Designer furniture, price vs quality

[matthew]

While in London yesterday, popped into the Conran shop and saw first-hand the desk that I have been totally in love with for some time:

http://www.conran.com/conranshopping/showMoreInfo.do?productid=10274 (link is to US store, for some reason it's not on UK site but I think it was £5295.)

I'm still in love with the design, but for that price I was somewhat disappointed with the construction. The main frame is solid oak, but the rest of it is veneered board. Drawer boxes are not jointed, just butted together and glued or screwed. False drawer fronts (also veneered) just screwed on from the inside (with very ordinary screws, no less).

I know that the design contributes to the price, but shouldn't we expect better execution for that sort of price (um, not that I can afford it anyway). I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure I could make a better version of this... if only I had the room for it (it's about 2.5m long!)

Oh, and here's another example:

http://www.conranshop.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=20367&cid=CoffeeTables&language=en-GB

Again, I do appreciate the value of design (in general, perhaps not this one quite as much), but I think the difference between cost of construction and sale price is a little extreme...

 

[SimonA]

Hi Matthew,

I do think there are people/companies out there that will take you for anything they can get, just because it has a designer name on it! Us brits seem to thrive on it too and although I do like my designer labels, I won't be ripped off. But there are poor souls out there that have the money to purchase this stuff and watch it go out of date before its even been deliver! If I had that kind of money then I would be going direct to the designer/maker and getting them to make something specifically for me that wasn't available in the shops.

SimonA
PS. I'am a designer so go easy on me!

 

[Pete W]

I know that the design contributes to the price

And how! For anything with a designer label (clothes, shoes, electronics goods, furniture) you pay more for the label than for the product.

But also remember that Conran probably pays huge amounts more to do business than an MFI in an out-of-town retail park or a designer-maker in a country location (rent, rates, staff wages, etc). Factor in the cost of materials, the designer's costs, the manufacturer's costs, the shippers costs, and 17.5 percent to Gordon Brown, and you can see where the price starts to rocket skywards.

Free market capitalism... you gotta love it

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Matthew, don't forget that the retail outlet in all likelihood mark up their wholesale cost by between 300% and 400% This indicates that the manufacturer was working to a price of probably about £1,500 or less which takes the shine off the price somewhat from a makers point of view if your labour rates are something like £40 or more per hour.

Incidentally, your first link didn't take me to the piece of furniture you were describing.

Your second link took me to a picture of what I would call a fairly high class furniture dolly. Workaday versions of these with a bit of protective carpet on them can be purchased from DIY stores like Home Depot in the US for less than $40. They don't need loving care and the application of linseed oil to retain their lustre and patina either.

The $800+ price tag on the Conran website suggests a healthy mark up of about 2000%

Nice profits if you can generate enough hot air and empty vacuous spin to warrant it. Slainte.

 

[dedee]

That coffee table is interesting. One piece of wood and 4 casters £895. A bargain :shock: :lol:

Andy

 

[DaveL]

That coffee table is interesting. One piece of wood and 4 casters £895. A bargain :shock: :lol:

Still pinching myself incase I've dropped off.........................................

Best clean up the dolly I use for moving stuff in the shop, casters are twin wheel, top a scrap bit of floor joist made for wheeling 2CV engines about on, 8) many years ago. :roll:
Last used to move cast iron planner that has found it way into my possession. :shock:

 

[matthew]

Incidentally, your first link didn't take me to the piece of furniture you were describing.

Oops, maybe some session issues going on? You should be seeing this:

http://www.zanotta.it/catalog/ShowP...mage=cavour_05G.jpg&Name=Cavour&CodeName=2690

But there are poor souls out there that have the money to purchase this stuff and watch it go out of date before its even been deliver!

Well, I think the desk was designed in the 1940s so hopefully it won't be out of date if I ever get round to making one for myself

I appreciate all the points about markups and costs etc - but it's still expensive by any standards I'm just a little sad that such a wonderful (IMHO, at least) design is let down by the execution (I'm sure the original was made to a higher standard).

