Source: Richard Oedel

Yes, people enjoy buying furniture from major department stores because it is often available to take home the same day it is purchased, and is consistent with the latest design trends. On the downside, the mass produced furniture that you typically find in department stores are not one-of-a-kind, and the same coffee table that you have sitting in your living room may also be in thousands of other homes across the country.

As a fine furniture maker in Boston, I challenge you to opt out of mass produced furniture made on the assembly line and instead choose a custom crafted piece of furniture that is catered towards your individual style. Here are some reasons why custom crafted furniture is the better choice:

• Each piece of custom crafted furniture is unique. You can be sure that you won’t walk into someone else’s house and see the exact same chair, table or dining set.
• Generally, fine furniture makers are held to higher ethical standards when creating a custom piece. Through the commissioning process, a number of conversations take place between the furniture craftsman and the client to ensure that quality is a priority throughout the project.
• You can feel good knowing that you’re supporting a local business. Purchasing a custom piece of furniture from a local craftsman is a great way to give back to your community. It can also be more environmentally friendly to produce as well (limited chemical use, lower shipping burdens, etc).

I was recently invited to be a guest lecturer at The University of Delaware’s American Material Culture program at Winterthur, and I spoke about what it is like to be a custom furniture craftsman in the “age of Ikea.” Contact me, Richard Oedel, if you’d like to learn more about custom furniture and the commission process.