Built-in storage is one of the smartest ways that interior designers use when looking to balance aesthetics, functionality, and great value for money. I mean, regardless of how squeezed or spacious your home is, inbuilt storage space always has its place whether it’s in the storage of TV and other media centers, shoes and clothes in their wardrobe, kitchen utensils in kitchen cabinets, and so on. Most important to note, fitted furniture gains its popularity from its ability to be fitted on awkward corners for instance on eaves, alcoves, and other spaces that would be too squeezed up for ordinary fittings. If you’re lucky enough to get a professional fitted furniture supplier, you can have them customize the fitted wardrobe with additional internal storage compartments like drawers and racks, revolving rails, and the like. In that regard, take time to identify a reputable supplier who has been dealing in original designer, high-quality furniture. The UK is home to many such suppliers and FCI London is one such example, they have partnered with some of the leading furniture brands to ensure that from their London shop, you can get your brand of choice knowing that it is original and genuine. A real bespoke fitted furniture supplier should be professional not just in the way they handle you when you stroll to their furniture stop, but also afterward in case you’re in need of any after-sale services. You may require replacing the wardrobe’s handles, and rails; you may decide to repaint the interior, and so on. The ability to build rapport with your supplier and maintain it is a very important thing. Here at FCI London, we have compiled a comprehensive guide to help you shop for fitted furniture suppliers in the UK.
How to shop for fitted furniture suppliers in the UK?
- There are no shortcuts; if you’re looking to get original and high-quality fitted furniture, be it a designer brand or otherwise, there’s simply no shortcut about it. Watch out for cons and scammers who’ll purport to sell you genuine furniture at ridiculously cheaper prices. Well, sadly, there are numerous fake products that imitate the real ones, and if you aren’t careful you’ll pay dearly. One thing we always advise our customers is that it is better t spend decently on a genuine, original item than seek a shortcut by buying the same on backstreet sites that pretend to get the product at a cheaper price. So rule number one, decide that you want nothing but original and genuine fitted furniture for your home or office.
- Research a bit; once you’ve decided that you want genuine fitted furniture for your home, you can now commence your search. Where in the UK are you located, are you looking for a local dealer or you don’t mind their location as long as they get the job done? A quick search online will show you the furniture suppliers around you, you can narrow down on a few and note them down on a list. Again, there are many cons online from all over the world that target innocent shoppers in the UK seeking to purchase goods online. In this regard, it is important that every furniture supplier you note down has a physical location within the UK. On their website, take note of their location, and contacts. Be wary of catchy websites that bombard you with promotional content, asking for your personal details; yet they haven’t shared details of their UK furniture showroom. FCI London for instance has its main showroom doubling up as a factory and all customers are welcome to pass by and see for themselves what fitted furniture pieces are available. You’re also able to get your furniture customized exactly to the shape, size, color, and theme you feel will blend in best with that of your home. Never make any online payments to a furniture supplier you haven’t met or whose showroom you haven’t visited. Better safe than sorry, right?
- Showroom visit; another thing you’ll need to remember is that a bespoke fitted furniture supplier should be able to customize and design the furniture to any specifications you may wish to, from the size, shape, and ability to fit into odd shapes. They should be able to cope with odd and awkward dimensions/spaces. Only then can you say that you’re dealing with bespoke fitted furniture. Make a point of calling different suppliers and arrange visits to their Showrooms, to see what furniture brands they have. Compare and contrast the craftsmanship, variety of designs, and ability to customize the furniture pieces to your preference. Some fitted furniture suppliers may offer you handsome discounts or free fitting services. Others charge a different fee for fitting the wardrobes even after you’ve paid for design and manufacture.
- Design home visit; nowadays, interior designing and decorating has been taken to new levels. A good fitted furniture supplier should have a professional designer who can accompany you to your home or office and have a firsthand look at the space you wish to have the inbuilt furniture fitted. Such designers will offer you great ideas and suggestions on how to make the most out of such spaces, whether to opt for sliding doors or hinged ones, tips on building the perfect interior drawers, right LED lighting for the wardrobe, and so on so forth. Besides, they’re best placed to help explain to the experts back at the factory on exactly what kind of inbuilt furniture you’re looking for. All the details of the project will be discussed during this design visit, possible starting date, payment methods, and so on so forth. Here at fci London, all our design home and office visits are absolutely free, we don’t charge you for anything. It’s in our best interests to get that firsthand opportunity to inspect the space you wish us to fit the furniture, as well as to explain to you one on one on the best way forward.