Out of interest and copyright issues aside (as I said, I certainly do appreciate the value of the design) if there are any professional furniture makers reading, what sort of price would you put on such a desk if asked to make it as a one-off? More/less/same as this version?

 

[Anonymous]

Interesting Matthew.

In all honesty, I can't bring myself to look at the table for more than 20 seconds as it is not at all to my tastes.

To hear your details of construction is shocking. My favourite maker/designer is Chris Becksvoort who sells pieces at these prices but with up to 300 hand-cut dovetails. One expects this level of craftmanship on top of good design for that kind of money!!

In my opinion, Sgian's comments not withstanding, Conran is looking to rip people off with designs knocked up at low price but sold at high prices.

 

[Scott]

In all honesty, I can't bring myself to look at the table for more than 20 seconds as it is not at all to my tastes.

I used to have my bandsaw on a thing like that! :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Out of interest and copyright issues aside (as I said, I certainly do appreciate the value of the design) if there are any professional furniture makers reading, what sort of price would you put on such a desk if asked to make it as a one-off? More/less/same as this version?

Have a go yourself. you are sure to be able to do a better job of the construction than the one you saw in the shop and you will get great satisfaction from your own work. Also, any little details that niggle, can be changed to suit your own tastes/design ideas

 

[matthew]

In all honesty, I can't bring myself to look at the table for more than 20 seconds as it is not at all to my tastes.

No, go on, say what you mean The, er dolly is neither here nor there (sorry, Sir Terence, but as others have said, it is just a dolly), but the writing desk is probably my favourite peice of furniture! Wouldn't life be dull if we all liked the same things...

I find it interesting though that most iconic modern furniture that you tend to see in very contemporary settings was actually designed in the early 20th century, or at least directly influenced by items that were. They'll be antiques soon!

Have a go yourself

One of these days I will... just need the huge office to put it in (BTW wasn't looking for a quote - just curious if it could be professionally handmade for less than the production version)

 

[Anonymous]

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[SimonA]

Hehe...sorry Matthew...I should learn to keep my mouth shut....or at least learn to look at the picture before I criticise.......

Mr_Grimsdale
I imagine a copy would be quite easy - trouble is you'd need an original to work from to do it well. Could you buy one 'on approval' and send it back when one of us has had a crack at it? We could all have one

Or you could do a quick google search and find the plans and dims....

http://www.unicahome.com/p24199/zanotta ... llino.html

It doesn't look to difficult to make...

SimonA

 

[dedee]

made for wheeling 2CV engines about on, 8) many years ago. :roll:

Memories..... My first car was a 2CV.... superb engineering providing breaking the speed limit was not a priority :lol: I spent 3 weeks bump starting one around France when I was 18 and remember seeing a burly french truck driver pick one up by the back bumper to move it out of the way so he could get his lorry around a tight corner in Paris!

Andy

 

[woodbloke]

I used to work for a small company in Dorset that made for David Linley, nice looking stuff, cabinet made etc, but once you get underneath the very expensive veneer, alot of it is mostly mdf. With two shops in the posher parts of the West End, the prices he can charge, especially with his 'connections' are astronomic. The feeling in the trade was that most of his stuff was pretty poor, with a vast mark up, totally inappropriate to the quality of the stuff produced - Rob

 

[Chris Knight]

Any one who wants a coffee table like that should contact me. I will make you one just like it for only £850. Heck I will even put a Briggs and Stratton engine on it for only £150 extra.

 

[Alf]

Any one who wants a coffee table like that should contact me. I will make you one just like it for only £850.

Heavens, these South East prices... I'd make it entirely by hand with a fully documented WIP report with pics to go with it for £800! :wink: :lol:

Cheers, Alf

Pretty sure someone somewhere is making some money and it ain't the bloke bolting the wheels on...

 

[Anonymous]

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[wizer]

I dont like to undercut people but i'll make it for £799.99 8)

I'm not a traditionalist by any means and don't wish to cause offence, but that desk is awful. sorry

i find this more pleasing to the eye

 

[Chris Knight]

Your next project Tom?