Farm to Furniture
Imaginary Furniture creates completely unique heirloom quality furniture, sculptural objects, and architectural pieces for spaces that call for something more personal than a catalog piece.
Furniture that is meaningful, timeless, and that will last a lifetime.
dining tables
conference tables
shelving
bedframes
seating
lighting
sculpture
and more…
Our Philosophy.
“Sustainability through practice and permanence”
The objects we live with should matter.
The things you buy should last the rest of your life and longer.
Each piece should be informed by the material itself, be honest, and most of all, useful.
We have no interest in disposable design.
A well-made piece should not feel temporary, trendy, or anonymous. It should feel specific to the place it belongs. It should age with dignity. It should be able to hold memory, use, and attention over time.
Our Process.
Discovery
We will have a conversation to clarify the purpose, scale, style, material direction, timeline, and overall scope of the piece.
We will talk through what matters most, what is possible, and how the piece can be designed to feel appropriate to the space.
Design, Materials & 3D Modeling
Once the direction is clear, we develop the design through sketches, material selection, proportion studies, and 3D modeling which allows us to provide you with photo-realistic renderings of your final product.
This allows you to understand the form, scale, and overall feeling of the piece before fabrication begins.
After the design direction is established, we provide a commission proposal outlining the scope, materials, timeline, and project investment.
Fabrication
Once approved, the piece moves into fabrication.
Every piece is built with close attention to material, structure, joinery, surface, and finish. Many of our works begin with local timber, reclaimed material, or wood milled and dried in-house from naturally fallen trees around the farm. This connection to material is part of what makes each commission unique.
Throughout the build, the goal is the same: to create a piece that functions beautifully, holds the room visually, and feels worthy of the time and material that went into it.
Delivery & Installation
When the piece is complete, we coordinate white glove delivery and installation depending on the scale and location of the project.
Pickup is available. Delivery will incur a fee based on the distance from our shop and the size and scope of the piece.
For larger residential, commercial, or trade projects, we can coordinate with designers, architects, builders, and site teams to make sure the final placement feels considered and complete.
3D Rendering
Finish & Material Selection:
Finishing:
We find that Hardwax oil provides a superior sheen, durability, and ease of repair in almost all cases.
We tend to shy away from stains and plastic products like epoxy or polyurethane except in cases of very heavy use or material selection.
The material should speak for itself.
Material:
We make every effort to start from the inside out and from the ground up. We have a variety of wood species in stock that have been milled and dried right here on the farm.
For more specific requirements we source our materials from lumber distributors in Concord or Mayodan, North Carolina.
Nearly every project starts with kiln dried rough cut lumber that is then flattened and processed in our shop.
Lead Times:
Lead times depend on a variety of factors including scale, complexity, material, finish choice, and even the weather. Each project is handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
The length and complexity of the design/discovery process is also a factor.
We make every effort to work quickly and efficiently throughout the process with a heavy focus on front end design and 3D modeling in order to avoid any surprises during the fabrication process.
That said, each project and piece of wood is unique and sometimes necessitate practical redesigns if issues arise. This is the nature of fully custom work and often leads to a more beautifully designed and crafted piece.
Taking an example from one of our most recent projects, a 10 ½ ft conference table made from live-edge book-matched maple, oxidized and finished with hardwax oil took approximately 10 weeks from conception to delivery.
Pricing:
Each commission is priced individually based on size, material, complexity, design development, fabrication, finishing, delivery, and installation needs.
Because every piece is unique, we do not price by standard sizes or catalog options. We price according to the scope and ambition of the work.
We try do derive a base cost informed by the in² surface area of the piece to be made, but this is just one of many factors that effect pricing.
Because every piece we make is custom, we do not distinguish between wholesale/retail pricing, however discounts can be given in cases of multiple orders of the same or similar items, or for projects with short design/discovery times as I’m sure will be the case for y’all.
Taking the same conference table example, with design, material cost, fabrication and delivery, we charged roughly $18,000 total.
Helene
Cherry, hemlock, and pine from Blowing Rock.
