Custom Furniture in Australia 10 Things to Know Before You Buy

Buying furniture is easy.

Buying furniture you’ll still love in twenty years is a little harder.

As furniture makers, we speak with people every week who are looking for a dining table, coffee table, TV unit or storage piece that fits their home properly. Often they’ve spent months searching online, only to discover that nothing is quite the right size, material or style.

Custom furniture isn’t about creating something extravagant. It’s about creating something that belongs.

Here are ten things worth considering before commissioning a custom piece.

1. What Furniture Is Most Commonly Made Custom?

At Hunt Furniture, the most common custom enquiries are dining tables, coffee tables and cabinetry such as TV units and storage pieces.

These are often the hardest pieces to buy off the shelf because they need to fit both the dimensions of a room and the way a household lives.

A dining table might need to seat six people every day but extend for ten when guests arrive. A TV unit may need to accommodate existing equipment, speakers or unusual room dimensions. A coffee table often needs to balance proportion, function and circulation space.

These are exactly the situations where custom furniture shines.

2. Why Choose Custom Furniture Instead of Retail Furniture?

Custom furniture allows you to choose dimensions, materials, finishes and details that suit your home.

More importantly, it allows you to create something designed specifically for your space rather than trying to make your space fit a standard product.

Many people are surprised to learn that a custom piece is often more affordable than they expected, particularly when compared to premium imported furniture.

3. What Makes Australian-Made Furniture Different?

Every Hunt Furniture piece is designed and made in Adelaide.

You deal directly with the designer and owner of the business throughout the process. There are no sales teams, middlemen or offshore factories.

Being locally made means we can customise dimensions, finishes and details while maintaining close control over quality. It also means lead times are often shorter than many large retailers, where products can spend months in international shipping and distribution networks.

4. What’s the Biggest Mistake People Make When Furnishing Their Home?

The biggest mistake we see is people trying to buy everything at once.

It’s easy to become focused on creating a complete room immediately. The result is often a collection of trend-driven pieces chosen to match a catalogue rather than a home.

The most memorable interiors tend to evolve over time. They are built around pieces selected with care, meaning and intention.

Furniture should become part of your story. The best pieces are the ones that stay with you, move with you and are eventually handed down rather than replaced.

5. What Information Do I Need Before Ordering a Custom Dining Table?

Less than you might think.

The most useful information is:

• How many people you would like to seat
• The approximate size of the room
• Any dimensions you already have in mind
• A general idea of the style you like

From there, we can help determine suitable proportions and dimensions.

Most dining tables follow relatively standard heights. The real consideration is ensuring the table feels balanced within the room and functions well for everyday use.

6. Which Timbers Are Best for Custom Furniture?

There is no single “best” timber.

The right choice depends on the aesthetic you’re trying to achieve.

Some of the most popular options include:

• American Oak
• Tasmanian Oak
• Tasmanian Blackwood
• Walnut
• Spotted Gum

Each timber has its own character, grain pattern and colour. We regularly help clients select a material that suits both their home and the intended design.

7. What Determines the Cost of a Custom Piece?

The two biggest factors are material and labour.

In simple terms, larger pieces require more timber, more steel and more workshop time.

Complex details, specialised finishes and unusual materials can also affect pricing.

What often surprises people is how competitive Australian-made furniture can be when compared to premium imported alternatives.

8. How Long Does Custom Furniture Take?

A typical project takes around eight weeks from the first conversation through to delivery.

Lead times vary depending on complexity and workshop schedules, but custom furniture is often delivered sooner than many people expect.

In some cases, it can even arrive faster than furniture ordered through large retail chains.

9. Is Custom Furniture Worth It?

For us, the answer is simple.

Furniture should be more than functional.

The most rewarding projects are the ones where a piece is designed specifically for a home, built by hand and becomes part of a family’s daily life.

There is something special about knowing that a piece exists because it was created specifically for one person and one space.

10. What If I’m Nervous About the Cost?

The easiest thing to do is ask.

An enquiry costs nothing.

In most cases we can provide a realistic budget estimate fairly quickly and help determine whether a project is achievable within your budget.

There is no obligation and no risk in exploring the possibility.

Sometimes the perfect piece of furniture doesn’t exist yet.

That’s where custom furniture begins.

At Hunt Furniture, we design and make Australian-made furniture that is built to belong. Whether you’re considering a dining table, coffee table, TV unit or a completely bespoke piece, we’d love to hear about your project.