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371 Custom Furniture D esigning a room can be a bit like completing a puzzle—everything has its place, and if something is missing or out of sync, it's obvious. Oftentimes custom furniture is necessary to achieve a perfect fit, or to complete the puzzle, if you will. Every piece has to make sense in the room, and nothing should be forced. We love using custom furniture in our designs because of the f reedom it provides. We don't have to spend time and energy hunting for what we want; instead, we create it. This allows us to focus on our projects and construct the furniture for our specific purposes. Customized pieces also allow for limitless possibilities when interpreting a homeowner's lifestyle and preferences. Our individual styles are reflected in each of our proj- ects while incorporating the clients' personalities. We focus on accom- plishing this in a thoughtful, interesting way, and that may mean making furniture f rom scratch. As designers, it's important that we stay open-minded, which means embracing the fact that sometimes a mass-produced piece of furniture works well in a room. If it looks great, we go for it. But we never cheat the room—and neither should you if you design a space in your own home. There is this notion that custom furniture has to be expensive, and that's not necessarily true. Unique, custom furniture is always an option regard- less of budget. We strive for high-quality as opposed to high-dollar, and sometimes that means simplicity. Our hope is that you read these pages and begin to notice the curves, contours, and textures on furniture and how it interacts with the room, and that it deepens your appreciation for well-designed pieces. Nancy Black, Brent Willmott, and Kat Black Total 360 Interiors, Inc. Dallas, TX see page 392 Kamarron Design, Inc, Minneapolis, MN, page 387 Kathy Corbet Interiors., Richmond, VA, page 387 Curran Cabinetry & Design, Madison, WI, page 385

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