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Furniture Manufacturer vs. Furniture Retailer

February 21, 2025  ·  5 min read  ·  Reviewed by Sarah Zubowski

Is it better to buy your furniture from a furniture manufacturer or a furniture retailer? When furnishing your home, where you decide to buy your new sectionals, sofas, and chairs matter. This decision can significantly impact not only your wallet but also the quality of furniture you bring into your home. 

Traditional furniture shopping consists of visiting large retail chains like Rooms to Go and IKEA or shopping online through Wayfair. These retailers have numerous showrooms across the country and large, overwhelming websites where they display a variety of furniture pieces of different styles, brands, and price points. 

Although furniture retailers are trying to sell you a convenient shopping experience, they’re actually complicating it by selling mass-produced, one-size-fits-all products that are often not worth the investment long-term. The reality is that this traditional retail model comes with significant drawbacks that many shoppers don’t realize until after their purchase.

Furniture manufacturers, on the other hand, are a great shopping option for customers who want to save money and furnish their homes with top-quality pieces that will last. 

What is a furniture manufacturer?

Where a furniture retailer acts as a distributor for big-name brands, a furniture manufacturer like Living Designs Furniture crafts their own handmade furniture in an on-site factory, then sells the pieces in their showrooms for lower, factory-direct prices. Living Designs Furniture is both a furniture manufacturer and a furniture retailer, offering you all of the benefits each model offers.

Because we only sell the furniture we create, we have full control over how each piece is made, where the materials are sourced from, and the fair prices we set. Sounds too good to be true? Users on Reddit have named Living Designs Furniture as their top recommendation for furniture shopping in Houston due to our commitment to excellent quality and better pricing than other custom furniture manufacturers. 

4 advantages of shopping at a furniture manufacturer

1. Local craftsmanship

Expert craftsmen and furniture designers at Living Designs Furniture in Downtown Houston

When you buy furniture from a local manufacturer like Living Designs Furniture, you’re supporting skilled craftsmen in your community. We employ expert Houston furniture builders who are dedicated to creating the best products for customers in our beloved city and surrounding areas. Houston is a city known for its passion and talent, and those characteristics are evident in every piece made by our talented designers and factory staff. All of our top-of-the-line materials are sourced either locally or from our other trusted suppliers in the United States. 

2. Quality construction

Because our furniture is made in our on-site factory, we maintain direct oversight of the entire production process from start to finish. Every piece of Texas-made furniture goes through rigorous quality checks at each production stage. This attention to detail ensures that our handmade furniture meets the highest standards before reaching your home.

Unfortunately, furniture retailers may sell lower-quality items with a 5- to 8-year lifespan that can’t withstand daily living. We believe that every piece you buy — whether it’s sectionals, sofas, bedframes, or patio furniture — should be built to last. How long should a couch last? When you’re looking to invest in furniture, it should last a lifetime. Furniture that is built with intention and integrity will last, saving you money in the future. 

3. Factory-direct prices

How much does it cost to manufacture furniture? Honestly, way less than you would think. When buying from a furniture manufacturer, you’re paying closer to the true cost of production rather than the brand name markup you’ll find at retail stores. This means you can invest in higher-quality materials and construction that will last while still paying less than you would at a traditional store.

Where furniture retailers cut corners to keep costs low, we never compromise on quality and still deliver an exceptional product for fair prices. The money we save by cutting out the middleman is passed on directly to you, the customer, so you can enjoy your dream furniture for less.

4. Customization options 

Custom bed frame made for Shelby by Living Designs Furniture

Furniture customization is the key to filling your home with your dream furniture that you can cherish for years. At a furniture retailer, you may only be allowed to customize the color of your piece…and it won’t be an exciting range to choose from. Purchasing furniture from a manufacturer gives you access to full customization to make your piece perfect and unique.

Want a specific fabric or color? We have it. Need unique dimensions? No problem. Prefer a particular cushion firmness? We can make it all happen for you. This photo above features a custom bed frame we created for a client who wanted a sleek, all-black snakeskin frame — something she couldn’t find in-store or would have cost a fortune elsewhere. We made her dream bedroom a reality.

Living Designs Furniture is known for creating fully custom furniture Houston loves to rave about — and they’ve called us the best furniture manufacturer for that reason. 

Living Designs Furniture: Houston’s top furniture manufacturer

When choosing between a furniture manufacturer or a furniture retailer, there is a clear choice. A furniture manufacturer can guarantee top-quality furniture that is built to last for lower prices. What more could you ask for?

There may be other furniture manufacturers in Houston, but none compare to what Living Designs Furniture can offer you in terms of style, quality, and value. Say goodbye to stressful shopping: book a free design consultation with our experts to plan out your vision (walk-ins are welcome), or visit any of our showroom locations in Houston to experience the manufacturer difference for yourself. You’ll never need to look anywhere else.

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