The common mistake most people make is not involving furniture makers in a timely manner. How does this happen?
There are typically three scenarios:
- You have a design project for your home and already have a clear idea of what your furniture will look like and, in some cases, even what materials will be used.
- You don’t have a design project, and all ideas are generated by yourself. You may have a “somewhat competent contractor.”
- You have neither a design project nor a competent contractor, and your neighbor, a jack-of-all-trades, is telling you how everything will look beautiful.
No matter which of these three situations you find yourself in, the result will be the same — you won’t get the furniture you desire. You’ll have to order furniture in an already completed renovation, as you lack a detailed furniture plan, while plumbing, electrical outlets, ventilation ducts, etc., are already installed. Nobody will want to break down walls, move sockets, pipes, and disrupt the process after the renovation is essentially finished.
So, when exactly should you start working with furniture makers?
Ideally, you should start looking for a furniture company at the same time as those (the organization) who will handle your renovation. The work with furniture makers and renovators should proceed in parallel. Skilled furniture professionals will not only create designs for future furniture but also provide layout plans. And if you’re lucky, the designer will also help you choose finishing materials, lighting, and offer many valuable tips.
Most importantly, what you will get from the furniture company are technical specifications for the builders to establish engineering communications according to your furniture design. This is particularly relevant for the kitchen, where mistakes in the renovation process are most common. You will also receive technical specifications for installing supports for complex furniture structures. Responsible furniture makers will provide authorial supervision over the construction work in accordance with their technical specifications, visiting control points as many times as necessary.
In situations where your renovation is conducted based on a design project, but you don’t yet have a furniture plan, you might be under the illusion that someone has already thought everything through and that the result will match the image. However, practice shows otherwise. Upon completion of a renovation, based on an interior designer’s project, you begin choosing a contractor for furniture production. At this point, you have no approximate cost for the furniture pictured. Here lies the hidden pitfall. The cost of the item, calculated according to the interior designer’s vision, may exceed all reasonable boundaries. You start a long process of selecting alternative materials and fittings, which ends up altering the appearance of the product. But what about the renovation, which was planned around that beautiful image? In practice, furniture companies are left to improvise with what’s available. Only you will suffer from this — you won’t get the furniture of your dreams.
In summary. Building a house, buying an apartment, starting a renovation — find a furniture supplier. Develop furniture plans with them, calculate the costs, request technical specifications for builders, and ensure authorial supervision over the construction. The combination of all these elements will ensure that you achieve the desired result.
P.S. Everything mentioned above is neither fiction nor speculation. Remember, the furniture of your dreams is achievable, but it’s essential to think about it in advance!