 | Don Swank is General Manager of Spring Valley Woodworks, Inc. in Canton, KS. Spring Valley custom builds commercial furnishings for businesses throughout an area of the Midwest of approximately 500 to 700 miles radius of Canton, with the care and precision of its more than 30 year Mennonite tradition. These commercial furnishings include but are not limited to Desks, Credenzas, U-Units, L-Units, U-Groups, Hutches, Files and Workstations, made in a variety of woods including Walnut, Oak, Cherry, Birch, Ash, Mahogany, Poplar, Teak and more. You can visit Spring Valley Woodworks at www.springvalleywood.com. You can contact Don by email don@springvalleywood.com, or call him at Spring Valley Woodworks, 620-345-8330. |
Commercial Furnishings
2013-01-02 14:18:30
Why are they called office furnishings?
Q-I have been reading your recent articles on the vernacular associated with commercial furnishings. I don’t know why someone hasn’t done this before. Can you go further in your explanation?
A-Thank you for your question. Last month we talked about the two main classifications of office furnishings being that of custom-made and ready-made, factory-made or pre-fabricated, plus the various types of wood, stains and fillers that are used for these items. This month we will continue with more of the same. But first, an answer to a question we received from last month’s article…”What does the term “casegoods” mean?” Casegoods is a term you will hear quite frequently in the commercial furnishings industry. It refers to furniture that is not upholstered and is made of wood. In a commercial setting, it would describe desks, credenzas, bookcases, file cabinets, etc., all of course made with hardwood. Now to go on…
Q: How much does custom furniture cost over ready-made, factory-made or pre-fabricated furniture?
A: The price of custom furniture is driven by a variety of factors including material selection, door style, finish, drawers, and the level of detail of the design. After an initial design consultation, you should always receive a no-obligation budgetary estimate for your custom job. Quite frequently people are surprised with the competiveness of the price between the two.
Q: What are the benefits of 100% custom furniture?
A: If you can dream it, it can be built. 100% custom furniture means that every piece is built specifically for you in any size, wood species, style, and finish desired. The finish can be matched with existing furniture, as well as style and design. Having furniture built for existing spaces and configurations is perhaps one of the most surprising differences for those who choose custom furniture. Additionally, since you can make custom furniture to any size, it is surprising what larger pieces will do to an existing room. They will make the room seem much larger.
Q: You mentioned some of the woods that can be used in your last article. Can you expand on this?
A: Yes. Most every custom manufacturer is able to offer all available wood species, engineered wood veneers and laminates for any type of commercial application. Hardwood species might include but not be limited to: Alder, Beech, Birch, Cherry, Hickory, Pine, Mahogany, Maple, Red Oak, White Oak, and Walnut. Finishes and fillers can be whatever you want them to be, providing the best in durability and strength for long lasting wear that won’t yellow. Most every custom manufacturer will tailor the finish to your exact specifications, whether new, formulated to match existing furniture, or duplicated to match a finish from a concept photo. Glazing, distressing and rubs can achieve about any style desired.
Next month we will talk more about these stains, fillers and finishes of commercial furniture.
