Assume Custom Furniture Is Unaffordable? Think Again
If one thing is for sure, it’s that Houston has no shortage of furniture stores. However, what the city does severely lack are showrooms with furniture that is both customizable and affordable too. Luckily there is one store that does things differently from any other retailer in the city.
To give us an inside scoop, we caught up with Sarah Zubowksi of Living Designs Furniture. Since no one else does things quite the way they do, this made her the ideal expert for guiding families on how to choose the perfect customized furniture for their space.
Visit a Showroom with a Wide Range of Options
When the average family goes furniture shopping, they usually have to go to multiple stores to be exposed to every style or genre of furniture out there, from the traditional look to more modern and contemporary styles.
Not only does Living Designs have every type of furniture style that you can imagine under one roof, but they also sell every different configurations of that style. For example, let’s say you stop into their showroom and fall in love with style of an exact sofa, except you really want it to be a loveseat or a sectional.
“We make it, and we make it in any dimensions that you might need,” Zubowksi says. “If you’re working with special spatial concerns or let’s say you’re really tall and you want it to be deeper to be more accommodating for your body, we customize it for you.”
On top of this, the store has thousands of vetted fabrics available so you can select your preferred color and style for every piece. With most retailers, you’ll be looking at an abrasion count somewhere in the 10,000 range, meaning you can see wear and tear after sitting on it a few thousand times. The high-quality fabrics at Living Designs start at 75,000, even in leather options, to give you dominant performance that can survive the trials of kids, pets, or any other crazy lifestyle detriments.
Consider Your Family
Shopping for furniture, it’s natural to view what you’re buying as a mere product. In reality, furniture is so much more than that, becoming key to a space that brings your family together to create memories.
“You spend so much time on these products that in a way they become a part of your home and a part of your family,” Zubowksi says. “It’s really important to know what you’re buying and understand where your dollar is going. A lot of people skip over that when they’re shopping for furniture because it seems like such a intimidating high-dollar item.”
One of the biggest problems Zubowski has seen is customers settling for something that is less than perfect for their space. Whether the cheap furniture ordered from an online big-box store deteriorates quickly or just doesn’t serve the purpose that it needs to within the home, they end up paying for it in the end.
“We really operate from a space of family because it’s who we are,” Zubowski says before laughing, acknowledging that all businesses claim this, but from the top down, every member of her family is involved at Living Designs. “We might be the most family owned and operated company in Houston. So every step, we consider how these products play a role in your family. We’ll try our best to make sure that it’s going to be an investment that lasts and also helps you with those moments that really matter the most.”
In fact, Sarah Zubowski’s husband Dean married into the family and has done an incredible job as the head of furniture production, holding a keen understanding of customer wants in a way that makes sure their furniture remains the best in Houston.
Support Local and Buy American Made
Following COVID, most of us have been affected by supply chain issues. A great deal of customers who enter the showroom at Living Designs actually state up front they have no interest in browsing until they know the specific lead times. Amazingly, Living Designs wasn’t slammed with foam shortages or back-ordered furniture the past couple years, allowing them to avoid massive delays for customers.
“The reason is because we use local partners for all of our materials,” Zubowski says. “Our wood is from Louisiana, and that’s the furthest we go to source our materials. Since we keep everything local in the U.S. and mainly Texas, we were able to avoid all of those shortages.”
Living Designs does have inventory available for purchase at an extremely discounted price, which is able to take home within a week. If you want something custom ordered, that will usually take 8-10 weeks due to the fabric, whereas every other aspect is completed in house.
“We really have everything that you could possibly be looking for,” Zubowski states, “and what really makes us different is you’re shopping local, it’s all American, and it’s a price you just can’t beat”.
Producing furniture the good old fashioned way since they were established, their heavy frames are guaranteed for your lifetime and the high-density foam in their cushions is customized for maximum comfort. With white glove delivery service, everything will be set up in whatever way suits your family best.
“Something you shouldn’t have to sacrifice is feeling like you’re at home.” – Sarah Zubowski, Livings Designs Furniture
Set a Budget and Be Amazed How Far It Gets You
It’s easy to get attached to this idea that custom furniture is unaffordable. One of the biggest hurdles for Living Designs is helping people understand the word “custom” should be accessible to everyone, granting them an endless variety of style where boring neutral colors aren’t the only option.
“Let’s say there’s something you really fell in love with at a different furniture store, but it was outside of your price range,” Zubowski proposes. “People bring us pictures of things they’ve seen other places, and usually we have our own version already in the showroom. But if we don’t, we’ll create it and we’ll make it just how you need it for a price that you cannot find anywhere else.”
You might be asking yourself right about now how it’s possible to offer so much for such a fair price no one else in H-Town can match. As the sister company of Texas Mattress Makers, Living Designs falls under their umbrella company Noah’s Manufacturing – also owned and operated within the family.
“We’re factory direct, so we get to provide the best price possible for our customers while still giving them endless options to customize their furniture in a way that makes it functional and really stand out towards their personality and needs,” Zubowski answers without missing a beat.
Stop into the Living Designs Furniture Showroom
With a commitment to their customers, the family-run crew at Living Designs Furniture makes custom accessible furniture available to every Houstonian. Anyone who wants to visit is more than welcome to stop in during regular business hours 7 days a week and be greeted by a furniture expert.
For appointments, email Sarah Zubowski directly (support@ livingsdesignsfurniture.com).
Bring the dimensions of your space, along with measurements of past furniture and any color inspiration, including photos.
Showroom at 4619 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77011. More info, visit www.livingdesignsfurniture.com.