Pro: custom furniture is higher-quality

First, the pros. Maybe the single biggest reason to get a custom table from Cannon Hill is that the quality of the product is higher than what you’ll find elsewhere. When you buy furniture “off the shelf,” it’s very likely that the manufacturer will have taken a number of shortcuts along the way. A large retailer will almost certainly be selling tables from overseas with components cut automatically in a factory setting, and perhaps then assembled by hand. The furniture will also likely have hardware, things like brackets and clips, that make assembly faster, but which also introduce points of failure, are unnecessary, not consistent with best building practices, and simply ugly.

Pro: custom furniture is designed for your needs

Second is the fact that a custom wood table can be completely designed to your specifications. With bespoke furniture, every feature of the table is built exactly the way you want it, from the material to the size to the design. If your space is a little irregular, or the table needs to interact with preexisting furniture like a built-in bench, it can be extremely difficult to find what you need at commercial retailers. Buying a custom table ensures that you get exactly what you need, in a design that fits your space beautifully.

Cons: custom furniture costs more

As a maker of custom furniture, I obviously believe that these pros far outweigh the cons, but I’ll give them a hearing as well. The first and most salient is probably, simply, cost. Custom wood furniture will basically always be more expensive than what you’ll find at retailers. On the other hand, custom furniture is built with more care, better materials and better finishes. It’s completely reasonable to expect a custom piece to last a lifetime, or several, while most commercially available furniture is, essentially, disposable.

Con: custom furniture takes thought

Second, custom furniture is a process. When you buy a custom wood table, you have decisions to make and those decisions can take time. Buying out of a catalogue is quick and easy: see a table you like and buy it. Now, we and our clients tend to believe that the process of custom furniture can and should be fun, but there are those who wouldn’t agree. If you have a little patience and a little imagination, the custom design process will be one you enjoy. We’re here to help with the technical stuff, so if you have a project in mind then reach out via our contact form to get the ball rolling.