Where to Embrace Custom Furnishings in Your Home

Creating a custom piece of furniture for a client is many designers’ dream, but it can sound more like a nightmare for homeowners. The cost, time, imagination and decisions required can make choosing a custom piece seem overwhelming compared to simply dropping by a store and walking away with a new find.

But I’m finding that more and more people are seeing the benefits of custom options, and I think you should too. Read on for some of my top areas of the home to consider for custom furniture, finishes and upholstery. Sometimes just a little change goes a beautifully long way.

Custom Essentials

Upholstery. Custom upholstering an entire piece of furniture, such as an armchair or a sofa, can quickly add up. But focusing on something simple, like the seats of dining chairs, can be a small investment with a big payoff.


This approach also gives you the opportunity to create a lot of looks you aren’t likely to find in a store, such as matching your drapery to a chair back for a statement that says custom loud and clear. This also provides an opportunity to use a small amount of a high-end fabric for accents, and apply a plainer and more durable material to high-impact areas such as the seat, for the best of both worlds (and a balanced budget).

See more on commissioning custom upholstered furniture


Draperies. As with upholstery, custom draperies can require investing in materials and labor. However, a custom drapery treatment is by far the best way to achieve an elegant look, especially for unusual-size windows or walls that do not perfectly suit a premade panel. This is why custom drapery is generally considered worth the investment.

In many cases it is possible to extend a ready-made panel instead of starting from scratch. In much less time than it takes to make a panel from scratch, a seamstress (or skilled DIYer) can cut the bottom of a packaged curtain and attach a panel of a second fabric, creating a perfect-length, color-block statement without the full price tag.

See more on custom draperies


Rugs. Area rugs can go a long way toward making a room feel polished and organized, punctuating a seating group or anchoring the entire space. But the effect tends to be lost when a rug is too small, floating like an island rather than tying everything together. Therefore, it can be a smarter investment to choose a sumptuous custom-fit rug in a quality solid material over a pretty patterned rug in the incorrect size.

See area rug rules (and how to break them)


Carpet tiles. For a custom rug treatment with some dynamic energy, consider creating a pattern or design with carpet tiles. They’re a smart solution for spaces where you can expect some wear and tear — or stains — because you can always replace a tile or two individually.

They’re also generally a good long-term solution for any space you expect to change in the future, as they can be reconfigured into a new custom solution down the road. They can be more of an investment in the short term than a plain big-box-store rug, but are more than worth it in the long term.


Mirrors. Custom inset mirrors solve a lot of issues in bathroom design: They expand a space visually, and they also replace a large area of tile, allowing a seamless, fully tiled look without requiring as much material to be purchased. When you use mirror wall to wall or floor to ceiling and skip the frame cost, you’ll save even more while getting a perfectly polished look.

It’s a good idea especially in a compact bath, letting you splurge on a smaller amount of a must-have stone and doubling the look of it.


Creative Customizations

Cabinetry. Beautiful colorful cabinetry can be rare, especially in the exact hue of your choice. In fact, you’re more likely to find a dated or drab shade if you’re living in an older home. However, if the existing units are in good condition, having the fronts sprayed with a new finish can be very reasonable in price compared with a full replacement.

Consider a near-neutral like navy or green-gray, or go wild with a hot color on just the uppers or lowers for a fun two-tone effect.

See more on working with a custom-cabinet maker


Salvaged vanities. Whether your look is eclectic, traditional, modern or rustic, a salvaged furniture piece used as a vanity can make for an excellent twist in any bathroom. A simple coat of paint (or just a sealant to keep worn-in character as is), a few cuts and a basic block vessel sink can transform nearly any furniture piece into a bathroom vanity.


You can also try adding a solid slab to create a more traditional countertop, or take an inexpensive cabinet frame and replace just the doors to achieve a unique look while still providing plenty of closed storage.


Live-edge tables. I was surprised to learn recently that, depending on where you shop, a naturally beautiful live-edge table (made with a wood slab or composite and having an organically shaped edge) can be custom ordered and sized from a small boutique for approximately the same price as a standard wood-top table from many popular midrange furniture chains.


For those who love a unique piece that brings an element of the outdoors in, a live-edge table has a lot of appeal. Plus, a custom-size table will fit perfectly in your space and can allow a more generous seating area per person than a typical ready-made option.

See more on commissioning custom wood furnishings


Art. In a Miami condo space I recently designed, I wanted to bring a sense of South Beach artistic flair without letting it swallow the budget. I found high-resolution images created by a local artist online and had them printed directly onto acrylic.

Ask a local printer what materials they can print on, and try something fun, like canvas, cloth, parchment, plastic or even wood. The result will be unique art pieces with a true artistic story but without the art-auction price.

And of course, there are also many good reasons to buy a one-of-a-kind original piece of art from your local gallery.

More:
9 Reasons to Buy a Painting
6 Cost-Effective Ways to Go Custom Made

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