So, you've thought about furniture and decided to make it yourself. This decision can be determined by two factors:
a) the desire to test one’s strengths and enjoy the creative process;
b) the desire to save money.
In this article we will look at the second option:
How to Save Money and Make Furniture Yourself
To make furniture you need:
- Think over and create a furniture drawing.
- Develop the detailing of furniture parts.
- Purchase and cut materials into pieces.
- Deliver and professionally assemble furniture.
Now let's briefly look at each stage.
Furniture drawing
Before start making furniture, it is necessary to carefully develop its drawing. It is important to note that an ill-conceived drawing can lead to a loss of time and money.
Imagine what kind of furniture you want, what you will store in it, determine its configuration and color that harmonizes with the interior. Determining the size of the furniture plays a key role. It is necessary to be guided by the standards and principles of ergonomics. For example, the depth, width and height of the shelves have standard recommendations. Failure to comply with these parameters can lead to inconvenience when using. It is also important to take into account the standards when calculating the doors of the sliding wardrobe so that they open completely and do not interfere with the use of other elements.
There are many rules regarding the construction of furniture elements such as shelves, doors and hinges. It is important to choose the right fittings and take into account all the details to ensure high-quality and functional furniture production.
Furniture detailing
After creating a drawing of your future furniture, it is necessary to perform detailing or cutting of the parts. This is an important stage, where it is necessary to determine the dimensions and quantity of parts that will be cut from the selected material: chipboard, fiberboard, MDF, solid wood, glass or fittings for sliding doors. In addition, the cut parts are processed with melamine or PVC edging at the ends. It is important to determine how and where to close the ends of the parts. The cutting also indicates the place for milling grooves, for example, for fiberboard of the back wall or the bottom of the drawer. Similar to drawing up a drawing, it is extremely important to avoid mistakes at this stage, since even a small deviation can lead to troubles and additional costs for the manufacture of new parts.
The final stage includes finishing the details and assembling the furniture.
Furniture assembly is a key stage that requires special care and skill. Even when assembling two identical standard cabinets by different craftsmen of different skill levels, significant differences may arise. Small defects can affect not only the appearance of the product, but also its functionality, safety and service life.
Once the pieces have been cut, they are just a semi-finished product that requires some finishing. It is necessary to mark them, drill holes for fasteners, handles, supports, guides and other fittings, and create “nests” for furniture hinges. There are many rules and subtleties of furniture assembly, and failure to follow them may require reassembly of the product or even damage it.
Options for how to implement all stages of furniture manufacturing
Now let's get to the main point. Since we are discussing the possibility of making furniture yourself to save money, let's discuss some options. First, let's look at companies that offer custom-made furniture. Each furniture manufacturer, whether a factory or a company, has its own prices for various products, such as wardrobes, kitchens, tables or cabinets. Usually, a service markup of 40-50% is added to the cost of materials and fittings. Therefore, your goal is to save 40-50% of your money.
First option:
You take care of all the steps furniture production, from learning all the ins and outs of manufacturing to assembly. This will take a lot of time and effort, and will also lead to costly mistakes that even professional furniture makers would encounter. This option is suitable if you want to make furniture professionally and are willing to learn, or if you are willing to sacrifice time and resources to show off your work to friends.
Second option:
There are many recommendations on the Internet to contact furniture companies that offer cutting and drilling services for materials such as chipboard, MDF, fiberboard. However, such companies usually do not provide measuring and drawing services. To do the measuring and drawing, you will have to contact private designers or furniture makers for a fee. Once the parts are ordered according to your drawings, you will have to arrange for the materials and fittings to be delivered and then lifted to your home. Finally, you will need to hire experienced furniture assemblers to assemble your furniture. Following this route, you can save up to 35% of your money.
Important! There are a few things that are usually kept quiet on the internet, but they deserve attention.
- In the entire process, from measuring to assembling and drilling parts on site, there is a significant risk of errors and inaccuracies. No participant in this process - be it a designer, a detailer or an assembler - takes responsibility for possible errors, which can lead to additional costs for their correction. Often the blame is shifted to others: the measurer to the assembler, the assembler to the detailer, the detailer to the developer of the drawing.
- Risk of damage during transportation and lifting of parts.
- Be prepared for noise, sloppiness, and having strangers (assemblers) in your home for extended periods of time. Assembling custom furniture and refining parts takes five times longer than assembling standard store-bought furniture.
Given the above, the prospect of saving up to 40% no longer looks so attractive, given the possible errors that could result in higher costs.
Furniture companies specializing in custom-made furniture take responsibility for the entire process. They send a designer-measurer to you who helps you choose materials and fittings, as well as determine the configuration of the furniture based on your wishes. After agreeing on the cost and signing a contract with a detailed drawing, the company takes on the cutting and manufacturing of the furniture, as well as its assembly. The cost of the order includes delivery, lifting and installation of furniture. The company is also responsible for any defects and provides a guarantee for its furniture for at least a year.
The conclusions about which path to choose are up to you, taking into account the presented savings options and risks.
