Things have been changing rapidly in the world lately, and residential interior design is no exception to this rollercoaster ride. Supply chain issues remain a challenge, prices continue to rise at a pace that’s difficult to justify, and constantly shifting tariffs make it hard to keep up. Chaos and uncertainty have become the new norm. Just as we began to recover from the pandemic, a new set of challenges emerged—especially for those working with products that are designed, manufactured, shipped, and sold across different countries and continents.

One of the most surprising shifts we’ve seen is that custom upholstery is now often more affordable than ready-made or mass-produced alternatives. Michelle and I have been genuinely shocked to find that, when selecting staple items for clients—pieces you’d expect to find in nearly every furniture store—it’s sometimes cheaper (and faster!) to have them custom-made.

There are several advantages to having furniture custom-built:

• You can specify sizes that aren’t available in stores
•  You can create a unique style that’s hard to find
• You can choose any fabric, vinyl, or leather to get exactly the performance and durability you need
• You can select the firmness or softness level you like to sit on (we call this the Goldilocks test)
• Highest quality craftsmanship you can find (solid wood, hand-stitching and quality joinery to name a few)
• Transparency on origins of materials allowing to make sustainable choices and select from local sources

For most people, durability is key. Many of our clients have been amazed at how easily their custom fabrics clean up—whether it’s pen, chocolate, vomit, or even dog mess. We’ve made a point of sourcing performance materials that stand up to real life—sofas that can withstand just about anything short of scissors or a permanent marker.

When it comes to ready-made furniture, the list of advantages is shrinking. Yes, there are a couple of remaining benefits:

• Quick-ship programs for common items
• The ability to try before you buy in-store

But beyond that? The perks that once made ready-made furniture so appealing—like lower prices and fast delivery—are quickly disappearing. Quality has declined as many retailers move manufacturing overseas to cut costs. Shipping is slower than ever, and inflation has pushed prices so high that it often just doesn’t make sense anymore.

Take a recent example: Michelle and I were sourcing a square ottoman for our clients in Oakville. The piece needed to fit under a coffee table when not in use, serve as a footrest for lounge chairs, and double as extra seating. It also had to be upholstered in a wipeable fabric, since the clients have four kids and a dog. Vegan leather was an obvious choice. Our colour scheme included a warm, saddle brown—an accent color we thought would be easy to source as it would be widely available.

Below, we’ve shared the results of our search (with vendor names removed for obvious reasons), including pricing and sizes. Spoiler Alert! The highest quality item is the second-lowest price!!! Although we’re using the ottoman as an example, we’ve encountered the same trend with other upholstered goods. 

Example #1: Custom Made in Mississauga TOTAL PRICE: $1,220 + HST

Custom 32” x 32” x 16.25”H Ottoman; $870 plus vinyl fabric (3.5 yards) $350.

Made using Canadian Wood: Our upholsterer sources locally made materials whenever possible. The vinyl we selected originated in Vietnam and is suitable for contract use (hotels, commercial spaces, etc.).

Our upholsterer had us ship the coffee table to their shop so they could made sure the ottoman would be as tall as possible while still being easy to tuck under the coffee table.