1. Custom-made wooden furniture - what do you need to know?

When people need new furniture, the first thing they usually do is go to a furniture store. Somehow, they forget that a piece of furniture isn’t something they’re going to use for a few months and then throw away; it’s something they’ll see every day for years to come and it should last for decades. That’s why we think custom-made furniture is a much better choice than mass-produced shop-bought pieces. The advantages are three-fold: it will be made from better quality materials, it will fit the space perfectly, and most importantly, you won’t have to compromise on what you want. Custom-made furniture is a particularly good idea for smaller flats or irregularly-shaped rooms where space is at a premium and every centimetre counts. Of course, many people think that such furniture is much more expensive, but this is nonsense. There’s a huge range of both materials and skilled furniture makers to choose from, so you’re bound to be able to find a combination of the two that will mean you can have your dream piece of furniture at a price you can afford. Custom-made furniture is ideal for any room - kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, attics - and even for caravans! It’s especially good for the rooms we use the most and spend the most time in, particularly if we’re talking about multifunctional units, such as for storage rooms, garages, saunas, kitchens, bathrooms, and built-in closets.

1.1. Materials

There are a whole variety of very different materials available when it comes to making furniture - different in terms of quality, composition, appearance, and price. The highest quality material is certainly solid wood. Different types of wood are characterised by different grades of hardness, stability, resistance, colour, and texture. Exotic species can be exceptionally pricey. A compromise that can be made is to use chipboard, which can last as long as solid wood in a dry environment, but costs far less. Home decor items can also be made from a combination of other materials - metal frames, aluminium casing, plastic, glass, kerrock, etc. Veneered MDF may also be a good option.

1.2. Drawings, sketches

They say we mainly buy with our eyes, which is why sketches and drawings are so important. Not everyone can picture what a piece of furniture is going to look like in their heads, but if they see it drawn or even animated, from all sides and angles, it’s another thing altogether. Taking it one step further, we have a mood board with a room mock-up, i.e. a visualisation of the entire space and all the elements in it. Nowadays, many stores offer 3D animation as a standard service and independent carpenters are bound to have access to such a tool as well.

2. How to find a good furniture maker

When it comes to furniture, it’s not only the quality of the materials and the design that are important, but also how it is made. When you’re looking for a good furniture maker, don’t go for the cheapest option. You can tell a true professional by their past work, their clients’ comments, and the accuracy of their answers to your questions. You can find all this in one place - on our portal, Daibau.ng. We recommend you meet in person with a furniture maker before signing any contract as it will give you a better insight into their expertise and whether they understand precisely what you’re looking for.

3. Custom-made furniture

When you’re moving into a new building or a renovated home, you often need new furniture for every room. You could turn to an interior designer to come up with some sketches for possible layouts and design options. Based on these plans, a furniture maker will create unique furniture that will suit both your home and your taste. Interior design of course doesn’t just include furniture, but also colour schemes, mirrors, upholstery, floor, wall and ceiling coverings, and many other decorative details. In the text below, we will focus on each room and any custom-made furniture you might need for it.

3.1. Kitchens

People often spend a lot of time in the kitchen. There’s usually a lot of equipment, too - from crockery and cutlery to groceries and appliances. Any furniture must be functional, efficient, practical, and durable and designed to revolve around the kitchen’s number one purpose - cooking. This is why kitchen units are most commonly made-to-measure. The first thing to do is to decide on the layout of the elements. Then, you need to think about the appearance and colour - modern or classic. Only then can work begin on making the different parts - the cabinets, fronts, worktops, and panels to mask kitchen appliances like the dishwasher and fridge. Kitchen worktops are often made of marble, artificial stone, or laminate. Finally, the parts are assembled and fixed into place. You could even add a bar and bar stools. With a tailor-made kitchen, you’ll be inspired to tackle any culinary challenge.

3.2. Dining rooms

Eating together has always been an important part of any culture. It’s why the dining room is one of the most important rooms in the home and a place where you and your guests should feel as comfortable and as welcome as possible. Custom-made furniture can only serve to enhance the warmth your friends and family feel by adding a sense of the exclusive and the unique. The focus of any dining room should of course be the dining table; so imagine, standing impressively in the middle of the room, one made from solid wood, whatever shape you choose, with legs or decorative details made from other materials, such as steel, aluminium, glass, or epoxy resins. The chairs need to be in the same style, as does the sideboard, any display cabinets, shelves, and the like.

3.3. Office furniture

An office furnished with taste and measure will ensure a pleasant and productive working environment and is bound to impress your business partners. Custom-made furniture in this case usually means desks, conference and computer tables, chairs, armchairs, drawer units, filing cabinets, storage units, club chairs, shelves, and more besides. Paying attention to the functional layout of the working environment as well as the use of calming colours will only enhance the overall impression yet further.

