Reasons for Hardwood, Custom, Hand-made Furniture
- Cassidy Sisto
- Aug 6
- 3 min read
Handmade furniture was a thing of the past. But it is still a thing of the present as well! It’s not dead. Not yet, anyways. Not while Plane Truth Woodworks is still in business anyways. We do live in an era where many if not most Americans get their furniture from Amazon delivered the next day, or along with their groceries on a Walmart+ subscription. Many younger generations may baulk at the idea of what they consider to be antiquated furniture. And there is certainly a reason why IKEA is a growing business in America today (Footnote 1). But none of those things stop a business like ours. Plane Truth Woodworks is here to say otherwise. We’re here to say that hardwood, custom-made, gorgeous hand-made furniture is still worth it. It’s still valuable. It’s still worth every penny.
There’s many reasons why custom/hand-made furniture is still important today. Let’s dive into the biggest reasons why hardwood, custom-made, and handmade is the way to go when it comes to your furniture.
The biggest thing to show is how hardy hardwood is. Compared to softwood there’s just no comparison. Unlike particle board or machine-processed wood in many cheaper, off-the-shelf products, hardwood is something that lasts. There’s a reason every good woodworker doesn’t even use softwood for furniture or household products. Even things like built-in cabinets & dressers are still made with hardwood for durability and a long lifespan. Hardwood is harder to dent, easier to maintain, and even has a stronger nail & screw holding strength. Let the record show that even a poorly made hardwood product may not last as much as a well-made softwood one. The type of product can also make a huge difference and as long as the item is well-cared for, a proper softwood is certainly an option. The real thing to remember is that hard-wood vs. soft-wood is more of a scale and less of a binary option. Just because a wood is “hard.” doesn’t mean it’s indestructible and vise versa for softwood. This is because woods are based on a Janka rating. But Janka’s and softwoods are a subject for another article all together.
Let’s focus on the term custom-made for a minute. Obviously, custom-made is a term that invokes either class or clunk. A “custom” piece is either really unique and specially made or just a poor attempt by someone unqualified (the term “jenky" comes to mind). Studies show that 40% of shoppers want customization in their furniture (Footnote 2). Let’s say you’re looking for a coffee table. Do you want a custom size? Do you want a custom base? Do you want custom materials? Do you want custom matching end tables? The combinations of customization are endless. Sometimes it’s best to customize a piece so it just fits the room better. Being a small custom woodshop, Plane Truth Woodworks is in a great position to customize your furniture option however you want. If you can think of it, chances are we can build it.
Now consider the term hand-made. Handmade items are more valuable (Footnote 3). Handmade items are unique since no 2 handmade items are exactly the same. Here’s a unique fact too. Most handmade furniture is made to be re-surfaced or repaired, rather than replaced. In other words, it lasts longer! When it wears out, is scratched, or even is worn or faded, a simple sanding followed by re-surfacing brings the piece of furniture back to life. This adds longevity and attachment to a statement furniture piece. Some families have a kitchen table that’s lasted for generations. Some families have a coffee table with coffee stains for years and can bring it in to have it completely renewed. There’s also something about the creative process that makes a client more attached to a hand-made piece. The creative process is different for a handmade piece. There’s the initial design phase and then there’s the waiting — all for the custom piece of furniture that is being created to make their living room or dining room or office come to life. There’s something much more rewarding to it than just ordering it straight off a shelf.
Enough said. This article is designed to show the basic advantages of hardwood, custom, hand-made furniture. The custom furniture market is growing (Footnote 4). Don’t be left out! Please support your local artisans & woodworkers. Plane Truth Woodworks is ready to meet your custom furniture needs. Being based in Anchorage, Alaska places us in a great location to meet the needs of local families, shops & businesses alike.
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