“Custom” sounds expensive. Sometimes it is. But we build in our Nairobi workshop every week, and in three common situations custom is the cheaper choice once you count everything.
Case 1: The room is an awkward shape
A reception wall that curves. A boardroom that is 5.2 metres long, when catalogue tables come in 4.2 or 6 metres. A pillar in the middle of where the desks should go.
Forcing catalogue pieces into a room like that means gaps, filler panels, or buying a bigger piece and living with a room that does not quite work. A counter built to follow your wall costs about the same as a straight one. A table built to your room’s length costs by the metre, and it comes in sections so it fits through the door.
Case 2: You need to match what you already have
You bought desks six years ago. The supplier has since closed. Now you need six more.
Replacing the whole floor so it matches costs far more than building six desks to match. Send us a photo of what you have. We match the finish as closely as our range allows, or build a matching piece in the workshop. The same goes for a credenza to match an executive desk, or a counter extension.
Case 3: Long runs of the same thing
When you need thirty metres of bench desking, or a filing wall along a corridor, buying twenty separate items is the expensive way. A run built by the metre shares legs, screens and cable trays, and arrives as one delivery. Our desk runs, bench runs and filing walls are all priced per metre for this reason.
When off the shelf is cheaper
Custom is not always the answer. Catalogue items win when:
- The standard size simply fits. A 1400 mm desk in a room with space for a 1400 mm desk needs no building.
- You need it fast. Items we have in stock usually leave our warehouse within three working hours. Custom pieces take three to five weeks after you approve the drawing.
- You need only a few. For two or three common items, the catalogue is cheaper and quicker.
How custom work goes with us
- Send us a sketch, a photo, or just a description of what you need.
- We measure your space.
- You get a drawing with measurements and a fixed price, usually within one working day of the measure.
- You approve the drawing. Three to five weeks later the piece is delivered and installed.
The price on the drawing is the price you pay.
The honest comparison
To compare properly, count more than the ticket price. Count the space you would lose. Count the pieces you would buy twice. Count the weeks. Then put the two totals side by side.
Not sure which is cheaper? Ask for both. We will quote the catalogue option and the custom option next to each other, so you can see the difference.