When shopping for new furniture for your government facility, behavioral health center, academic institution, residence hall or other organization, it’s important to understand the difference between residential furniture – the pieces you’d find at your local furniture store – and contract furniture.
Whereas buying stock residential furniture can sometimes save your organization money in the short term, it is often not the best choice for busy facilities that have unique furniture requirements.
Instead, choosing purpose-built furniture from a reputable contract furniture manufacturer is the way to go for a variety of reasons. For starters, you’ll get the functionality you need, but you’ll also gain efficiency, durability and the ability to maximize ROI over the long term.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of working with a contract furniture manufacturer and to see how the functionality, durability and quality of these pieces simply can’t be matched by residential or stock furniture companies.
Off-the-Shelf Residential Furniture
Residential furniture that is available through a variety of outlets both online and at brick-and-mortar furniture retailers certainly has its place, but these pieces are not typically built to withstand heavy use. There’s also the chance that these pieces are built with low-quality materials and production methods, meaning they’re likely to break down quicker. Depending on the style and manufacturer, you might also struggle to reupholster or replace parts when they begin to show signs of deterioration.
When it comes to the design of residential furniture, you’d be hard-pressed to find pieces that are designed with cleanliness and ease-of-use in mind. For example, stock pieces can harbor bed bugs, germs and other bacteria, and you can’t use commercial cleaning products on them without damaging the wood or upholstery.
What’s more, manufacturers of residential furniture do not offer replacement parts, meaning you’d need to spend more money to buy another brand new piece, thereby increasing your cost and reducing your ROI. Further, these items could be out-of-stock when it comes time to replace them, forcing you to mix and match pieces or wait months to order a replacement. You might also have to purchase individual stock pieces, only available in select colors, fabrics and finishes, thereby limiting your design choices and inspiration for the space you’re looking to furnish.
While these attributes described above may not matter when furnishing a home, office or small facility, there are many benefits to be gained by choosing purpose-built contract furniture instead!
Purpose-Built Contract Furniture
In comparison, contract furniture is designed and manufactured to handle heavy wear-and-tear while fitting the requirements of unique environments like healthcare centers, colleges and behavioral facilities. It’s made to hold up to heavy use in high-traffic areas and even extreme environments.
At Blockhouse, we use high-quality, durable construction methods and top-grade materials that are designed to last. That means our furniture holds up over time instead of breaking down. In fact, as a company, we’re committed to making sure each and every piece we produce is designed to hold up to the most unique and demanding environments.
Compared to stock furniture, our contract furniture offers a number of convenient features, including a patented bed bug barrier system that prevents costly infestations, and an anti-microbial finish that inhibits the growth of bacteria. What’s more, our pieces are designed to be easily cleaned with commercial cleaning products without fear of damage.
Best of all, with Blockhouse purpose-built contract furniture, you can easily reorder component parts, cushions, and complete matching pieces whenever you need them – without worrying about stock issues. The end result is that you’ll save money and maximize your return on your investment over time.
Learn More Here
For more information on the differences between stock furniture and purpose-built contract furniture, check out the links below. There, you’ll find infographics that demonstrate a wide range of differences that you should consider!
- Mental Health Furniture vs. Stock Residential Furniture
- Higher Education Furniture vs. Stock Residential Furniture
Ready to Get Started?
Our professional team is committed to helping you by designing, manufacturing and installing long-lasting, durable contract furniture for your facility. Whether you have questions or you’re ready to get started, contact us today to learn more about how our custom contract furniture can add value to your facility. We look forward to hearing from you!