How Custom Furniture Actually Works (It's Easier Than You Think)

"Custom furniture" sounds like it should be complicated. Like you'd need a design degree, a stack of sketches, and a whole lot of nerve to pull it off.

Honestly… it's a lot simpler than that. If you can bring a tape measure and a few photos of your room, you've already done the hard part. Here's how it actually works at Barewood.

Two kinds of custom

When people say "custom" here, they usually mean one of two things.

Custom finished means you pick a piece we carry unfinished and have it finished in the color you choose. The piece itself is the same one you see in the showroom or online. The finish is all yours. (We covered this one in Unfinished vs. Finished Furniture, so I'll keep it short here.)

Custom built means the piece itself is made to order, to your size and your choices. Several of our makers build this way, including Fusion and Green Gables (both Amish-built, which we get into in What Makes Amish Furniture Different?) and Fighting Creek's custom hardwood line.

The rest of this post is mostly about that second kind, because it's the one people have the most questions about.

What you get to choose

Options vary by maker and by piece, but on a custom-built piece you can usually choose:

• The size. Your exact measurements. Not "the closest standard size." Your size.
• The wood. Depending on the maker, that can include oak, brown maple, cherry, hickory, walnut, quartersawn white oak, and more. (Not sure which? Best Wood for Dining Tables walks through the most popular ones.)
• The style. Farmhouse, trestle, Shaker, Mission, modern… and plenty in between.
• The color. Your choice of finish, so it works with the rest of your home.
• The details. On tables and chairs, that can mean the base or leg style, the edge profile, leaves, and seat options.

A real example

We had a customer with a long, lean dining space. She needed a table 30 inches wide and 72 inches long, and she couldn't find a standard-size table that would fit. (Most dining tables are wider than that, especially at 72"L.) So we had one built at exactly 30 by 72… and it fit her space perfectly.

That's really what custom is for. Not every room is shaped like the rooms furniture is designed for, and yours doesn't have to settle. (If you're working out how big a table your room can hold, How Much Space Does a Dining Table Really Need? has the simple math.)

Not everything needs to be custom-built

Here's a little secret: with so many makers and sizes available to us, we can usually find something that fits without a custom build. Plenty of pieces already come in a range of sizes, and many can be custom finished, so you still get your color. Custom building is for when nothing standard will do.

Custom finishing opens up another choice most people don't know they have: mixing and matching your chairs. At a lot of stores, a dining set is a package deal: this table, these chairs, take it as is. Because so many of our pieces come unfinished, or come from makers who offer lots of pieces in the same finish, you can pick the table you love, pair it with the chairs you love, and have them all finished to match.

And the chairs change the whole feel of a set. The same table can lean farmhouse, cozy, or modern depending on the chairs around it.

How it works, step by step

Step 1: Bring your homework. Come in with the measurements of your space, plus anything that helps us see what you're picturing: inspiration photos, a sample of your flooring, a swatch of your wall color, or a photo of the room. (Measuring for a big piece? Will It Fit? has a five-minute checklist.)

Step 2: Pick your style, size, wood, and color. This is the fun part. Seeing finish samples in person makes a big difference, because the same stain can look noticeably different on oak than it does on maple or cherry. (More on that in How to Choose the Right Finish Color.)

Step 3: Get written confirmation. Before anything is built, you'll get the details in writing: the size, the wood, the style, and the color. Read it over carefully and double-check your measurements. Measure twice, order once!

Step 4: Sit back and relax. Now your piece gets built just for you, and we'll call you when it's ready.

Why custom takes a little longer

A custom-built piece doesn't come off a shelf. It's made after you order it, so it takes longer than a piece that's already built. Timing depends on the maker, and our Our Makers page has typical timing for each one.

If you're working toward a date, like a move-in or a holiday with a full table, tell us up front. We'll let you know what can make it.

Ready to make it yours?

Whether it's a table built to fit an odd-shaped room, chairs that give a set a whole new feel, or a finish that finally matches your floors, custom is a lot less complicated than it sounds. Come see us at the showroom with your measurements and your inspiration, and start with the fun part. You can also read more on our Custom Furniture page.