Uniquely colorful: One of the featured sofas at the 37th China International Furniture Fair held in March in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. (Photo : CIFF)
For many Chinese homeowners, maximizing space in a country where real estate prices can be intimidating proves to be crucial.
Making the most of the space available does not instantly mean adapting a minimalist approach, which may not always appeal to people. Homeowners basically consider the size of the furniture they plan to buy. Then other details follow, such as color, design, price and so on. Unfortunately, in some cases, there could no available furniture that could even come close to what homeowners have in mind.
That makes some people resort to customization. Take for instance one couple from Shanghai who wanted a shelf. It’s a kind of furniture not hard to find, but for the husband, Yang Hui, it “must function as a display cabinet . . . can store hundreds of small pieces,” according to China Daily.
The 32-year-old accountant added: “Also, it has to blend in well with the room’s main color, which is chestnut.”
For three months, Yang and his wife checked all the furniture shops they could visit “but couldn't find the right shelf.”
For 5,600 yuan, a store in Shanghai’s South Shaanxi Road promised to manufacture the kind of shelf the couple was looking and deliver it in two weeks’ time.
It may be expensive for some but for those who want the kind of furniture they picture in their heads to become something tangible, they need to stretch their budget.
Many now opt for custom-built furniture to satisfy one’s specific requests.
“Customization can be sub-categorized into several modes, based on customers’ demands,” said Han Xian, interior designer at Shanghai Dijia Interior Design Firm.
According to Han, requests go beyond the typical colors and measurements. Some homeowners desire a room that evokes a certain feel or theme or that the house should be kid or pet-friendly.
The China National Furniture Association, in a report released in March, estimated that by the end of 2020, market size for custom-built products could reach a staggering 160 billion yuan, reported China Daily.
For moneyed homeowners, requesting for a roomy kitchen does not necessarily mean flaunting their wealth to neighbors. It could be something deeper and personal.
“In more affluent families with spacious kitchens, the place is not only a space for preparing food but a space for communication and quality time together, said Francois-Xavier Lienhart, CEO of Japan-based Lixil Group, a supplier of construction materials.
Going to furniture expos can widen the options for homeowners looking for something specific, functional or unique.
More than 1,600 people attended the opening day of the 37th China International Furniture Fair held simultaneously at the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex and at the Poly World Trade Expo Center in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, on March 18, according to CIFF’s website.
The first phase of the annual event took place from March 18-21 and then the second one from March 28-31. More than 3,800 exhibitors participated.
