For most people, yes. Custom furniture at Interior Living in Calgary typically takes 8 to 16 weeks from order to delivery. Depending on the manufacturer, some European pieces take closer to 20 weeks. In exchange, you have far more control over the size, configuration, fabric, colour and comfort instead of settling for the closest option available on a showroom floor.
At Interior Living, when we talk about custom furniture, we generally mean made-to-order. You begin with an existing design, then select from the sizes, configurations, fabrics, finishes and comfort options available from that manufacturer.
I have furnished my own home this way, and I waited just as our clients do. I would do it again.
At a glance:
- Most made-to-order pieces take 8 to 16 weeks, although some European pieces take closer to 20
- Each piece is made for you, so you are not limited to what happens to be in stock
- Fabric or leather, leg finish, configuration and often comfort level can be selected
- Made-to-order furniture usually carries only a modest premium over a comparable in-stock piece
- Ordering the major pieces together makes it easier to coordinate the whole room, rugs included
- If you are building, begin selecting furniture four to five months before you hope to use it
How Long Does Custom Furniture Take?
The timing depends on the piece, the manufacturer and where it is made. Our Canadian makers are generally faster. One of our European vendors, based in southern Italy, runs closer to 20 weeks.
That can feel like a long time when you are standing in a showroom ready to decide. It is also why we talk about timing early, before anything is ordered.
Why Does Custom Furniture Take So Long?
Because your furniture does not begin production until you order it.
Many of our pieces are benchmade by skilled craftspeople. When you order a sofa, dining table or chair, the manufacturer begins making your particular piece in the specifications you selected. The lead time includes making, finishing and bringing the piece to Calgary.
Most of that lead time is spent making and transporting your piece, not storing it in a warehouse.
What Do You Get With Custom Furniture?
You get a piece chosen specifically for your room and the way you live. Depending on the manufacturer, a single design may be available in thousands of combinations, from fabric or leather and leg finish to seat firmness, size and configuration.
It also means you are less likely to settle. If a chair is only available in three stocked colours and none of them works with your room, you either compromise or continue looking. With made-to-order furniture, you can choose the right option and coordinate the major pieces, including the rug, so the room comes together as a whole.
My own bed is a good example. It has a round headboard covered in azure velvet, with rails in the same fabric. I could never have found that shape in that colour as a stock piece. It took longer than expected to arrive, and I slept with my mattress on the floor in the meantime. When it came, I loved it, and I still do.
Does Made-to-Order Furniture Cost More Than Buying In Stock?
Not substantially. At Interior Living, made-to-order furniture usually carries only a modest premium over a comparable in-stock piece. The final price is influenced far more by the size, configuration, fabric or leather and finishes you select.
For that difference, you get the size, fabric and comfort that work for your room instead of the closest available match.
What If I Need Furniture Now?
We hear this often. A client has just moved in, or the house is finished and guests are arriving. We understand that waiting is difficult, and we do not pretend otherwise.
Where possible, we encourage clients to use what they already own in the meantime. If you are moving, keep some of your old furniture until the new pieces arrive.
We also sell lamps, pillows, accessories and smaller tables directly off the floor, so a room can begin to feel finished while the larger pieces are being made. If we have floor product that we think will suit your space, we will tell you.
How Far Ahead Should I Order Furniture?
If you are building, begin selecting furniture four to five months before you hope to use it. Furniture is easy to leave until the end of a build, but custom production and international shipping cannot simply be rushed to meet move-in day.
If you are moving into an existing home, the timeline may be more flexible, but the same advice applies. The earlier you order, the less you will feel the wait.
Is Custom Furniture Worth It?
It is worth the wait for the pieces you use every day, where the right size, fabric and comfort make the biggest difference. Not everything in a room needs to be made to order.
Clients regularly come back and tell us they wish they had waited. What they bought off the floor was close, but not quite right, and they noticed it every day.
Instant gratification is appealing. Furniture is a long game, though. If you are planning a new room or a new home, visit Interior Living in Calgary early in the process and we will help you map out the furniture and timing before you order.