7 Reasons to Choose Handcrafted Furniture Over Factory-Made Furniture

Handcrafted furniture, as the name implies, are furniture items that are built by craftsmen or woodworkers. Opinions are divided on whether using power tools disqualifies something from being considered handmade.

But it is generally agreed upon that till the time there is human intervention in the ideation, measurement, and production, it is a handcrafted furniture item. Over the last 300 years, handmade furniture has drastically been replaced with factory-made furniture and the art of building these items is certainly dying.

However, we’re seeing a small revival of these goods through small businesses. In this article, we’re going to list 7 reasons why you should support your local businesses making handmade furniture over factory-made furniture.

Perhaps the best thing about handmade furniture is that, unlike factory-made furniture that goes through a standardized system of manufacturing, handmade furniture is 100% unique from the get-go. Funnily, it can be considered similar to an NFT but in real life, because no other item like this will exist in any other place.

Unique over here does not necessarily refer to how many times a piece has been made but instead those little imperfections and intricacies that cannot be replicated due to human error. It's what gives any piece its personality.

Another way to look at what makes handmade furniture inherently unique is how it differs from factory-made furniture. With factory-made furniture, you're bound to end up with a piece that has been built using easy-to-find lumber. Whereas handmade furniture is often built using more craftsman wood which immediately makes it stand out.

If there's one thing that you can worry less about, its the exceptionally high quality of handmade furniture. This really ties into how small businesses operate, often sourcing more premium building materials and hiring only the most skilled carpenters and woodworkers.

These custom furniture makers go through intense apprenticeships that help them develop an intuitive sense of craftsmanship and the knowledge to select the best material based on each clients requirements and practical needs.

Factory-made products, on the other hand, are notorious for using the cheapest options available in the market to cut costs and it shows. Within months of purchase, furniture items like chairs and tables start to wobble a bit more than usual. In terms of quality between handmade furniture vs factory-made furniture, handmade furniture wins without a doubt.

Just like big corporations compromise on the build quality to cut costs, a lot of them compromise on following sustainable measures as well. Its not uncommon to see plastic being used as the primary material of any piece. This is a huge problem in all industries that depend on the mass production of products.

Another material that factory-made furniture abuse is glue. Gluing is done in both handmade and factory-made furniture; however, factory-made furniture uses much stronger glues that are bad not just for the environment but also for the workers at the factory. If you’re sensitive to smells, the glue might irritate your nose, even after being dried.

You never have to worry about these problems with handmade furniture because most of the custom furniture makers are deeply involved in the community and there is no need to prioritize speed and cost over sustainability. Some businesses even go to the extent of using only reclaimed wood.

One of the key functions of any factory-made furniture item is that it will look and feel identical to every other piece that is produced. This can be a good thing if you’re looking for an exact copy of something you liked. However, this also means that there are no options to customize the furniture to your liking.

Again, this is not bad per se but not everyone likes the same thing. In fact, not everyone needs the same thing. The reason for the lack of customization is once again mass production. The machines are automatically set to build pieces using only a certain type of material with a fixed measurement.

Wood handcrafted furniture, on the other hand, gives you the freedom to design however you like. Want to use rosewood instead of maple? Can be done. Want a smooth satin finish instead of the rough lacquer? Not a problem. Want to change the size of the furniture item according to the needs of your room? You got it.

Shocking, isn’t it? Up until now, we’ve been discussing how factory-made furniture cut costs on various things like materials, labor, and even on customizations. And for this reason, big corporations can price their furniture items at a lower price than small businesses making custom furniture designs.

And yet we say in the battle of handmade furniture vs factory-made furniture, the former is more cost-effective. Why? That's because by buying handmade furniture that is built using durable materials and expert craftsmanship, you are investing in a piece that will withstand the test of time. You will not need to replace these furniture items every few years.

Handmade furniture is built to last and hardly ever requires repairs. And even if it comes down to repairing it, most custom furniture makers will gladly do it for you at a reasonable price. So, handmade furniture's initial cost is definitely more expensive but overall, you will save money in the long run.

The world is changing quite rapidly. It seems like each day, there's a breakthrough in science, technology, and even the production of goods. This is a trend that has been going on since the beginning of The Industrial Revolution and has only become faster as the years are going by.

And that's a great thing! Innovation keeps us from becoming stagnant. However, this comes at a cost, especially in the world of furniture making. Big corporations have prioritized speed and standardization so much that the old way of building something from the hands is dying.

Just like handwritten letters, there's a certain charm handcrafted wooden furniture has that just cannot be reproduced by machines. When you’re investing in a handmade furniture item, you are becoming part of a long and great legacy of humans that shaped the world with just their hands.

We’ve already discussed how handmade furniture can last a lifetime but the real question is, besides saving a bit of money, why should handmade furniture or any furniture item last that long? And the answer for that is simply because of the sentimental value it is going to give through the generations.

Think about the family heirlooms you currently have and all the stories that you've heard about these items. That feeling of belongingness is special because only you and your family members are directly related to those stories. It is the only tangible thing that connects you to your ancestors.

Handmade furniture will provide your descendants with the same feeling of connection and belongingness to you. And it's going to be incredible! The world will keep changing but a part of you and the life you lived will always be with your kids and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren.

With so much focus on living in an environmentally conscious and sustainable manner, there's never been a better time than now to buy handmade furniture from the local stores around you. Take the leap, you will not regret it.