Someone asked me the other day how to know whether they should build or buy. We’re flexible, and can help you do either. We have a personal shopper service available, where you get to work one on one with our wood experts to find exactly the right unfinished solid wood pieces.
That being said, I get this question frequently, and I always answer, “It depends…” and then suddenly I’m the one asking all the questions. LOL So, I thought this might make a helpful blog article. Of course, I’m still more than happy to answer any questions personally — and I hope you’ll feel comfortable calling to ask — but this will be a great jumping off place.
First of all, do you own your home? If you own your own place, it makes a lot of sense to go custom, partly because you can do whatever you want, and partly because it’s an investment you can also write off on your taxes. If you don’t own your own space, you can still go with custom wood furnishings, as long as the pieces are movable and don’t cause damage to the owner’s property — and we make certain that they can fit out the doors!
If you live in a rental, and you really find your current kitchen unbearable, speak to the owner and see if he/she might be willing to split the cost of improvements with you. It doesn’t hurt to ask, and once you get a green light, we’re happy to be part of the conversation with your landlord. It’s a little different situation, but totally do-able. As long as everybody wins, we’re good.
Are you working with a contractor on a remodel, or would you like us to refer one to you? If you’re working with a contractor on a remodel, it’s easy for us to sit down with you and your team to help get you the look you want, and maximize the space in any room in your home or office.
Because of my experience as a set designer, I’m used to working with many different teams of people, in a variety of mediums. Everything is built from scratch pretty much every time I work on a show. I’ve learned to work quickly and efficiently and stay within a set budget, and my experience there has also given me an enhanced eye for design. I know how to help you create the ambience that you want to bring into your space.
My design sense gives me a more holistic view of your home, so the ideas I bring to the table can help you meet the vision you have of your dream home, within your given space.
How important to you is a flexible investment? We’re able to have complete control over your project, and we can craft pieces that will stand the test of time. You’ll be able to add to them later on if you like, or to strip them down and change the entire look and feel. You can enlarge or downsize later on as technology advances.
Do you care about the environment, and/or do you have chemical sensitivities? You can choose the greenest products to use as finishes and paints available on the market, which makes your environment immediately healthier.
We don’t use products that off-gas because we don’t like to feel sick while we’re working, and we definitely don’t want to leave that behind as our calling card! Our mission is to make your space an oasis of serenity — nothing less.
Does this type of project make the most sense for you financially right now? Sometimes, due to your budget, buying pre-made raw pieces will give you some creative control, while being more cost effective than custom pieces. You can always sell them later when and if things shift in a different direction for you down the line. As I mentioned previously, we’re flexible and can help you find a beautiful solid wood pieces here.
If you think of other questions that aren’t asked or answered here, please leave them in the comments or get in touch. We love being to help make people’s dream homes the places they actually live in.