It’s natural to want to know how much your desired bespoke furniture commission could cost, but often rather difficult to get a sense of the pricing before it is produced. One good place to find out more – as well as contacting the maker of course – is to look at the portfolio which might provide more information, as well as speaking to other satisfied customers. However, generally speaking, there are around six different factors that will influence price.
Materials Used
This will play a key part in determining final cost when you commission your furniture. Mass produced items from discount manufacturers tend to use MDF or veneers for lower costs. Timber costs vary wildly and their source is also an influencing factor. Salvage timber provides superb character and history, but may not be less expensive because of treatments and preparation required.
Quality of Build
If you want a bespoke item made by a local artisan maker it will be a quality item designed to last, and you should expect to pay accordingly!
The Amount of Joinery Required
Chairs or chests of drawers can often be more expensive to produce than large tables for example because of the amount of joinery work required. Simpler designs with less detail and joinery work will cost less.
Labour
Remember that overseas manufacturers will often be using cheaper labour and their conditions may not be fair.
Design Application
If the maker needs to produce a design from scratch, this cost will be factored in. If they can customise an existing piece or design then it will result in a lower cost. Don’t underplay the role of good design – it will make a huge difference to the final piece and your ultimate enjoyment of it.
One-off or More?
Remember that if you want several pieces of one design made in a single order then the unit cost will be less because it requires a lower overall input for raw material sourcing, tooling set up, measuring, delivery and so forth. When it comes to delivery you will probably want to use a Security Seal sourced from sites like acmeseals.co.uk on your package to keep it safe and secure the whole way from wherever you ordered it from.
When you buy a bespoke furniture piece, you expect to pay more because you are getting something beautiful and individual that will last a lifetime.
