Avoid “This Isn’t What I Expected”: Key Checkpoints for Custom Furniture and OJIKI’s Simple 3-Step Process for First-Time Customers

Custom-made furniture and remodeling are among the larger investments you can make when it comes to furniture. Naturally, if you are spending a significant amount of money, you want to avoid mistakes. However, when searching online, you may come across comments such as “It wasn’t what I expected” or “It was difficult to use, and I regretted it,” which can make you feel uneasy. In fact, most mistakes with custom furniture are not caused by a lack of craftsmanship, but by small differences in understanding before placing the order.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at common cases of regret with custom furniture. We will also introduce the simple and reassuring ordering process at OJIKI Workshop, designed so that even first-time customers can feel confident and achieve their ideal furniture without worry. Please read through to the end.

1. Why does dissatisfaction happen? Common regrets with custom furniture, repair, and remodeling

Because it is a major purchase, “regret” is something everyone wants to avoid. First, let’s look at three common types of regret that people often experience when ordering custom furniture or requesting repair and remodeling work.

① Common regrets with custom-made furniture

One of the most common regrets with custom-made wooden furniture and doors involves size and daily movement flow.
Delivery issues are especially common. For example, we sometimes hear cases such as, “The furniture was made to fit the width and height of the installation area, but it could not pass through the entrance, hallway, stairs, or other areas, so it could not be brought into the room.”
There are also many cases where people notice usability problems only after they begin living with the furniture.
・Because the measurements were inaccurate, the doors could no longer open properly
・The furniture was larger than expected and made the room feel cramped
・After creating wall-to-wall storage furniture, the wall outlet was covered, making it impossible to use the power supply
・Drawers and doors are difficult to use, or the height does not match the intended storage needs
・The height of the chair and table do not match, making it uncomfortable to sit or difficult to work
And more

Custom furniture allows you to decide the size freely, but this also means that you need to consider not only the installation location, but also how people move through the space in daily life.

② Common regrets with repair work

A common regret with wooden furniture and door repair is that, even after discussing the project with the person in charge, the finished result differs from the image the customer had before the repair.
・The customer wanted to keep the antique look, but it ended up looking almost brand new
・The final color was different from the color imagined before the repair
・The color no longer matched the room design
・The final cost was high enough that buying a new item would have been better
And more

Natural wood has unique grain patterns, and its color changes over time.
In addition, repair work often involves skilled work such as restoration, disassembly, and reassembly, so it is not unusual for it to cost more than buying a new item.
For furniture repair, it is important to confirm the repair cost in advance and also clarify the desired color after repair.

③ Common regrets with remodeling, restoration, and reuse

Remodeling means, for example, “I want to remake a memorable paulownia chest from my family home into a low chest.” These regrets occur when remodeling beloved wooden furniture.
As with repair work, common issues often involve budget, color, and texture.

One issue especially unique to remodeling is that the amount of work required from the craftsperson is often much greater than for repair.
For example, when remodeling old furniture, the process may include disassembly, stain removal, planing, resizing, reassembly, finishing, and adjusting new hardware. In many cases, remodeling requires even more time, skill, and labor than making a new piece.

For this reason, even if the size and image were clearly communicated during the initial discussion, if the remodeling cost was not clearly confirmed in advance, customers may later feel, “It became much more expensive than I expected…” This can easily lead to regret regarding the budget.

2. An important point for avoiding regret with custom furniture: choosing the right craftsperson

The most important key to creating furniture without regret is not only technical skill, but also choosing a craftsperson or workshop that stands in the customer’s position.
It is extremely important to choose a partner who carefully understands each important point during the meeting, such as wood species, furniture structure, differences in finishes, and delivery route precautions, and who explains everything in clear and easy-to-understand language.

A trustworthy craftsperson or workshop staff member will not only discuss the ideal design, but also explain points to be careful about, disadvantages, and possible future risks, while sharing a clear image of the finished piece. Finding such a reliable workshop is the most important point for making custom furniture or remodeling a great success.

