have the skill to make you something that reflects Mid-Century Modern, but why would you ask them to do that when there are other makers who do specialize in Mid-Century Modern.
If you browse my portfolio, you’ll see that my work draws heavily from Japanese influences. In the past, though, I used to take almost every commission that came through the door. Most clients weren’t interested in my design input let alone what style my work reflected. They just saw me as a guy that could build whatever they needed.
That resulted in me doing work that wasn’t interesting or fulfilling to me and kept me from putting my whole self into these pieces.
Now, it’s not the customers fault. They knew I was a woodworker that could do custom work for them. I simply failed to distinguish that I was adept at working within a particular style.
When you pick a maker whose style is in line with yours you’ll not only own a piece that is in harmony with your style and home, you’ll also own a piece that reflects the maker’s spirit. This results in a deeper connection between you and your new piece of studio furniture.
Standard of quality:
Once you have your style and the maker’s style in sync, you should look carefully at how the piece is made.
What are your expectations, or standards of quality when it comes to hand-crafted furniture? Does personal expression and style win out over construction methods? Are you looking for a piece that will last as an heirloom for centuries? Your expectations about the piece will help guide you in picking the right maker with the right standards of quality.
Not all high-end studio furniture will have hand-cut dovetails and carvings. There are many methods of construction that will last for generations that are appropriate for the style of the piece. Take the time to look carefully at the maker’s methods of construction. Do they prefer to mass produce their pieces or do they favor hand tool methods and techniques?
For starters, look at their About page, or any page that describes their methods. It should give a brief, but clear description about how they prefer to build their work. If possible, examine other pieces from the maker, or talk to the maker directly about how they build and why they choose their particular methods of construction. As long as your expectations and standards meet up with those of the maker, you’ll have a peace of mind that is priceless.
A brief description of my standards of quality can be found here , but if you have any further questions, feel free to contact me.
Owning a piece of finely crafted, high end studio furniture can be an investment for yourself and for future generations. Take the time now to examine these three considerations, and you’ll have a pleasant and fulfilling experience when purchasing your piece of studio furniture.
