Why handmade furniture matters

We live in a world where many things are mass produced that we’ve become accustomed to buying what’s available in stores or online, right off the shelf. It’s easy to forget that commissioning a piece from skilled local craftspeople is even an option. Most people would be surprised to learn just how many talented makers exist in our communities. Here at Traditional Beams, we offer a small but carefully designed range of handmade furniture. We predominantly use character grade kiln-dried oak suitable for furniture making. Each piece we make is slightly different from the next containing its own unique and beautiful features. It’s wonderful that more people everywhere are beginning to embrace things that are made by hand in small quantities. In case you hadn’t heard, here is why choosing to buy handmade furniture matters:

The furniture is tailored to you

When you have handmade furniture, you can work together with the furniture maker to create a piece that is perfect for you. Whatever your tastes or needs are, the furniture maker can work with you to create tailored, unique pieces. No two handmade items are exactly alike. Variations in colour, shading, texture, shape and grain are inherent in a handmade piece. This means that every handmade item you purchase is also one-of-a-kind. What’s not to like about that?

Quality of craftsmanship

Making a one-off item involves a level of care and focus unparalleled by mass-produced goods. Our furniture makers don’t produce flat-packed furniture created with a relentless drive to reduce costs. Instead, they treat each piece like a work of art that represents their craft.

Sustainability

Not only do our furniture makers focus on producing quality pieces that will last for generations, but they also typically source sustainably harvested or even reclaimed timbers.

Supporting time-honoured skills

When you invest in handmade furniture from local makers, you help to preserve a craft and livelihood passed down for many generations. When done throughout a community, multiple times over, that community can find new life.

Transparency

When buying furniture, it’s important to know where it’s made, how it’s made, under what kind of working conditions, and where the raw materials were sourced from. Connecting directly with a maker allows us to bypass the wholesalers, importers, distributors and retailers and provide us with the transparency that we need to answer the above questions.

Added sentimental value

Commissioning a custom made piece introduces sentimentality and meaning. It allows you to connect with a maker and learn their story. You’re able to appreciate the materials and production methods chosen, including the rationale for doing so. Often you may have a part in shaping the products final design. It’s an investment in a piece and story that can be passed down to your kids, and theirs. In bespoke furniture and design, there is an individual story that accompanies every item.