fbpx

How to Work with a Furniture Designer

Categories: Furniture

Custom-made furniture can bring a seamless blend of style and comfort to your home, through attention to detail and quality that can’t be matched. When creating custom furniture, the relationship between client and designer is key. Like any project, understanding the process of designing and building your dream piece can create a smoother path forward. 

At McLaughlin Upholstery, we partner with your chosen designer to bring your custom made piece to life. If you can dream it, our highly skilled artisans can create it. 

Why hire a designer?

A furniture designer can take your vision for a piece and turn it into an exceptional work of art. While it’s important to come into the process with some sense of what you desire, designers have a wealth of experience, knowledge, and skill that can take your project to a level you perhaps couldn’t imagine. Working with a designer can also ensure that the vision for the finished piece is held throughout the entire design process.

Whether you start with as little as a pencil sketch, a fabric swatch or a page torn from a magazine, a designer can work with you to craft a piece that works for your home, requirements and color palette. 

How to get the most out of working with a designer:

Find the right fit

As the client, it’s important to ask “how involved can I be?” before you hire a designer to create your ideal customized piece of furniture. Some designers prefer clients to be involved in every step of the process, while others prefer being in full creative control. Being clear about your expected level of involvement can help avoid miscommunications that may arise later down the line and make sure your expectations are being met from the beginning.

Trust their vision

Working with a furniture designer requires collaboration and trust on both ends. As experts in their field, it’s important to trust your designer to make decisions based on their knowledge and experience in the field. Failing to trust your designer could cause costly delays and can also hinder the designers’ creativity. Ultimately, every designer wants their clients to be thrilled with the final results. Letting your designer take risks, letting go of control and encouraging their creativity can lead to great things.

Listen and give honest feedback

The design process assures that the furniture crafted for you perfectly matches your expectations. Let your designer explain their thought process behind any design decisions and then give honest feedback about it. If your designer has recommended using a material or color palette, listening to their reasonings can help you make an informed decision. 

Likewise, try to give honest feedback to your designer about why you might not like an element of the design. The more valuable information you can give your designer, the more they can turn critique into creativity you will love.   

Talk about your priorities and budget upfront

While a designer will work to bring your requests to life, there may be times when aspects of your design will require compromise to keep to your desired budget. Talk to your designer at the beginning of the process about what aspects of the design you are willing to be flexible on. 

Understand their design process   

Understanding the management style of your chosen designer is important, and every designer will be different. Are you expecting fabric swatches and options before settling on a final design? Managing your expectations will help both the designer and client to work together, smoothly. 

At McLaughlin Upholstery we continue to uphold the tradition of New England Craftsmanship. With over 130 years of practical knowledge, our team of expert artisans will work with your designer to create the piece of your dreams. From the consultation process to finding the perfect finishings and patterns for each piece, we’re dedicated to the collaboration process. Contact us today to get started.