What does bespoke furniture mean?

What does bespoke furniture mean is a question far more common than you'd expect. So, if you've come to this blog in search of the answer, just know that you're definitely not alone! 

What does bespoke mean in decorating? 

The definition of bespoke is a product that is made specially, according to the particular needs of a customer. So, when applied to design and decorating, bespoke simply means that you will receive a personalised service.

What is a bespoke sofa?

A bespoke sofa is a sofa made to an individual customer's specifications. Fast furniture companies create cookie cutter sofas, meaning that every one is identical. At Raft, we make each sofa by hand in our factory in North London, down to every last detail. This gives us the power and flexibility to make whatever modification to your sofa that you want, no matter how small. Learn more about us. 

Cookie Cutter Sofas

3 Benefits of Raft bespoke furniture 

There are so many benefits to bespoke furniture, especially bespoke sofas. For us, what we love about creating bespoke sofas is that it's totally personal to each customer and each home. 

1. You can be as playful as you want with colour: We offer thousands of fabrics, from stain resistant velvets to natural linen and cottons and timeless, real leathers. From classic neutrals to bright colours and bold prints, we can upholster your sofa exactly to your tastes. You can even personalise your sofa with contrast coloured piping and overstitching. Have your own fabric? We can work with that, too! As long as it’s sourced ethically and is fire resistant. Check out our most popular fabrics and order free fabric samples today! 

2. Each seat on your sofa can differ to accommodate every family member: We're creatures of habit. Every evening you probably sink into the corner seat while your partner stretches their legs across the left side of the sofa. The bespoke service at Raft even allows you to personalise each cushion. Want to go firmer on the left side and more squishy on the right? Just ask! 

3. We won't take your order for the sake of it: Our sales team are meticulously trained, taken to the factory and explained the end to end process of our handmade sofas. This means they truly understand what they're talking about when they discuss sofas with you. We will dissuade you from doing something that won't work practically and visually (as you will eventually want to replace it). We are experts with years of experience in the industry, designing and manufacturing sofas. For this reason, we understand what will and will not work logistically. Your sofa has to make sense in terms of form and function for it to truly reflect the timelessness of Raft Furniture. 

This happened yesterday at Raft Westfield  

Just today we had a customer walk into the Westfield showroom and ask for our Lincoln Sofa (famous for its indulgent curves, rounded cushions and huge, plush scatters) on the Madison's legs (sleek, tall and streamlined sofa). Veridiana, the assistant manager at Westfield offered an alternative solution, using spare feet to build upon the Lincoln's height. This was a stylistic compromise that offered the Lincoln height without throwing the visual balance of this chunky sofa off. See the Lincoln and the Madison below! 

Why Raft is the best bespoke furniture brand

Finding a bespoke furniture manufacturer in the UK and especially in London is more difficult than you might initially think. Due to the fact that labour is more expensive in the city and there is limited space for huge factories, the number of companies that can have their factories here is greatly reduced. However, we're a small, family-run business with our roots in North London so it was a non-negotiable for Raft founders Mick Quinn and Heinz Frye when they set up the company. Our customers find it comforting and exciting to know that our sofa factory is just around the corner in Wembley.

Rather than outsourcing the work, we have specifically trained skilled craftsmen, local to Wembley, to create our signature designs with unique techniques. Our sales assistants love that the factory is so nearby, giving them the opportunity to truly connect to the customer and the end-to-end process. Whatever a customers requirements, our team will try to make it happen. However, at Raft, we're protectors of the planet and creative ownership, therefore we won't copy another company’s product, whether they have registered or unregistered design rights. We take great pride in our design process and our team value and respect what this means to other companies, too.

Did you know our showroom managers are live on the website (on the bottom right hand corner) ready to answer your questions from our different stores?