When deciding to reupholster an existing piece of furniture or designing and choosing the shape and size of a new piece of bespoke furniture there are several factors to consider. Everything from the design to fabrics, to placement need to be considered! In this blog we will walk through the steps of how to create custom furniture, then look at five types that can really stand out in your home including: ottomans, headboards, screens, banquettes, and sofas or chairs!

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The first thing you will need with bespoke furniture is an idea and a design! These must be chosen first and have measurements taken. Looking at pictures of upholstered furniture on the internet, say on Houzz, is a great way to learn what styles you like and don’t like.

The next item to consider is the fabric that you would like to see on the piece. You have many things to consider when it comes to fabric. If you don’t know where to start, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have kids, pets?
• Will the piece be used often? 
• Will it be more of a showpiece? 

This is the time that a local interior designer really comes in handy. He or she has local resources, like the Washington DC Design Center, that is Trade Only and allows access to patterns you can’t get anywhere else. It is several floors of the best fabric houses in the world. Usually, every large city has a Design Center. Beyond the resources, the local interior designer can come to your home, learn your taste and start the search for the perfect fabric for you. I have always enjoyed taking clients to our Washington DC design Center, it gives both the client and I time to connect on the project at hand and takes a lot of stress out of the process for you!

When you’re at this stage, these are some of our recommendations. Fabrics that are suitable for upholstery are cotton, linen, ultra suede and leather. If your fabric choice demands durability and performance as well as stain resistance, it’s possible to apply stain protectants before or after the piece of upholstery is made. A quote can be given ahead of time for the fabric protectant, so always remember to ask!

At this point you have your piece, fabric, designer of choice and are ready to have a beautiful bespoke piece of furniture! But some of you may still be wondering, but wait, what type do I even need for my space? Below we’ll walk through the five best kinds of bespoke furniture to get your imagination flowing:

Ottomans

Ottomans are the most common type of bespoke upholstery we make. Whether a low lying footrest, seat or even a makeshift table, ottomans are very versatile items that can take up very little space. Ottomans come in a wide variety of styles:

• Round
• Square
• Rectangular
• Oval
• Clover shaped 

The tops can be designed to be flat or tufted. Some ottomans have legs others have block feet or can come all the way down to the ground without any feet showing, others can be skirted. They can be made so that the tops open for storage hiding throw blankets or kids games. Whatever the design, we can make it!

Headboards

When it comes to your bedroom, no other piece of furniture stands out like your headboard. You have a few factors to consider when choosing an upholstered headboard. Questions you should ask yourself about the headboard include:

• Do you lean on your headboard to work on your laptop? 
• Is it just for sleeping? 
• Are you looking to complement the headboard with beautiful drapes, a lovely carpet, and furniture to complete the look of the room?

The height of the headboard can be a key factor in a functioning tool or a design accent. We can also make the headboard in any style you choose. Custom bases are another thing to consider, they can be made in any size to fit your mattress. These are attached to the headboard and can be upholstered in the same fabric as your headboard for a gorgeous complete look. We always measure and template your mattress and box spring to make sure that they both fit perfectly in your new custom base.

Upholstered Screens

Upholstered screens are another custom upholstered piece that is made and can be moved around a home to be used in a variety of ways. Choosing the location of your screen will help start the design process. They can act as a privacy divider between rooms, as a decorative piece in the corner of a room or adding color while standing in front of a wall or behind the sofa.

Using decorative nail heads on your folding screen adds interest and style especially if the screen is being made out of a solid fabric. If you choose a patterned fabric, you may decide to use a decorative cording or contrast welt around the edge of the screen. There are many styles to choose from when it comes to the top of your screen, straight or curved, the choice is yours.

Upholstered Banquettes

 

Upholstered banquettes add so much style and interest to a home. By coming out to your home, office or restaurant we can measure and template the space so that it’s an exact fit! If you live around DC and have a Row House, you know how crucial that can be! Discussing fabrics and design, your banquette will have a total “ custom” look. Discussion points should include:

• How you would like to finish, the bottom of your banquette? 
  • Would you like it to have a skirt or exposed feet? 
  • Would you like the feet to be stained a dark or light finish? 
• What kind of fabric would you like?
• Based on the use, should it be scotch guarded?

For instance, if we are making an L-shaped piece to fit into a breakfast nook, the answers to these questions would likely be an exposed bottom with a stain that matches the kitchen and absolutely scotch guarded because consider all the food!

Banquettes are also wonderful for seating say in an entrance hall, when you need that special custom piece. Maybe the piece needs to be curved with a tufted or flat back and skirted? It may just be the perfect place to sit down to put your shoes on. Whatever your needs may be, we will come to your home to measure your space talk about fabrics and design and provide you with an estimate for your custom piece.

Custom Sofas and Chairs

Say you have your eye on a beautiful tufted back sofa but the store that you would like to purchase but they only sell it in 84”not the 90” sofa you require. Or you have an unusual L-shaped space in your media room and would like a custom sectional made. What if you have that perfect dining room chair in mind but you need sixteen for your large family. We will come to your house, template, discuss fabric options, give you an estimate, deliver and install the piece.

Conclusion

Are you inspired to create a custom piece now? Whether it’s a simple headboard or a full room of custom sofas and chairs, these five bespoke furniture pieces can really help your home stand out and express exactly who you are and your taste perfectly. If you don’t want to do it alone, this is an area we have 25+ years experience in and absolutely love making creating custom pieces that will be the perfect new addition for your home. Additionally, we find it very important to work locally in the Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland area with all of our custom upholstery built in the Washington DC metropolitan area. If you have a custom project, reach out to us by giving us a call or send an email to hello@kelleyastoreinteriors.com to discuss!