1. It’s All About Craftsmanship
When you pay for custom design, you’re paying for the labor and craftsmanship of people who have honed their skills over many years. One-off, custom-designed pieces generally cost more because they are individually crafted for the homeowner to exact specifications.
Furthermore, when you consider that some semicustom cabinets aren’t a whole lot different in price than fully custom, might the increase in price be worth the splurge? When the outcome is tailored, functional and aesthetically pleasing, it’s hard not to see the value in it.
2. You Can Support Local Businesses
Another great thing about custom-designed pieces, is that the people who do the fabrication and installation are generally in your own backyard. Hiring them puts money into your local economy and keeps people employed. It’s nice to know that spending a bit more for well-crafted design can also be a boon to your community.
3. Details Make It Divine
Buttons, appliques, embroidery, tassels — if your designer can dream it up, it can probably be made. By using blue-and-white tape trim, my design studio transformed the pillow on the right from a plain knife-edge pillow into a custom accent piece.
This living room by Ann Lowengart Interiors features some great examples of impactful custom design. The occasional chairs are upholstered with one style of fabric on the outside of the frame and another on the inside, creating an instant wow factor. The custom tone-on-tone geometric area rug grounds the space and livens up an otherwise neutral scheme.
4. It Doesn’t Have to Be All or Nothing
Yes, custom design can be expensive. One way you can keep your budget in check is by paying more for permanent architectural features and finishes and less on furniture.
You can always take a simple, relatively inexpensive retail sofa and add custom pillows to give the room a luxe and collected feel. A few hundred dollars in custom pillows is a lot less expensive than a custom sofa costing thousands.
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