- Design approval; a good fitted furniture supplier in the UK will note down all your suggestions and ideas, before embarking on the designing phase. Usually, the designers will start by producing rough drawings and sketches showing the furniture pieces you ordered. If you have the time, the designers will call you over so as to show you the drawing and explain how they wish to come up with the implementation phase. If you’re not pleased for instance with the shape of the drawing or measurements of the fitted furniture, everything can be rectified at this phase. At this point, you’re given a time frame during which the manufacturer will be able to manufacture the furniture and get it ready for fitting/ installation. At fci London, all orders are processed within 2 to 14 days, meaning that you’ll just need to wait for 14 days or less to have the customized fitted furniture you requested get completed. By now, the designers are well versed on exactly what you want out of your furniture; they’ll ensure that the finishing complements the theme and interior décor of your house and that of other items inside the house. As for the furniture doors, these are custom made depending on the size and requirements of your project.
- The interior; the inside of a fitted wardrobes deserves special attention seeing that this is the space that will contain most of the storage space. That aside, it has to be aesthetically appealing because this is the area that your eyes will come into contact with each time you open those doors. You’ll need a professional to install the right rails, shoe racks, drawers (with lock and key), shelves, and such like. A good supplier should be able to fit and install these accessories right under one roof; no long stories about sourcing for the latest door handles from another shop or importing them from abroad. When it comes to the internal storage components, there are usually two ways to go about it; first, you can opt for the so called Aura storage system. This is common with most floor-to-ceiling wardrobes that have heights of 2 meters to 2.7 meters. It’s easy to install, accessories are fitted on telescopic poles, with the drawers and shelves available in a unique white, oak effect kind of finish. The steel bars and rails can be painted into a silver color. The second method is known as Relax Storage System, ideal in instances where the height of the ceiling is above 2.7 Meters. Apart from the vertical telescopic poles, horizontal ones are also used to ensure that accessories can be fitted and installed with even more precision. The posts used can be painted with anodized aluminum, plus it comes with soft close drawers. Usually, this style is ideal for storing large and awkward items.
- Payment method; it’s very important that you’re absolutely clear with your furniture supplier on the payment modes. Like we mentioned earlier, never make an upfront payment for an item you haven’t seen, from a supplier you’re yet to meet, or a showroom you’re yet to visit. You only make payments once you’ve followed the due diligence of ascertaining that the fitted furniture you’re buying is indeed genuine and of the right quality. At fci London, we never ask for any down payment until the project has reached the design stage and you’ve approved of the design. Only then do we request the customer to make a down payment of 30%, with the rest being cleared upon completion. The 30% is calculated from the total price of the fitted furniture, it’s a form of security that shows you’re indeed a serious buyer and that your project should now commence manufacturing. A professional, genuine fitted furniture supplier in the UK will not hesitate to breakdown how they arrived at the final cost; from the cost of materials used, the labor, accessories used, and so on. They should also explain the schedule to you so you know the duration the entire task will take. Furniture dealers and suppliers are notorious for not meeting deadlines, they’ll give a false completion date that gets moved forward again and again; this is as unprofessional as it can be annoying. If need be, sign an agreement with the supplier showing that you’ve ordered item X, that you’ve been charged this amount, they’ll use this and that material, and that the expected completion date is this and this date; failure to meet their end of the bargain, the supplier will either do a refund, or be liable to a fine for inconveniencing you.
Quick Tips to guide you when buying bespoke fitted furniture in the UK;
- When installing the rails, ensure that they are fitted on varying heights in order to make most out of all the space. Full length rails can be used to hang dresses, while half length rails for shirts, kid’s clothes, and trousers.
- When designing the drawers, ask the supplier to include at least one or two that can be safely locked with a key; you’ll need a safe compartment for storing your jewelry and other precious items.
- Children are fond of climbing and jumping over objects and ordinary, free standing wardrobes are no exception. Fitted furniture will be a better option for the kid’s room as the free standing units are very likely to topple and harm the kid.
- Last but not least, always opt for sliding doors where possible, they are the best for fitted bedroom wardrobes, TV cabinets, and other inbuilt storages. Glass sliding doors are more aesthetically appealing, plus they help make the room appear much larger.
In Summary;
Fci London is a leading fitted furniture supplier located in the heart of London; we can deliver our furniture to any part of the UK. We are professional, have been manufacturing high quality furniture for over 30 years and our prices are simply the best! Visit our showroom today, we’ve partnered with over 700 of the leading furniture brands in the market, you simply need it, we’ve got it! Hurry up and enjoy discounts of up to 70% off what you’d get elsewhere.
