A Step-by-step Guide to Furniture Customizations

Your home is a unique representation of you and your family and should be filled with items that are a perfect fit for your space, vision and lifestyle. At Collective, we’re here to help you plan your spaces and guide you through customization options, ultimately to craft one-of-a kind furnishings that provide the perfect balance of function, comfort and style.

Most of our products, including upholstery, bedding, case goods, and accent pieces can be customized to uniquely serve both the needs of your space as well as your personal preferences. While you may begin by falling in love with something on our furniture store floor, you can further customize it with your choice of size, shape, fabrics, finishes and details.

As an example of how we approach the customization process, I’ll walk you through the steps we take to help you create a sofa or sectional that is high-quality, long-lasting, and exclusive to you and your aesthetic.

Step 1: Choosing Layout

Seating is the centerpiece of any living area. Selecting the right configuration is the first step in creating a piece that feels as though it was destined for the space.

Standard
To maximize seating whilst remaining open to the surrounding space, standard sofas come in a variety of lengths, and can easily pair with additional seating options.

Loveseat
To economize space and maintain openness, you always have the option of a shorter profile sofa, The Loveseat. A loveseat as an accent piece offers an opportunity to experiment further with complementary finishes and fabrics.

Chaise Sectional
Provide a more relaxed feel to any space with a chaise sectional. This option also lends a great amount of seating at a more versatile size than an ‘L’ or ‘U’ shaped sectional.

U-Shaped or L-Shaped
These sectionals allow for incredibly inclusive seating. We often employ this style when working with a large space focused around one centered-seating area.

Step 2: Choosing Back Height & Seat Depth

Sofas, sectionals, and chairs can be personalized in terms of height and depth. You can change the vibe of a room depending on these simple measurements. A lower back height with deeper seating is associated with a more modern look, while a higher back and shallower seat depth leans a little more traditional in style.

Step 3: Choosing Arm Style

When it comes to arms, style and functionality are key factors for completing your custom piece. Track arms tend to be popular among our clients here in the mountains and can be further customized by having the option to choose the width of the arm. There are also more traditional and contemporary options like the English Arm or Rolled Arms.

Step 4: Choosing Leg Options

The right leg for your upholstery item can depend on what pieces are already in your room. If you have abundant pieces in the room that you can see through the underside (such as coffee or side tables), a box leg or another style that meets the floor helps to balance the space. Short, box legs tend to feel more modern, a taper leg is contemporary and can swing either modern or traditional depending on other pieces throughout the room, and ferrule legs are the most traditional. These styles are all equally popular in our clients’ mountain homes.

Step 5: Choosing Upholstery

Durable, performance fabrics are becoming more and more inclusive to different style choices. We have access to a wide variety of fashion-forward, high-quality fabrics that ensure longevity. Pay close attention to weave when choosing upholstery; a tighter weave prevents snagging if your day-to-day includes kids and pets utilizing the furniture. After we’ve narrowed down the right fabric type for your lifestyle, we can play with different schematics to help guide a color palette.

Step 6: Choosing Nail Heads & Stitching

Nail heads are often a custom upholstery option that can showcase as traditional or industrial based on your style preference. When considering nail heads, it’s best to match them with your fabric first. For further customization of the details, you even have the opportunity to select the thread color on a multitude of welt and seam options.

Step 6: Choosing Nail Heads & Stitching

Step 8: Final styling

Finally, make your living space cozy and welcoming by accessorizing with textural throws and lots of pillows, adding style and comfort. We can help you construct completely customized pillow schematics.

We’re here to help with every step along the way in order to create and design beautifully made pieces just for you. Our goal as designers is to serve as an additional source of inspiration, as well as a catalyst for bringing your vision to life.

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