When does it make sense to have furniture custom made?

Do you value high quality handcrafted furniture that can be passed down to later generations?

Does my style of furniture design appeal to you?

Do you have a clear idea of the kind of piece you would like, and it’s not available commercially?

Do you want a unique piece, and the opportunity to collaborate on design, materials and finish?

If you’re answering yes to most or all of these questions, J Koger Furniture would be a good fit for you. So let me describe my process with a recent example…

Note: There is now a $1500 minimum for custom orders. Sorry, too many inquiries from people comparing prices to mass produced furniture and not understanding the difference in quality of design and construction.

Initial Inquiry and Alignment

A recent word of mouth reference led to a prospective client emailing me with an inquiry. He wanted a clean, modern desk and matching nightstand for a guest bedroom, and he wanted them made of a solid light-colored wood. We traded a few emails to refine requirements for design, dimensions, and functionality.

Design and Pricing

With clear understanding of requirements and direction on design, I started drawing. Generally I’ll develop 2-3 initial options per piece, narrow in on a favorite, then tweak as needed to get to the final design. The top picture shows the three options I developed for the desk. The lower picture shows the final nightstand and desk designs with dimensions.

With final design, final price was set and agreed upon. The client paid half the total upfront, with Venmo (other apps or check also accepted).

Build and Delivery

Build time varies based on project size and schedule, but rough estimate from down payment to delivery would be 4-6 weeks. I will send progress pics if desired and welcome visitors to my shop. I will deliver locally for a reasonable fee. Here’s a pic of the final desk and matching nightstand.