I frequently get asked such questions as “how much can I expect to pay for a bespoke dining table”. This is a question that neither myself or anybody else can provide a firm answer to without first asking further questions of the customer. For example; How many people is the table to seat? Is it to be a fixed leaf table or extending? What materials are preferred/desired, what design styles are to be considered? What applied finish, where is the table to be located? Are chairs also required, if so then similar questions would be asked of these along with specific questions for chairs only. We will also need to consider the decor of the intended room to ensure we compliment the space well with the chosen materials, colour/shade of the table.
The truth is that commissioning a high quality piece of bespoke furniture of any kind is going to be a significant investment & this is to be expected given the amount of work involved in its design, creation & delivery, and possibly installation too if it is a fitted piece.
To try & compare buying an off the shelf item to a bespoke piece on price is also really not possible and you certainly should not be considering buying bespoke because you simply cannot find the size you are looking for from a high street store if your expectation is that prices will be comparative because it simply won’t be.
However if you are looking for a high quality bespoke piece but price is clearly one of the driving factors for you then as a rough guide you should expect to be paying upwards of 3 times the price of a good, high quality, fully built off the shelf piece. If the item is to also be a fitted/built in solution then this will naturally increase further. This is as i say a base starting point for the costs as with bespoke furniture there really is no upper limit.
Bespoke dining table with multi coloured hand laid dyed veneers. Legs and frame components hand veneered.
As an example; I have designed & made bespoke dining tables that cost anything from £3000 all the way up to £30,000 and the difference in cost is well justified by the design and specification chosen by the client as an immense amount of work can go into a single piece. If you wish to further understand the reasons for the costs & why bespoke furniture is a great investment then you will want to read our Guide to Buying Bespoke Furniture. which covers this in great detail along with answering all the other main questions related to the buying process and your involvement with the creation of your bespoke furniture.
The best solution if you would like to work to a fixed or limited budget per item or room is to lead with this in the initial discussions with your designer, this will ensure that the designer can first confirm if they are able to work within this & then secondly ensure the specification they propose does not exceed what you are looking to spend.
To not provide a budget but to then say the price is too high once the design is created also helps nobody, so if you do not have a budget but you do know what is too much then also at least provide this so that they know what ball park you are in. It is tricky finding that balance with customers as budgets can and do vary quite a lot. I myself find that a straight up honest and early as possible discussion about expected costs is the always the best way forward for both parties. This allows for the excitement of the project to begin, designs to be created and proposed and eventually approved and built with both parties knowing that there will not be any issues with costs and that neither party is wasting their time pursuing something that will ultimately be fruitless.
If you are looking for answers to other question related to buying bespoke furniture then our free Guide to Buying Bespoke Furniture will definitely be worth a read. Click HERE to download the free guide now.
PROCESS YOU WILL FOLLOW WITH YOUR DESIGNER IN THE CREATION OF YOUR BESPOKE FURNITURE
INITIAL CONSULTATION
This is where you can ask all your initial questions and your designer will gather the required information to gain an overall understanding of your requirements.
FIRST DRAFT CONCEPT DESIGN
Your designer will now produce your first draft concept design option(s) based on the taken brief. Please do check prior to this stage that you will be happy with how these will be presented. e.g sketches, 2D drawings, full photo realistic visuals. All designers will vary in what they provide!
DESIGN PRESENTATION & ADJUSTMENTS
Having interpreted your requirements your designer will hopefully have produced something very close to your ideal design solution. However this is your chance to make any desired changes so do not be afraid to highlight any design features you are not entirely happy with.
FINAL DESIGN PRESENTATION
This final design presentation will now include all discussed adjustments and once happy you will be required to approve the design to progress to manufacture. If any further detail is required to understand finer details then now is the time to ask.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS & PRODUCTION INFORMATION
The technical team will now require some time to produce the technical drawings that the workshop will use to produce your bespoke piece.
MANUFACTURE
Where the real magic happens! Hopefully your designer will provide some nice pictures for you as your bespoke piece progresses through manufacture. Why not pay them a visit to see them in action?
DELIVERY & INSTALLATION
Once completed in manufacture and finishing your designer will arrange a suitable delivery date with you. If on site installation is required then a time frame for this to be completed will also be provided. Enjoy your new bespoke furniture 🙂