ordering bespoke furniture;pros and cons

Ever heard of the word 'bespoke'? It means making to specification;usually handmade.  A bespoke furniture maker will make each piece by hand with different specifications, measurements, features, accents, and so on. Choosing the best furniture maker for your purposes starts with determining what kind of furniture you want to have made. Be it a local carpenter or an interior designer you consult, you have to be informed about your choice,what's at stake and what is obtainable.

 Before i became an entrepreneur,i had worked with a foremost interior designer managing one of our local branches. we were in the business of bespoke as well as already made furniture. I usually had those days that werent exactly my favourite. Days when a customer would come to complain bitterly about an order that had missing details or was made with lower quality of materials than they had expected or fabric that wore out as soon ad the sofa was delivered...the list was endless. I'll tell you what;some of these complaints were real...i could see where we went wrong as an organisation. some,unrealistic. some sounded like expecting champagne over wine budget. All in all,we solved some,managed some while some went unresolved. If you are an interior designer/decorator and you are reading this;you must pay attention to detail as you have communicated to the client. while some will accept your flaws and move on,others wont and would expect as much value as they have paid for or more.
Before ordering bespoke furniture,here are some of the things i'll like you to know:

• If you have a low budget,bespoke furniture is just what you need. They come cheaper and leaves you with the choice of materials according to your budget.
• It can help you correct errors or discomfort you might have experienced from buying already made furniture. Be it sturdier seats or backrest,sunken seats,higher legs,etc
• Have a realistic budget when ordering. A furniture maker might accept an offer from you just to get by but trust that some things will fall short for that loss. Incidentally,furniture is made with a lot of materials that prevent quick wear and tear. This may be reduced because of peanut budget which might affect durability after a period of time.
• choose achievable designs; dont choose a design simply because it looks good in a magazine or internet. Be sure that if its something complex, your maker/designer has got the right tools or technology  to achieve such.Else,what you'll get is a tacky job.
• choose fabrics carefully; be sure you create time to look at fabrics and feel the texture. on your own, you may be able to dtermine how durable a fabric can be. Dont agree that its picture be sent.  Though that can be done after you have seen it for referral purposes at the end of the project.
• Give a realistic time frame;you may be in a hurry to move into a new apartment or have decided to change your furniture for a makeover intended for an upcoming event. However, you leave enough time to the furniture maker/designer. most times,your project isnt the only one at hand and typically, no one refuses a job order for fear of losing a customer. Listen to what timing they have to offer and if you can,ask that it be a little faster. Be mindful not to push it overboard so they do not miss the details of the project.
• Above all,be sure you have some warranty on your order;at least six months.  During this period,you dont need to pay for errors from the furniture making process. you can also correct excesses if you so require.