For those new to furniture selection there are many visible options from IKEA, Design Within Reach, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, and hundreds of others! However, there is an entire world of furniture beyond these stores! The luxury of actually trying sofas and chairs from the best of these companies is available through showrooms typically at a design center. A few large furniture stores are remaining as well. Trying these pieces you spend hours sitting in is important. Customizing can include options that can be tried before placing an order such as cushion choices. HGTV has expanded the public's exposure. Custom furniture offers the option of a perfect piece for the space. A sectional with just the right combination of pieces and case goods in the perfect size and finish. John Widdicomb and Kendle were companies that you planned around and now we use custom pieces to fit the space and overall look. The past decade has been greatly influenced by imports. High Point, North Carolina is still the furniture capital in a more traditional vein. Southern California has an entirely different combination of desirable companies. Small custom options are everywhere. The top 25 companies based on sales are typically chains we've all heard of and others available in select states.
Luxury residences typically involve architects, interior designers, lighting specialists, and landscape designers and the team evolves the look either they are known for or that the client is trying to achieve. The current approach to developing luxury interior furnishings may include more customized cabinetry for starters. Perhaps the kitchen has built-in seating, the dining area and family room wall units, and the bedroom a platform bed with wall-mounted bedside chests that need to be a certain size. Wall-mounted stone shelving in lieu of a free-standing table eliminates legs that may not be desirable. The transition from cabinetry to custom furniture depends on the ability of the cabinet maker. Custom furniture makers are scattered throughout the country. Long-established small companies may be at showrooms. If you are building a unique, custom home you may also want custom furnishings. Not all sofa configurations are available unless you have them custom-made. Desks and dining tables need to accommodate the space and number of guests to be seated as well as the style of the furnishings. Check to see what exists and move on from there to find the perfect pieces for each situation.
Chairs, bar stools, mattresses, and bedside chests can usually be found from existing manufacturers. So much effort goes into the composition of a comfortable chair-the backfill, seat fill, and framing. These options from recognized manufacturers have been developed over generations. Customizing every piece in the home would be very time consuming and costly. It is advisable to sit in and try the chairs that will be used most often keeping in mind height variations of those using the chair and ease of exit-arms may be necessary.
So where do you start?
When space planning, it is easy to check manufacturers and see if there are options available for the size required. With HGTV dimensional displays one can easily see the spacing. Ceiling height and the open adjoining areas will make a visual difference. Eight-foot ceilings use a smaller scale than twenty- two foot ceilings. One does not need to reinvent the wheel with custom furnishings if there is something available!
Here is a list of companies that have exceptional furnishings that you may want to consider -
Through design professionals
A. Rudin - upholstery
Abner Henry-wood, metal combinations
Alfonso Marina - handcrafted
Allison Paladino at ejvictor.co
Barbara Barry
Cisco Brothers
Costantini Pietro -great chairs
Creative Metal & Wood
Dennis & Leen
Eric Brand
Ferrell+Mittman - beautiful upholstery and well designed casegoods
Glassisimo - unique glass pieces
HC28 Furniture
Holly Hunt
Formations - Historically inspired furnishings. Unique finishes and exquisite detail in upholstery, case goods, lighting, accessories, stone mantles and outdoor
Justin Van Breda
Kolkka Metal Furniture - custom options
Kelly Wearstler
Mario Grimaldi International (available through showrooms)
Rose Tarlow Melrose House
Mimi London
Nancy Corzine
Noir - casegoods and chairs
Nathan Anthony Furniture - great upholstery
Mitton Spidell
J. Robert Scott
Oggetti - unique pieces
Old Biscayne Designs
Paul Ferrante
Planum Furniture
Taracea - custom options
Thayer Coggin - mid-century options, curved sofas
Leather
Hancock & Moore - Traditional with exceptional design (fabric options are also available)
American Leather - Slightly more contemporary with custom options available. A great sleeper program, custom recliners
High end manufacturers that have varied combinations
Baker Furniture - traditional, Barbara Barry collection, Milling Road
Bernhardt - traditional case goods, Bernhardt Interiors
Bradington Young - upholstery, recliners and motion sofas
Burton James
Council Furniture
Century Furniture - Upholstery (custom options available) and case goods,
Jessica Charles
Shaddock-Mixture of looks and finishes
Christopher Guy
Emerson Bentley- nice upholstery line
Eric Brand-casegoods-residential and hospitality
Ferguson Copeland
Fremarc
Hickory Chair - King Hickory for western options
Hickory White-Lillian August
Hooker Furniture - variety of styles from contemporary to more traditional
Huntington House - good fabric options, Solution furniture
Jonathan Charles Furniture
Lee Industries
Maitland Smith - collection of imports
McGuire Furniture
Marge Carson - higher end upholstery and case goods, larger scale options in grand, palatial style
Planum Collection
John Richard - lamps
RC Furniture - upholstery
Selva
Hickory White - Sherrill
Stanford Furniture
Stanley Furniture-options for children
Stickley - traditional and mission upholstery and casegoods
Theodore Alexander - casegoods
Verellen -upholstery
Wesley Hall -nice upholstery line
Small Manufacturers
Ron Fisher Furniture
Paul Rene
Custom Furniture
All Wood Treasures
Feathers Designs -upholstery
Linear Fine Woodworking
Josephine Homes
Contemporary
B&B Italia
Berman l Rosetti
Design within Reach
Flexform
Minotti
Natuzzi
Poliform USA
Roche Bobois
Tips for furniture space planning
12” is the minimum space between the seat of a dining chair and the bottom of the table.
Allow 2’ 6” for pull out space of the dining chair, so take the table size and add 5’ to each measurement for chairs on both sides OR take the space available and subtract 5’ for chairs on both sides and you will have the best size table option.
A 60” round table makes for better conversation than a 72” round and you can get 8 people around a 60” table with average size dining chairs.
Furniture -sofas and chairs, look crowded if the arms overlap.
To add the space needed for a furniture arrangement take the depth of one piece and add the width of the other with space for entering the area. Room sizes can then be determined as well.
8’ is the maximum between chairs and sofas for easy conversation.
Quality furniture construction-
Solid wood framing in upholstery with suspension, sinuous suspension or 8-way hand tied-each has a different comfort appeal
Semi-custom and custom companies have choices for seat and backfills
There is more inspiration on my Pinterest boards!
Furniture Classics
Furniture Finds
Mid-century
Old World
Contemporary Home
Traditional Home
Country French Home
Custom Furniture
Bedroom Staging
Bohemian
Industrial Chic
