Why not design your living space to suit your lifestyle?

Investing in made-to-measure furniture will allow you to have your living space tailor-made to your exact specification.  Well designed storage can make a big impact on your interior design and a piece of bespoke furniture instantly individualises the room scheme.

From maximising space under a staircase, designing a specific piece of fitted furniture or fitting out a dedicated room such as a study, bedroom, bathroom or kitchen, an experienced furniture designer and manufacturer can create something that is designed to your individual specification to fit a particular space and fulfil a specific purpose.  Made-to-measure is useful in awkwardly shaped rooms which are particularly prevalent in period properties where space may be at a premium. This can be the first step towards designing the home of your dreams where every aspect fulfils your own personal desires…………………

The Collins dictionary definition of 'bespoke' is 'made to customers' specification'.  The term has most widely been used to describe tailor-made garments but, more recently, has been used for other custom-made products such as furniture and cars. There are many companies who claim to offer a bespoke service but beware of those who provide a range of standardised furniture that they attempt to fit within the customer's specification.  This is, obviously, not truly a bespoke design and does not offer the customer all the available options.

Something to be prepared for is that bespoke furniture tends to be more expensive than mass produced  which is designed to fit within a broad range of requirements/priorities that have been selected by a designer to meet with the needs of some of their potential customers.  If your budget will not stretch to a whole room full of bespoke furniture, an individually designed piece can elevate an off-the-peg solution. In a kitchen, for example, a bespoke pantry unit or dresser can provide storage for specialist items whilst providing display space for cherished decorative pieces and books.  Often the alcoves either side of a chimney breast can, likewise, provide storage for audio visual equipment with cables neatly concealed within the units, whilst providing display storage for books and ornaments.

A bespoke service requires time for the designer to listen to your brief in detail, getting a rough idea of the budget allocation and then advising on how best to achieve your aspirations within your budget.  It is highly recommended that, prior to the initial visit, you might make some rough sketches of what you are trying to achieve and make a collection of pictures from magazines and newspaper articles of the styles that you like and also those that you do not and decide whether contemporary, sleek lines or more traditional furniture fit within the design of your room. Careful measurements may need to be taken of items that you wish to store to ensure that these can be accommodated within the unit so you will need to decide on the items that will be contained within the unit and the percentage of storage space to display space that you require. Consideration will need to be given to the type of finish, painted or natural wood, and, if the finish needs to match something in the room, to make the designer aware of this requirement.

At the initial consultation the designer should spend time listening to your specific requirements, share ideas and advise on finishes, styles, storage options, accessories, functionality and content.  It is important to take a detailed brief in order to maximise comfort and optimise storage.  Advice should be given on the  ideal materials to fit into the existing decorating scheme and fit the budget, layout, content and many other aspects of design that you may not have initially considered.  Every aspect of your room design should be carefully considered.

Once you have received the quotation, it is always a good idea to visit the showroom or workshop where the unit will be made in order to assess the quality of the workmanship and to collect samples to match with your room.  When you are ready to place an order, the designer should return to take accurate measurements, if these have not been taken at the initial visit, and to discuss the finer detail and make any necessary changes and alterations to the initial design.