How long does it take to get nice quality furniture?

With the holiday season fast approaching (at least according to designers who know the patterns of furniture availability) the question worth asking for consumers is “How long does nice quality furniture take to receive?”

“Nice quality” definitely seems to be a relative term. But as a designer who understands what NICE quality actually means, and where to find it, I will break it down as best I can.

Upholstery (sofas, chairs, dining chairs, ottomans)              

Allow 10 weeks minimum

Casegoods (wood furniture/tables/consoles)                            

Allow 20 weeks minimum

Chances are you were not expecting these timeframes unless you shopped during/after COVID. But the truth is while lead times have increased since COVID, the above listed wait times are not out of the ordinary for high end furniture.

But what if I want high end furniture, and am having guests in a few weeks?

For those on a tighter schedule, I have a few hacks to share for your pre-holiday needs.

Upholstery –

1.        REFURBISHING

You may have seen the social media craze over furniture flipping. Similar concept here. You can purchase used sofas/chairs with a shape that you like and have them re-upholstered, sometimes within a couple weeks. For this, you need to know where to find good quality secondhand seating, and be familiar with good brands that build good frames, since you don’t want to pay to re-upholster a poor quality piece. You also need to be familiar with which fabrics are suitable for upholstery, and where to purchase them, and then of course select a fabric. And of course, you need a good quality upholsterer.

A seasoned designer can connect you with all of the above and make the process easier and faster. However if you do seek out a designer, prepare to meet a minimum.

2.        PURCHASE IN STOCK

You can usually find “in stock” furniture at higher end retailers like RH or Arhaus. The downside to this approach is that you will have little to no choice on frame style, size, or material selection. You get what is available and have no negotiating power.

3.        SHOP CONSIGNMENT/UPSCALE SHOWROOMS

Consignment shops or showrooms in higher end neighborhoods and urban areas tend to have great pieces in good condition to sell off the floor. Look for higher end brands like Baker, Hickory Chair, Henredon, Century, and Stickley. If you see any of those names for a price you can afford on a piece you actually like, SNAG IT! And don’t waste your time browsing in consignment shops—go in ready to buy, with measurements already in hand. Because the piece you fall in love with will be gone by end of day.

Casegoods-

1.        CONSIGNMENT

Consignment shops are especially helpful when you have a style that is compatible with rustic or aged look furniture, so a couple nicks here and there won’t be a big deal. Also you can get quality pieces at a tiny fraction of the original price. The trade-off is you cannot return it if it doesn’t work, so you really need to have a strong sense of whether it will work. That’s where a designer comes in handy. They measure twice, buy once. And they can tell if it will work, just because it’s their skill.

2.        IN STOCK/FLOOR MODEL

For top-of-the-line quality casegoods, there is nowhere you can buy in stock pieces aside from floor models purchased at high end furniture showrooms. But what is “high end”? Again, it’s relative. Depending on what that means to you, you may be perfectly content shopping the In Stock options with companies like Room & Board, Arhaus, and even RH. But do you want to drive around to a dozen showrooms looking for that perfect piece? Do you have the time? If you do, great! If not, you can ask your designer to source some higher quality pieces for your space as quickly as possible, with the understanding that they might not really be the best quality, and they might not fit perfectly with your vision. Perfection takes time.

If you are more concerned with fulfilling your vision than meeting a timeline, it’s always recommended to find a designer that is a good fit for your style and personality, and trust them to source pieces that will be built by hand with care to meet your specific design profile, and fit in your specific space. If you want something personalized but have no time or skills to “pull it all together” bring in a designer and LET them take care of you.

Inquire today for services, or follow me on Instagram @getitdonedesigner

Top quality sofa built custom, current lead time 24 weeks with transit time. Custom drapes current lead time 16 weeks. Custom cut area rug current lead time 4-6 weeks.