Who knows what homes in Calgary need better than people who live in Calgary? Locally made furnishings are a growing trend for a reason. Local artisans and furniture makers create their pieces with the needs, preferences, and community of their clients in mind.
Local furniture makers typically provide higher quality furnishings. The pieces they make are often more customizable and crafted more sustainably. Plus, the money you spend on locally made furniture stays within your community.
Learning more about your options for quality local furnishings can help you design a home that truly represents your own preferences and your community.
The Unique Benefits of Local Furniture Makers
Local furniture makers are not just your potential friends and neighbours. They are also people who are dedicated to their craft and their community.
Quality Craftsmanship
One of the benefits of choosing high-quality furnishings from local producers is that the pieces they make are typically made with more attention to detail and a higher level of craftsmanship. This handcrafted furniture is often more durable than the mass produced pieces you might find at international furniture stores and brands.
Local furniture makers often use local materials as well. They can use their discerning eye to select high-quality, sustainable materials specifically suited for artisan furniture.
Customization Options
When you choose to visit a local supplier, you can get personalized furniture tailored to meet your specific style preferences and needs.
With some artisan furniture makers, you can even get fully bespoke furniture, customized to reflect your personal taste. These pieces are not just furnishings. They are unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Supporting the Local Economy
The money you spend at local furniture shops and suppliers remains within your community.
So when you choose to purchase furnishings from them, you are not just getting the benefits of those durable, unique pieces. You are also helping your local community prosper and thrive.
The more you support local businesses, the more local businesses can grow.
Environmental Benefits of Choosing Local
Choosing to buy from local furniture makers can also have long-term environmental benefits compared to the impact of mass-produced pieces that are shipped internationally. When you are looking for furnishings, do not overlook the information you can find about the sustainable practices used by many Canadian furniture makers.
Sustainable Practices
Some of the common sustainable practices local artisans use include using locally sourced sustainable materials, like oak and maple wood. Because transporting these materials and the goods they are used to make is often simpler than international shipping, furniture made from these materials can also have a lower overall carbon footprint.
Lower Environmental Impact
The reduced energy and resources used for transporting locally made furnishings is one area where the environmental impact can be lower, but it is not the only area. The production methods used by environmentally friendly furniture makers are often also less wasteful and more efficient, leading to a product that is not only higher quality but also greener.
The Personal Connection with Local Makers
You cannot undervalue the effects and benefits of personal relationships with local artisans and craftspeople. Not only can you get the benefit of their knowledge and expertise, but you can enjoy a level of service and dedication that only comes from people supporting other members of their community.
Direct Communication & Collaboration
Through direct communication and collaboration with your local furniture makers, you can enjoy a personalized level of service that offers more direct involvement in the design and creation process of your pieces. This form of furniture design collaboration often results in highly elevated pieces that better meet your needs.
Supporting Artisans & Their Craft
When you support artisans, your investment in local craftsmanship and handmade furniture is not just an investment in your community—it is also an investment in that person’s individual skills and abilities.
Through your support, you can help improve the skills and abilities of local artisans, including those who may be helping to preserve traditional crafting techniques. In doing so, you can also help increase the overall quality of the furnishings available to you and other people in your community.
How Local Furniture Makers Stand Out
So, how do you find the right local furniture maker for your needs? What should you look for when you want to start building your own personal relationships with artisans in Calgary? Here are a few details to consider:
Attention to Detail
Look for signs of high attention to detail in the pieces you see from local craftspeople, such as smooth, even finishes, durable construction methods, and a level of beauty that stands apart from what you can find at international suppliers.
If an artisan or craftsperson can tell you about their process for evaluating the pieces they make and holding their furnishings to high standards of quality, that is a good sign of their skill and detailed craftsmanship.
Customer Satisfaction & Service
Working with local furniture makers is about more than just the pieces you get. It is also about your experience as a client or customer. Exceptional service is a key part of every personalized furniture buying experience.
Consider reading local reviews and speaking with other members of your community to find furniture makers and suppliers that put customer satisfaction first.
Testimonials & Success Stories
We could go on about why customers choose local furnishings, but instead, we will let our customer testimonials speak for themselves. These local furniture success stories are just a few examples of the satisfied people we have helped.
“We took delivery of two sofas from Birchwood nearly three years ago (in early 2021), and still couldn’t be happier with the quality. That they’re made locally in Calgary is a cherry on top. Later in 2021, we also purchased a chair made by one of the other Canadian brands they carry (Handstone), and are totally happy with it too. And now, in 2023, we’ve returned for a Birchwood-made swivel chair, again having found that the Birchwood selection is good, and the quality seems better than comparably-priced options we looked at.”
“Beautiful Canadian made products. Purchased a couch and loveseat about 2 years ago. Awesome quality and look. Very happy to have something I know will last many many years.”
We invite you to look for more reviews of local furniture makers and suppliers. These firsthand experiences can be beneficial for helping you select the right artisans and local businesses.
Popular Canadian Furniture Makers
There are a lot of popular local furniture makers in Canada and brands that we love to work with. To help with your search for top local craftspeople, we are sharing a few of our favourite featured furniture makers below:
Handstone Furniture
Handstone Furniture is from Ontario and they make beautiful solid wood furnishings, custom built from kiln-dried red oak, cherry, or maple hardwoods that are hand selected for their beauty, strength, and quality. They are also a manufacturer with a high commitment to sustainability.
Sahara Furniture
Sahara Furniture is from British Columbia and they are known for exotic designs that can suit a wide variety of households and needs. Their pieces are made from high quality solid wood.
Birchwood Furniture
This is our own brand! We are proud to be among Calgary’s dedicated furniture makers, and we are committed to creating furnishings that use as many locally and ethically sourced materials as possible. Just as we have been a part of Calgary for many years, we believe in creating furniture that can last for lifetimes.
Find the Local Furnishings That Are Right for You
Choosing local furniture makers is not just about bringing beautiful, high-quality furniture into your home. It is about making a meaningful impact on your community, supporting talented artisans, and making environmentally responsible choices.
Next time you are in the market for furniture, visit us to find a curated selection from local furniture makers—or start your custom furniture journey. At Birchwood Furniture, we remain dedicated to our community in Calgary and Canada.
