Some of those prices can certainly be explained by a high price. Some companies can buy large quantities of furniture because of their size and get discounts of up to 30% on wholesale costs. They then price their items at the same price as smaller buyers who don't receive the discount. The MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
As a business person, I can choose not to carry those items or not have many, since I can't compete with the discounts they can offer. The available discount offered by high-volume container buyers doesn't exist for the smallest independent retailer, and the service offered by the smaller retailer isn't there either. With soft furniture such as sofas and armchairs, fabrics, foams, and other filling materials are a cost factor. Upholstered pieces are almost always going to be more expensive than a non-upholstered version; just take a look at the dining chairs page of any furniture website.
Darío Reicherl is CEO for Asia of the Danish furniture design company Fritz Hansen, which is distributed in Singapore through W. He was an apprentice for years before becoming self-employed and is considered one of the most important modern designers in Switzerland. In general, “industrial application” means that 50 or more reproductions of the product derived from the design have been made and offered for sale. Lim adds: “When you consider the cost and time spent on design development, prototyping and manufacturing, and considering the quality of materials and their durability, royalties paid to designers and distribution costs, furniture can be expensive.
Talk to any of them and they'll probably share that one of the most common reasons people avoid designer furniture is because it's “expensive”. As is implied, designer furniture is accessories for the living environment conceptualized by a person, generally trained in industrial design or architecture. That said, if you know what to look for, finding stylish and affordable furniture is far from impossible. I think what's lost in the mix is a broader understanding of why furniture costs what it costs and how these companies are reducing costs so profoundly in the furniture they offer.
I'm going to talk a little more about why this is the case with examples of where I've chosen to splurge or save, and I'll also explain why furniture costs what it costs and some quality indicators so you can navigate with more confidence. Wettstein was a Swiss industrial designer who went on to design furniture and larger design projects, such as the interior of the Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC. Just as designer brands can increase the selling price of furniture, there is also the attraction of owning pieces that are especially unique or handmade. Retailers at designer furniture retailers such as Xtra, P5 and Fritz Hansen will be very communicative about the products they sell and will provide information about the designers and the production process.
The biggest cost of furniture is generally materials, and this is where I think consumers should be much smarter in their purchases. Fear not, they hate waste; all unused leather is donated to a nearby design school, where students use it for their projects. This is actually another reason why furniture is so expensive, that you buy better pieces designed by individuals, not what the masses buy.
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