3.4. Bedrooms

Almost a third of your life is spent in the bedroom, so how you feel in the room or how the ambience affects you is something that shouldn’t be ignored. That environment will be the first thing you see when you wake up and the last thing before you fall asleep. A place to relax and rest and to share the most intimate of moments, it is the bed that is the most important part of every bedroom. Then there are the wardrobes, cupboards, chests of drawers, and the obligatory bedside tables. If you are short of space, all of these elements can be made to be mobile or modular, to be pulled out or folded away, or even to be multifunctional. Wardrobes are always worth thinking about as they provide so much flexibility: partitions, drawers, shelves, and hanging rails can be adjusted, while baskets, hangers, hooks, and other storage elements can also be moved around. Even better, you can go for the soft closing option, which makes everything so much quieter when you’re trying not to wake someone else up.

3.5. Living rooms

In today’s world, the living room is undoubtedly the centre of every home. There is an incredible choice of living room furniture to choose from depending on the layout, materials, size, colours, and style you want to go for. A furniture maker will take into consideration the size of your room and your wishes and will make you a unique piece of furniture, whether it be a sofa or an armchair, a bookcase or shelving, a cupboard or a cabinet.

3.6. Children’s bedrooms

The environment children grow up in is said to have an incredible impact on their mental development. Apart from their family and neighbourhood, the room they consider their own is also a big part of this. If careful thought is given to the colour scheme and layout, your child will be only too happy to spend time in such a space. Furniture for children can be made so it ‘grows’ as your child grows: extendable beds, partitions, movable elements, boxes or trunks for toys and later for books and sports equipment, a changing unit that will become drawers or a cupboard when the child is older, and so on.

3.7. Bathrooms

Like the bedroom, the bathroom is a very intimate space where you should feel comfortable and relaxed. A furniture maker can produce bathroom cabinets, shelves, partitions, holders, a mirror frame, a dirty washing basket or cupboard, storage for cleaning products, etc. Cabinets and cupboards can have mirrors or LED lighting installed inside, too. Bathroom furniture must be made from waterproof material, so solid wood is most often recommended.

3.8. Entrance halls

If you don’t want your entrance hall used as a dumping ground for footwear, outdoor clothing, or all manner of other items, consider some custom-made furniture. It’s the first thing people see when they set foot into your home, so it’s important you leave a good impression. A custom-made built-in wardrobe, a comfortable bench, a place to hang coats, a shoe cabinet, an umbrella and bag rack, and various other storage solutions will make everyone feel welcome.

3.9. Storage rooms

If you have a large home and can afford it, we recommend a storage room. It’s the perfect way to keep everything in one place. A furniture maker can make you one or more units that will fit together perfectly and provide you with enough space to pack away and store everything and anything - from drawers and partitions for small items to cupboards for those big things like duvets. Most important of all, it will look neat and tidy and you’ll have everything at your fingertips.

4. Contemporary custom-made furniture

In addition to standard furniture, furniture makers can also craft special items which will give the whole place a completely different character. If you order something like this for each room, you’ll notice the difference right away.

4.1. Built-in closets

Built-in closets are probably the most common item furniture makers produce. Made so they stretch from wall to wall and from floor to ceiling, their biggest advantage is they make maximum use of the space available. They can be made narrower if they’re intended for the hallway or have more hanging space if they’re for the bedroom. The living room might require a larger one, whilst built-in storage in the garage or a specifically designed storage room will certainly be even bigger. Each built-in closet consists of elements that give them their functionality - shelves, drawers, cupboards, partitions, hooks, holders, hangers, etc. It may have classic swing doors, or sliding or concertina doors to save space, and there could be a mirror on the door or inside.

4.2. Under stair storage

The space under a staircase often remains unused due to its irregular shape, but there can be quite a bit of room there. A furniture maker will manage to come up with a tailor-made solution. From the outside, the fronts will blend in perfectly with the surroundings, while you will be able to keep everything in the drawers and spaces inside - from slippers, shoes, toys, bedlinen, and cleaning products.

4.3. Interior doors

A door is like a concert overture, providing an insight into what lies behind it. If you don’t like the doors you see in catalogues and showrooms or have something special in mind, get a carpenter to make one for you. It can be a standard swing door on hinges or a sliding, concertina, or segment door. It can be made from solid wood or veneer, with or without glazing, and can have a concealed opening mechanism or a visible handle. The possibilities are endless.

4.4. Artistic furniture

Sometimes all you need is just one object in a room that will take people’s breath away and become the focal point of the space. You can find such pieces in design centres and art showrooms, but why stop there? Why not order your own bespoke piece, something that has not only material and artistic value, but means something to you personally?