Is Upscale Designer Furniture the Best Investment for Your Home?
Everybody knows about luxury cars, high-end watches, or exclusive fashion brands. But how familiar are you with top-notch furniture brands?
The decision to buy furniture often comes when you're settling into a new home for the long haul or starting a family. But in our modern societies, owning quality furniture tends to be more limited than other luxury purchases.
In the realm of luxury goods, home furnishing represents only 3.5% of total spending worldwide. To put it in perspective, that's six times less than what's spent on jewelry and fashion and twelve times less than luxury cars.
But the demand for quality and designer furniture has been on the rise, especially in today's times. After months of lockdown, we've come to appreciate the need for comfortable yet stylish furniture more than ever!
Comfort and design aesthetics aside, let's focus on three other key aspects commonly found in high-end furnishings:
- Composition & Materials
- Functionality
- History
These aspects play a big role in justifying the price of furniture and its potential resale value after use.
Let's delve into a typical furniture piece – the sofa – to understand these aspects more clearly.
Composition & Materials
When it comes to sofas, a critical question often arises: fabric or leather?
But do you know the real differences between Split, Bonded, Pigmented, Suede, Genuine, Nubuck, Eco-Leather, Aniline, or Semi-Aniline leather?
Aniline Leather presents more imperfections in color, skin grain and will show mosquito bites or scars. They are more valuable leather.
Pigmented leather has a cleaner and more uniform look and typically is resistant to stains and wear marks. While 100% genuine pigmented leather is more economical than aniline ones.
In the high-end furniture industry, only a few types of top-quality leather are used, such as Pigmented, Aniline, Semi-Aniline, and Nubuck leather.
These premium leathers differ in terms of hide type and treatment, affecting their appearance, durability, and resistance to stains or wear.
Similarly, fabric choice is equally complex, with natural versus synthetic fibers impacting durability, maintenance, and overall appearance.
A waterproof fabric improves the durability of a seating making it easier to resale.
The sofa's structural materials, be it metal, solid wood, plywood, or particle boards, also influence comfort, durability, and cost.
Feather and/or down inserts give a more sink-in feeling and casual look.
Credit: Cloud sofa from Restoration Hardware.
Foam filled sofa inserts will help stretch the upholstery and make the sofa look more sleek.
Credit: Bend sofa from B&B Italia
Functionality
Today, over 80% of the US population resides in urban areas, a 20% increase from 1950. This urban concentration often means smaller, pricier spaces, prompting the need for furniture that serves multiple purposes. Think of a sofa that transforms into a bed, a dining table that expands, or a stool doubling as a table – all catering to versatile living needs.
Our lifestyle has shifted significantly. With most of us spending the majority of our day working, relaxation and entertainment at home are no longer just niceties; they're essential. As our living habits and interior spaces continue to evolve, leading sofa manufacturers strive to meet their client’s demands by integrating technologies into what might seem like just a sofa at first glance.
Here's an overview of some of the main functionalities that make these sofas unique:
- Up & Down Backrests
- Sliding Backrests or Seats
- Reclining Seats
- Foldable Armrests
- Modular Units
- Swivels
- Sleeping Capacity
- Storage
- Tray, Tables, or Cup Holders
- Suitable for Outdoor Use
- Blog Article: Changing position on your couch constantly?
Modern sofas now integrate remotely activated mechanisms, batteries, USB ports, phone induction chargers, and even speakers, catering to the ever-evolving technological needs of today's users.
History
Selecting beautiful yet practical sofas involve understanding their inspiration, craftsmanship, and significance in the industry.
The reason most high-end furniture originates from the USA or Europe lies in their unique expertise. Consider a quick timeline of some of today’s leading brands by their year of creation:
- 1860: Ligne Roset (France)
- 1872: Fritz Hansen (Denmark)
- 1905: Herman Miller (USA)
- 1912: Poltrona Frau (Italy)
- 1960: Roche Bobois (France)
- 1966: B&B Italia (Italy)
These six brands alone represent a remarkable 645 years of furniture-making experience.
Blending ancient, handcrafted methods with the latest technologies yields results that endure generations. Some of these brands boast collections that have stood the test of time, gracing markets for over 10 or even 50 years while maintaining a contemporary edge. Purchasing these iconic pieces ensures their longevity, backed by quality assurance, and often supported by spare parts available from the manufacturer if needed.
Renowned haute couture designers and top industrial designers have collaborated with these brands, elevating their design icons even further. Their diverse backgrounds, ranging from architecture to fashion, have inspired innovative furniture and sofa collections with dynamic shapes, futuristic designs that imprint their distinct mark in the furniture world.
This expanded version should offer a more comprehensive overview of the functionalities and historical significance related to upscale designer furniture.
Zaha Hadid award winning architect and Sacha Lakic, motorcycle designer both have different design backgrounds which inspired them to create furniture and sofa collections with dynamic shapes, futuristic feel which feel as their print in the furniture world too.
Moon System for B&B Italia (top).
Heydar Aliyef Center in Baku, Azerbaijan (Bottom).
Credit & Designer: Zaha Hadid
Black Track motors BT03 motorcycle (left)
Bubble sofa for Roche Bobois (right).
Credit & Designer: Sacha Lakic
Conclusion
From design and materials to functionalities and historical significance, these factors influence the value of a sofa and its potential resale value. A blend of popularity, availability, and quality often determines its lasting worth in the market.
Vinko Lakic
Founder ONE OFF
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