Going bespoke is the difference between a house that looks good, and a home that feels entirely 'you'
Yes, it's more of an investment, but it's not as intimidating or as fancy as it sounds
Home decorator and content creator Grace H is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on colourful home design, mixing vintage pieces with new and making personality-filled spaces. See the rest of her articles here.
“That girl has ideas above her station.”
It’s a phrase I often heard from my Mum growing way up and she wasn’t wrong. I’ve never been one to settle for ‘OK’ or ‘it’ll do’. I want the absolute best my budget can afford, and I definitely don’t want a carbon copy of someone else’s living room. I love interiors that feel personal, unique, and a well...a little bit different.
And that is exactly where bespoke choices come into play.
When shopping for a sofa upgrade, I knew I wanted a custom finish: rich raspberry fabric with marshmallow-pink piping so I had it made by the fabulous team at Darlings of Chelsea. It took ages to find the right colours that matched our upholstered patterned ottoman (more on that later), but when I stumbled across that perfect colour match? Pure magic. I got a real buzz knowing the final piece would be entirely personal to me.
The same logic applies to furniture too. Take our hallway console table for example. I searched high and low for the right dimensions, but standard pieces were always too short or too wide to accommodate our giant radiator.
Finally, I thought, “Why not just have it custom made? So, I did. Yes, it was more of an investment, but going custom isn’t always as intimidating or as fancy as it sounds. After all, don’t we all deserve to have a nice home?
Why you should consider going custom (and where to start)
If you're looking to elevate your home, here are a few areas where going bespoke is worth every penny.
1. Reupholstery
We recently had an old, vintage Ercol chair reupholstered in a gorgeous GP & J Baker x Kit Kemp fabric, and my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. The chair has been given a whole new lease of life, and the process was seamless.
I sent the old cushions off to the lovely Katy Takla (cushion maker extraordinaire), and she whipped up two stunning replacements in no time. Suddenly, the chair is completely reborn, and I’ll treasure it for years to come.
Having a bespoke finish is far more achievable than you think. I’ve seen some amazing DIY headboards, bench cushion upcycles and chair makeovers on Instagram lately. If you shop around on online auctions or look for surplus designer fabric sellers like The Haines Collection, you can snag incredible textiles without the luxury price tag too.
The Future Wishlist: We don’t currently have space in our kitchen, but in my dream future home, I’d love to add bespoke banquette seating in a real statement fabric. It won’t be cheap, but it’s those exact finishing touches that really pack a punch. Some things are worth saving for – even if it takes years.
2. Statement furniture
Hardly a week goes by without someone online asking where I got my living room ottoman (The House Upstairs, if you’re wondering). It catches people's eyes because it’s totally different from what’s currently flooding the high street.
Did it cost a pretty penny? Yes. But it’s a real hero piece in the space, and it’s so well-built that it will last a lifetime (even if I choose to recover it down the line if it starts looking worn).
If you find a vintage piece with good bones, snap it up and consider reupholstering it yourself with a trusty staple gun! I’ve been searching for the perfect long bench to do this with for years.
I haven't found the right thing yet, but I know it’ll appear at some point (it always does). In the meantime, I have a whole drawer of gorgeous fabrics ready and waiting for their moment in the spotlight.
3. Cushions
I used to leaf through interior design magazines and envy the gorgeous cushion combinations. How do designers get them to work so perfectly together? Where do they buy them?
Now, I know the secret: they have them made.
Going custom allows you to mix and match piping, edging, fronts, and backs to get exactly what a specific room needs. You can pair a bold floral with a stripe in the exact right colour match or get a long bolster cushion that fits a bed perfectly (high street versions are almost always too small).
I used to think custom cushions were only for the rich. Now, I firmly believe we all deserve to have beautiful, well-made things in our homes. Etsy is a great resource for this and again, Ebay offers some amazing fabric remnants at a great price and Vinted is another place to keep your eye on – it amazes me that there are so many wonderful makers out there. Katy Takla makes a lot of my cushions, and the finish is top notch if anyone needs a helping hand.
A Note to Self
Future me is super keen on learning how to properly use a sewing machine so I can make my own. My patience might be low, but my enthusiasm is high, so I’d love to give it a go…at some point!
I always try to take a "high/low" approach when designing my own home – mixing high-street finds with unique designer pieces. Cushions are the perfect playground for this strategy.
The formula: take two off-the-shelf linen cushions, mix in one or two specially made custom cushions, and you instantly get a high-end, bespoke look for half the cost.
If you want more inspiration, I shared an Instagram post a couple of months back called ‘Cushion Love’ where I shopped around for the best ready-to-buy options and talked through ideas for mixing and matching.
Is it more expensive to have things custom-made than to buy off-the-shelf? Without a doubt. But your home should tell your story, not the high street's. Don't discount saving up for that one special piece or investing in a single custom cushion for your favourite chair – it's always worth it in the long run.
Going bespoke is the difference between a house that looks good, and a home that feels entirely you. And that is priceless!
