True bespoke furniture begins with a completely blank slate. To fully call a piece of furniture ‘bespoke’, it should be designed from the ground up.
While many people use the word “bespoke” interchangeably with “made-to-measure” or “custom,” the term carries a more special meaning that is often overlooked by both manufacturers and clients.
Bespoke furniture is deeply personal, reflecting the unique taste and perspective of its creator. The creation of bespoke furniture is a collaborative effort, built on a close partnership between the designer, the manufacturer, and the client.
At Parla our whole being blooms when we are working on bespoke projects. We not only pour into each project the 115 years of crafts heritage we bring to the table, we also are proud to have 15 years under our belt when it comes to fostering a dynamic and healthy designer-manufacturer-client relationship for high-end exclusive hospitality projects. Since bespoke accounts for around 70% of our production, it is definitely an element that shapes Parla’s identity and ethos.
Our uniqueness in bespoke derives from our design-led approach throughout the whole process. From the first day we started doing bespoke, our approach has always been through a designer’s lens rather than solely a manufacturer’s.
When we say design-led we are making reference to that fact that we have chosen to build a robust project management team made up of persons with training in design. This means that both the schooling and the experience our project management team have undergone, results in a deep understanding of what the client is seeking to achieve, meticulous attention to detail, and a drive to ensure the production ends up delivering flawless pieces.
Needless to say, this approach cannot succeed without the artisan’s touch. This is why we care about the insights from the different workshops that are under one roof at Parla, all of which are fed directly into the design and project management team. Constant and close communication with artisans at the factory allows us to deliver furniture that is not only unique but also executed with greater precision and integrity.
With the in-house design team and the project managers being based at our factory, collaboration becomes paramount to success, making sure customer satisfaction stays at the core of our work. With this set up, 80 to 90 percent of challenges can be solved in-house, giving us control and flexibility. This enables us to produce high-quality multimaterial pieces, experiment with new solutions, and attempt techniques never tried before.
Another major strength is our use of 3D design. Unlike many bespoke makers, we rely on advanced programs like Rhinoceros and SolidWorks, which allow us to optimise down to fabric and material requirements. While this may lengthen approvals, it minimises revisions and ensures a much smoother production process.
All said and done, our strength in bespoke lies in our project management team’s expertise in bridging the gap between the designer’s vision and our crafts people’s specific skills. The balance we achieve between these two sides, allows Parla to continue to deliver truly exceptional results.
As the number of bespoke projects grow on the high-end side, the design + manufacturing challenges keep on growing in proportion. However, we welcome these complexities and there is always always a way forward in a family owned company culture where teamwork wins the day!
