3 Reasons to Choose Furniture through an Interior Designer

When I'm working on the furniture portion of your project, we will often take a trip to the trade only showroom to view specialty furnishings that are available for designer projects. This helps me get a feel for your comfort and style needs by showing you items that you can sit test, and presenting custom features not available in the typical retail showroom.

1. Designer Showroom Furniture Can Be Uniquely Customized

I have some favorite vendors that offer designer's choice fabrics and customizations not available in the general retail showroom. These are tools created for the right color, fit, style, and right down to the exact cushion preferences. When we visit the trade showroom, I explain the difference in the mass production of retail showrooms, and the individualization we bring as designers from custom options. Not everything needs to be custom of course, especially if we're working with a specified budget. But to customize the right pieces will take your design from a carbon copy of the retail showroom, to a spectacular finished room with the casual elegance and unique-to-you features that will create a relevant design that will last for years to come.

2. Designer Showroom Furniture is Higher Quality than Retail

In order for a retail showroom (for example RH or Pottery Barn), to achieve their set retail cost that can be discounted during seasonal sales, they use methods of value engineering, and container (bulk) purchasing. Value engineering means that manufacturers can remove construction elements that naturally make a furniture piece durable (and are more pricey to produce). Corners are cut in order to reach a certain price level, and to create the need to replace that product more often. This keeps you coming back for more, which keeps those showrooms in business.

On a basic level, frame construction is the first of quality elements to go in order to maintain the desired price point. Plywood is cheaper than solid wood. Plywood is not only cheaper, but can be manipulated in shape by the manufacturers’ routers much more quickly than solid wood. Quick and cheap...quality won't enter into this mix because as you know the saying, "If you want quick, cheap, and quality, you only get to pick 2!" Foundation springs and cushion materials are also value engineered for this same reason.

3. Designer Showrooms Make Installation Easy & Stress-Free

When I order pieces for your project, I space plan for the perfect fit. Then purchase, track, receive, check for damage, deliver, install and style. Did you realize everything that goes into creating a new space? This is only a small part that takes place after we take you through the process to discover your lifestyle wishes, costs to create those wishes, color schemes, function, quality needs, and many more factors that we take the time to coordinate.

When I shop for your space, I curate to fit your needs, with the quality and custom features to make your project unique and special. Mixed with items that are more budget friendly, your home becomes an extension of your lifestyle and personality, without the carbon copy of what's currently in all your media feeds.

Ready to design a home with furnishings that fit your lifestyle? Reach out to us and let's get to know each other.

Cheers,