2020, the year that we spent more time at home than ever before… and due to this sudden increase of home time there has been a huge movement of wanting to update our spaces!

I am a massive believer that the right piece of furniture can absolutely transform a space, taking it from drab to fab in an instant! And what better way to quickly and easily change the mood of your room than with a new chair, ottoman or bedhead… but how does one find this said piece of transformative furniture? Design it yourself of course!

We spoke with Hannah Goldberg, Director at Zenn Design about the increase in business for the Australian Furniture Manufacturing industry since the beginning of COVID-19. We picked her brain on why custom furniture is just so fantastic as well as asked her top tips for designing your own bespoke piece of furniture.

Firstly, tell us about Zenn Design?

Zenn Design is Melbourne’s leading upholstery and design firm, specialising in luxurious, handcrafted designed beds and bedheads, soft furnishings, upholstered furniture and all things fabric. We offer unmatched levels of quality and service to provide our customers with beautifully furnished spaces. Our value for quality is carried from frame construction through to the finished product and is expressed through the quality of the materials that we use.

Each piece we create carries skilled Australian craftsmanship and is made to order in our Melbourne workshop with the utmost care and precision. As part of our service, we assist you with selecting the correct fabric for the style as well as aiding you in the design of your custom furnishings or furniture, thus ensuring a functional, beautiful and lasting piece.

How does the design process work?

We are a bespoke manufacturer and specialise in individual pieces over mass production. Each design is tailored to suit the individual clients needs, it’s a collaborative, creative and highly intuitive process. We are up for the most challenging designs, our motto is “if you can imagine it, we can create it!’.

At every stage we listen to the needs of our customers and tailor our services to perfectly fit their unique requirements, we like to make the process a fun, exciting and creative journey.

We create each furniture piece with customised measurements to fit your exact brief, you choose from endless design options, fabric and colour selections as well as tailoring it to suit your home style and aesthetic.

Our team draws on a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to deliver a new standard of excellence – right from sourcing and selecting the best materials, through to product innovation and customer service delivery.

We bring to life creativity and innovation through quality craftsmanship. Each Zenn Design furniture piece is manufactured in our Melbourne Workshop from the highest quality raw materials to ensure years of enjoyment, we want to create spaces that you love to live in.

Why do you think the Australian furniture manufacturing industry has seen such an increase in business during the pandemic?

We are finding many of our customers have turned to local manufacturing rather than importing from overseas during these testing times. Due to the current climate there are extreme lead times on purchasing furniture from retail stores who import their pieces from Europe and China. These lead times are ranging from 12-22 weeks (and sometimes longer), on top of that there are additional freight charges, plus the general feeling of uncertainty in the world, therefore this has resulted in people looking local.

On top of the practical reasons, there is also a real surge in Australians wanting to support their local makers and businesses - our customers value the importance of made to order items, the love and hard work that goes into each and every piece.

Why choose a custom designed and made piece of furniture?

What I love about our customers is that they value and support local craftsmanship, and that in turn is keeping the Australian manufacturing industry alive. When you choose a custom made piece of furniture there is unmatched levels of quality, attention to detail and outstanding customer service - and what’s even better is that you can expect to see your new furniture item sitting in your house in a 2-6 week turnaround time!

Another bonus is that you don’t have to go furniture shopping as we offer free at home personalised design consultations (these are still being offered during Covid-19 and we are adhering to strict hygiene practices). One of our experienced consultants will visit your home, discuss your vision, needs and individual style. We will take the time to listen and understand what you are after, discuss customised options, view a beautiful range of fabrics and work with you to create a functional, beautiful and tailored piece in line with your personalised lifestyle and aesthetics.

A high quality, impeccably made, custom piece of furniture will stand the test of time and always be in fashion.

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Furniture trends of 2020 - Custom Designed & Upholstered Furniture