Behind the Scenes - How I Select Library Furniture

Every day in the design studio is a blessing for me.  Filled with ideas, inspiration, hard work, and relationships, I put everything I have into my designs; especially when it comes to Library design.  And one of the most labor-intensive parts of the design is furniture procurement.  In fact there are two points of design that are the most critical and that's the work that goes into the initial design concept where we put together the game plan for how the design will progress from that point forward, and then the furniture process.

That process is meticulous and time-consuming but worth every ounce of time and energy you put into it once everything is installed and ready to go.  Most people don't know what goes into a furniture design and therefore don't expect such a strenuous event, so I thought I would lay it all out for you this week.  Hopefully once you know more about the process, you won't find it so overwhelming but at the same time you'll see how best to be prepared for your own furniture projects in the future.

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So let's break it down into sections:

Step #1 - THE FURNITURE PLAN

The very first thing you have to know is what furniture you need and where.  In order to accomplish that, I create a very detailed furniture plan.  This is something I accomplish in AutoCAD where I take the floor plan that either I or someone else has drawn up and I place a representational piece of furniture into every area of the plan where furniture is needed.  This will show chairs and tables where they're desired, soft seating, staff furniture and everything in between.

Here's how I recommend you accomplish this for your own Library:  decide what furniture dealer you want to work with, each state has their own set of reputable dealers and I can help you find those.  Get them on board as soon as possible.  They can take your plans, whether drawn by a professional or even draw plans for you and then help you place all the pieces you need.  This works best because they will have symbols for furniture that are truly representational of the actual size of the pieces you will need.  This will also eliminate any guess work on quantities and overall furniture layouts.  

Step #2 - SELECTING THE PIECES

I begin this process with a PowerPoint presentation that I will eventually show my clients.  On each slide, I post three proposed images of each piece for the client to review and select.  We go slide-by-slide and cross out anything they don't like and narrow it down to that one piece they will request pricing for.  

Again, I recommend going through your dealer for this.  You will set up a kickoff meeting with them and show them your finish selections and/or overall style for the building.  Make sure they are not confused about the style you like.  You don't want traditional furniture for a contemporary space, or vice versa.  They won't know unless you tell them.

Then they will put together a presentation similar to the one I described above and will walk you through each piece helping you narrow down your selections.  This process can take some time, so make sure you carve that out of your schedule appropriately.  Ask the dealer before hand how much time you will need.  Let them be your guide but don't be afraid to ask questions.

Step #3 - SELECT THE FINISHES

This can be the fun part of the furniture process, but let me warn you, it is the longest part of the process.  Once all the pieces have been narrowed down to one piece and you know what your style direction is going to be, now you have to go through all the finish options and select what works best for your space.  Will that be easily-cleanable fabrics? Most likely.  Will you want soft fabrics for the staff areas?  Possibly.  What colors work best and tie everything together?  

Again, let the dealer be your guide and trust your instincts.  Never select a color from a computer screen.  Always see it and feel it in person before you decide.  Make sure they know your budget too so that you don't end up with a fabric that increases the price of the piece dramatically.  They will you keep you in the right "graded in" fabric if they know how much you can spend. 

Graded in fabrics are the fabrics that have already been tested on that piece and priced for that piece.  They are given a label of numerical or alphabetical value to express their price range.  For example, Grade 1 or Grade A is usually the least expensive.  The higher the grade, the more options you have and the more expensive they will be.

This is also where you will select laminate options for your tables and other writing surfaces.  So be sure you select something that either coordinates with any other woodgrain patterns you're using in your finishes or that it matches.  I recommend no more than two different woodgrain colors in a design.  You can choose something that is not wood grain, but if you do, make sure you don't over-saturate your space with too many different ones.

Step #4 - ORGANIZE ALL THE INFORMATION

This is where I usually break out my trusty Excel spreadsheet and begin a process of organizing all the selections.  I use a column for the tag number that each piece is assigned, one for quantities, one for the manufacturer of the product you've selected, one for the actual name and sizes of the piece, one for the image, one for the finish selections and then one for the unit price and total price.  This helps me to keep track of everything and also gives me something solid to refer back to when comparing with the dealer's final quote.

There's no reason you can't create one of these on your own.  It's a great way to stay organized and to know what you're getting in the end.  I would give this over to the dealer when the time is right too so that they know what you're expecting and they can also point out any unrealistic expectations you may have.  It keeps everyone focused on the common end result of a complete and easy install.

Step #5 - REVIEW YOUR FINAL QUOTE

Once the dealer has all the necessary information, they will put together an official quote for you.  I strongly advise that you schedule a virtual or in-person meeting to go over every single line item to make sure you all agree on what pieces you're getting, dimensions and finishes.  So many mistakes can be avoided by running through this tedious and timely exercise.  It will be worth your time.  Trust me.

Step #6 - KEEP COMMUNICATION OPEN WHILE YOU WAIT

Now comes the waiting process.  The POs have been sent (they will help you organize all of that) and they will start monitoring the ship dates from the manufacturers.  Keep talking to your project manager at the furniture dealer's office to know when you can expect everything.  This will help you to organize your opening date.

On a side note, make sure when you first speak with your dealer in the very beginning, that they know what kind of timeline you're dealing with.  They can help reverse-engineer a schedule for you based on that deadline.  

Step #7 - PREPARE FOR THE INSTALL

Let me just say this about the install process.  There is NEVER a flawless install.  Something will go wrong.  It's just part of the process.  It can be as simple as a delayed item, something being damaged in the shipping process or even an item that was ordered in the wrong material.  

NOW let me say THIS about the install process.  There is ALWAYS a solution.  So try not to panic or lose your mind over a mistake.  It can be fixed and mistakes just happen.  We try to eliminate them the best we can with all the communication and quote walk-throughs, but undoubtedly, something will go amiss and you, as well as everyone else responsible for the furniture, will freak out briefly.  But knowing this ahead of time will hopefully save you from losing your mind entirely.  

Know that mistakes will happen and remember that you will find a solution.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Furniture procurement is a lot.  You can probably see from the steps above just how tedious it can be.  In fact, I'm guessing you've now learned of things you had never even considered before.  But don't let it intimidate you.  Hire the right team from the beginning and trust that they know how to do their job.  You're probably pretty new at this.  They (assuming you've hired the right team) are not.  So ask questions, be up front about budgets, style preferences and timelines, and just enjoy the process!