One of the most regular requests we receive is for a bespoke sofa. Each one we make is truly different. They are all made-to-measure with a unique style, aesthetic, fabric, shape, size, finishing and dimensions.
We work with a lot of homeowners and trade professionals, such as interior designers, developers and architects, that are looking for furniture that will meet the exact needs of a home. The sofas we help design and then craft for each property are carefully tailored to meet the tastes, lifestyles and environment of each owner. And though it might sound extravagant to order a bespoke sofa designed especially for a project or property, there are many practical and useful reasons why to do it.
Why order a bespoke sofa?
- It will be a superior product that has been built to last
- The lead time can be shorter than off-the-shelf high street products which are shipped from abroad
- A bespoke sofa will be made-to-measure to fit you and your home
- You get to tap into the extensive experience of a bespoke furniture maker who will guide you through the whole process
- No issues with access, this will have been considered and resolved early in the design process
As a bespoke furniture maker, we know that no matter the style or size of a made-to-measure sofa, there are five key elements that will ensure it is made-to-last, functional and practical, as well as beautiful:
1. The frame
The frame is a fundamental part of any sofa. A well-built frame ensures a sofa has the strength required to withstand everyday use and last for many years. A good frame will be made from a mix of solid wood and close-grained plywood dependent on the design of the sofa. We use a combination of seasoned and kiln-dried oak and beech for our frames, made by our in-house frame maker. Additional structure, curves or sculptural shapes are added using specialist furniture-grade plywood. The joints of all bespoke sofas should be glued, dowelled and screwed for strength.
2. Comfort and padding
Before the padding and stuffing are considered, a sofa needs springs or webbing. It is this element that will determine the comfort of the sofa, help it retain its shape long-term and prevent the padding and cushions from flattening. We use both springs and webbing dependent on the application. If we are making a curved bespoke sofa, we usually use webbing, whereas a straight or L-shape sofa would have springs. Check that your sofa is being made with high gauge steel springs as these are made to last. For the padding, expect a bespoke furniture maker to have a range of padding and cushion interior options. If the sofa is for a cinema room or a large L-shape sofa for the sitting room, the comfort levels will need to be higher than for a sofa for a dressing room or bedroom. We use a combination of foams, felt, feathers and down. All our cushions have a sandwich construction of foam with a feather and down wrap.
3. Dimensions and style
This is where bespoke furniture comes into its own: a custom-made sofa will fit just right and have a sense of place. The design options will be extensive and though this may feel like too much choice, your bespoke sofa maker will be able to advise and assist you on style, shape, size, colour, materials, finishes and any personal touches you may want (or they suggest!) to reflect your personality (or the personality of your client) in the piece. We help clients achieve a sofa design that fits their style and home as well as being practical; this process includes looking at how it will be used, assessing the comfort of the design, how to keep it clean and more. Any access issues with the property will be considered by our technical design team at this stage following the site survey by our installation team. Large L-shape sofas and corner sofas are currently very much in demand and we often craft our tailor-made sofas using clever joinery so they can be installed in sections on site by our team. This makes easy navigation of any difficult access points.
4. Finishing and fabrics
Ordering a bespoke sofa offers the opportunity to choose a style, pattern, finishing and material to suit a space and how the sofa will be used. There are many upholstery finishing options including the type of buttoning, piping and topstitching, and they all add personality and style to each sofa. Each bespoke sofa we make, plus any armchairs, ottomans or footstools made to match, is upholstered and finished by one of our skilled upholsterers. They take each piece from start to finish to ensure the quality and finish is of a high standard. As part of our full-service offering, our upholstery team frequently make custom make scatter cushions and throws to complement the fabrics and finishing of each sofa.
5. Installation and delivery
Lead times for bespoke sofas are often better than for off-the-shelf or high street furniture brands who are shipping furniture from abroad. Our bespoke sofas have a lead time of 6-to-8-weeks, and this will be confirmed at the point of order. If access is an issue, the ready-made furniture options will be incredibly limited. As our installation team visit each property where the sofa will be finally located early on in the process, access routes, widths of entryways, ceiling heights and stairways have been measured and the sofa will either be built in one piece in our factory or built in sections and assembled on site.
How much does a bespoke sofa cost?
As each custom-made sofa is different, this means the cost is different too. Costs can vary widely as they reflect that the item has been designed and crafted by skilled craftspeople and the design choices made. If you are considering a bespoke sofa, the best way to understand how much it would cost is to get in touch and we can talk through any initial ideas you have for the sofa and how it will be used. We will take you through our design process, and budget will form part of the initial brief.