Jen Talbot Design
The Sketchbook Files /

Custom Furniture 101

In the last 4 years we have moved to creating more custom furniture because there are better lead times, we can control the quality and creativity of a piece. The success of custom furniture is finding the right upholster or vendor that will listen and willing work with your ideas and ability to execute the craftsmanship.

The first thing we do is figure out the high impact areas that make the most sense for investing in a custom piece. i.e. Does the space create challenging that would be best addresses with a custom piece?

The concepting and drawing is one of the most critical parts of the process. Ensuring the proportions are correct with seat heights, depth. It is important to listen to the guidance of the pros to know about proper seat fill and structure for the achieved comfort level for the needs of the client. We learned a ton by listening to our upholster and reworking with his guidance.

The sit test if one of the most critical parts of the process to make sure all the dimensions on paper translated to the right sit feel and comfort. Any changes to the framing and seat cushion shape or construction need to be made at this point. We have learned from experience the slight angles needed in either the back slop of the sofa or the back cushion needs to be slight sloped for optimal comfort. We have had to had framing reworked, which cost us additional because we had no slope in the drawing. At this stage the frame will be finished, but not much else. After the sit test the rest of the cushions will get completed.

The most rewarding parts is the finished product and delivering it to the client!!