For those who haven't yet read The Existental Pleasures of Engineering by Florman, I highly recommend it; it's short, concise, and talks about how engineering/hacking/building can bring satisfaction to those who practice it.<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Existential-Pleasures-Engineering-Thomas-Dunne/dp/0312141041" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Existential-Pleasures-Engineering-Thom...</a> (non-affiliate)
I'm happy he could have it made for $1,150 - in Mexico. If you talk to carpenters in the US, you'll find that making furniture is a tiny bit more expensive. A single couch can easily be $5K.<p>I've considered it, done the investigation, and decided I don't want to spend that kind of money. Turns out that "Scandinavian Furniture" is doing quite well :)
I've taken it one step further and actually learned basic furniture carpentry. I'm primarily a UI designer by trade but I found the skills easily transferable. In an odd way it's no harder than the basic layout CSS I write every day.<p>The big different of course is that when I mess up with wood I can't just erase everything and redo it. Woodworking has taught me to slow down.
My girlfriend designed almost all the furniture in our house (she's not a professional designer), and I think it's far better than if we bought something ready (we live in odd-shaped small house).<p>The cost were approximately the same as buying form IKEA. It was now, I would try to build build some of the furniture myself. A couple of years ago we got a local woodworker do it. Decent price, furniture built especially for our home, my girl happy to see her own ideas live, the local woodworker making some money - it was win for everyone.
It's a luxury that few working in the US can afford in the US. He paid $1100 for all that furniture. Getting that done custom by a craftsman (craftsperson?) here in the US would probably cost a multiple of at least 2x and perhaps 5x.
The bed/couch is interesting, in that the original inspiration was the mid-century classic George Nelson Case Study collection (Modernica makes the canonical version - it's an awesome modular collection of tables and couches and beds and things) that Urban Outfitters created their version of, then the author worked based off of that, largely reinventing the original.
To be honest, I think most, if not all design was done by the carpenter here. Without any dimensions or details or notes or specifications, this is more like: "The pleasure of commissioning someone to design furniture based on your own sketches."<p>It's akin to someone saying, "I made an iPhone app! I drew a bunch of pencil sketches for a wireframe, and gave it to someone who then built it for me! Everyone should make their own iPhone apps."<p>Never mind, of course, that the 'someone' had to interpret the sketches, create mockups, create design assets, develop and test the iPhone app.<p>If he gave dimensioned drawings with a standard 4-view layout, with some pencil sketches, specified the materials, and/or created the design through an iterative process with the carpenter, then sure, I'll call that design. But design, this isn't.<p>HN would understand that most of the importance is in the execution of the idea. This is a furniture analog to "I have a great idea for an app/website - I just need someone to build it!"
CustomMade (<a href="http://www.custommade.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.custommade.com</a>) is a great place to emulate this process, i.e find a craftsman/maker who can help you ideate and create great pieces of furniture, jewelry, and other crafted goods. Check us out if you're interested in buying custom and aren't sure where to start!
An interesting point on the design your own furniture vs buy prebuilt spectrum is to treat Ikea furniture as base components that you then customize to your exact needs.<p>Definitely not as nice as what the OP had commissioned, but likely less expensive and easier.<p>Tons of examples: <a href="http://www.ikeahackers.net/" rel="nofollow">http://www.ikeahackers.net/</a>
While it may be too expensive to have it made entirely by a craftsman the US, if you're up to the challenge you can join a woodworking shop and learn how to build it. It will certainly take more time but you will get a more complete experience than simply designing it.
There is a distinct tactile and visceral pleasure in designing and building your own furniture that goes beyond the pleasure I receive design and building complex software projects. The permanence, the necessity of planning, the measuring, the careful diligence required at each step.<p>Most of the furniture in the condo I inhabit with my wife is either designed by us and built by me, or designed by us and built by a local craftsman. We have been very happy with everything we've acquired so far. There are a few "stock pieces" that came from various furniture stores, those themselves either being one offs or antiques, but for most part, it is all custom.<p>The prices however? Oh how those prices cause us pain. The raw material costs alone are eye-opening. Having a craftsman build furniture for us after we have designed it, causes frequent sticker shock. I just know if I walk in and want something, we are talking North of $2,000 as just the opening price. We have been on a bit of a spree this year buying five new pieces in the first half of the year whereas normally we buy one piece per year.<p>The one thing I know about the furniture that is our home is that it will last probably longer than our lifetimes and other families will hopefully derive pleasure and utility from the items long after my wife and I are both gone.
I've just started getting into making my own furniture last year. I've found it is a really code release from coding/designing/staring at devices all day long. Building a website or app is very rewarding, but there is a different feeling when you build something with your hands that you actually use. It's nice to have an actually hobby.<p>I've made 2 tables and a desk. It started out of necessity: I have a really weird obtuse-angled wall that no desk would fit inside. Wrote a post about it if anyone wants to see. <a href="http://bit.ly/1k6XiU7" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/1k6XiU7</a><p>Haven't moved onto chairs/couches etc because the whole upholstery thing kind of scares me. Also - you can easily build most furniture for a few hundred dollars, but you have to look for it! I have a construction dumpster near my house right now with a ton of old pallets they are throwing out, that right there is enough to make some really cool stuff. Also re-purposing is really "in" right now so in my opinion even better :)
While I haven't designed my own furniture I insist that it should be real honest wood (now). Which means I can just give it a polish if the kids scratch it. Or sand it if necessary.<p>Also a lot of the furniture is bought from someone around here who had found something they liked even better.
One path for would-be furniture makers to take is to send computer files to a computer-controlled router, which are becoming more available via local makerspaces or sites like 100kgarages.com. (If you happen to have access to a high-powered laser cutter you can make do with that too: <a href="http://guavaduck.com/laser/#bed" rel="nofollow">http://guavaduck.com/laser/#bed</a>) Starting points for designs are available from sources like <a href="http://atfab.co" rel="nofollow">http://atfab.co</a>, and 3D CAD software is helpful, but not necessary.
Those chairs are particularly nice. Really nice design, and nice to see the inspirations too. It's a shame that in many countries (UK and US) carpentry has become a rarified trade only available to the rich - perhaps with increasing automation we'll learn to appreciate jobs like this again, making something wonderful and unique by hand.
For what it's worth Buildasofa.com in the US seems to be making custom more affordable. I can't speak to the quality as I haven't ordered anything, but several friends speak highly of them and I believe their prices are far below the $5k number being thrown around.