3. Easy even for first-time customers: OJIKI’s simple 3-step process

Many people may feel that custom-made workshops seem difficult to approach or that ordering custom furniture has a high barrier.
At OJIKI, we have created a system that allows even first-time customers to consult with us comfortably and confidently. Please feel free to contact us.

STEP 1: Summarize your request simply

Please choose one service from “custom-made,” “repair,” or “remodeling.”
It would also be helpful if you could tell us your general idea, such as “This is what I am having trouble with” or “This is what I would like to achieve.”

STEP 2: Contact us casually using your preferred method

At OJIKI, customers can easily contact us through the following four channels, according to their lifestyle.
Questions such as “Is this kind of custom furniture possible?”, “Can furniture in this worn-out condition be repaired?”, or “Can a piano be remodeled into storage?” are also welcome.

STEP 3: Careful face-to-face consultation and plan proposal

After receiving your inquiry, OJIKI staff will contact you.

Based on the meeting details, we will present a proposed finished image and a clear estimate.
After you are satisfied and approve the details, we will begin production.

4. Leave wooden custom furniture to us: the wide range of items OJIKI can create

OJIKI is not simply a furniture store that sells ready-made items. We are total professionals in wooden products, working with the wonderful material of wood to enrich entire spaces. The items we can custom-make, repair, and remodel cover every part of daily life.

Wooden Furniture

Tables: Dining tables, low tables, desks, and more, with flexible sizes and heights.
Chairs: Custom chairs designed for comfort, as well as reassembling memorable chairs that have become unstable.
Storage: Chests, cabinets, bookshelves, and more, designed to eliminate dead space.
And more

Wooden Doors and Architectural Woodwork

Stairs: Custom stair spaces that become a main feature of the home while highlighting the warmth of wood.
Interior doors and entrance doors: Original wooden doors that are worth paying attention to because they are touched every day. They create a sense of weight and beauty not found in ready-made products.
And more

Wooden Built-In Fixtures

Kitchens: Wooden custom-made system kitchens that make everyday cooking more enjoyable.
Wall storage: Full-height large wall storage that neatly organizes living room TV areas or study spaces.
Store fixtures: Reception counters, display shelves, and other fixtures that become the face of a shop and enhance business value.
And more

5.Delivery Service Area — Hand-Delivered by OJIKI Staff for Your Peace of Mind

Furniture is not complete simply because it has been made. Delivery-related problems, such as “the delivery company handled it roughly and damaged it” or “after installation, it was not level,” are also common regrets with custom furniture.

At OJIKI, for the following one metropolis and three prefectures in the Kanto area, our workshop’s professional staff who were involved in the production personally deliver and install the furniture using our own company vehicle.

Why do our staff deliver directly?

Because our workshop staff are professionals in delivery and installation, they can safely bring the furniture into the space without damaging walls or floors. They can also make fine adjustments on site according to the slope of the room’s floor, such as adjusting levelers. Above all, having the same staff who were involved from the consultation to production present at the final handover allows us to provide customers with the highest level of reassurance.

*For delivery to areas throughout Japan outside the above regions, we will carefully consult with you and propose charter delivery or the most suitable delivery method, so customers living far away can also contact us with confidence.

Summary

OJIKI Workshop staff create custom-made wooden furniture and doors, repair work, and remodeling projects with the goal of satisfying every customer who chooses us. When customers contact us, we do our best to address concerns such as “What if the size does not fit?” or “Will I be able to explain my preferences clearly?”

For detailed consultations and estimates, please feel free to contact us via our official LINE account, by phone, or through our inquiry form.

Phone: 046-204-5592 (Weekdays 9:00–18:00)

LINE: OJIKI Workshop Official Account

Email: Contact Page

《About OJIKI Workshop》
OJIKI Workshop manufactures and sells furniture, doors, and architectural woodwork made from solid natural wood.

In addition to selling our original products, we also provide custom-made furniture, remodeling, repair, and maintenance services for unused furniture, aged doors, and built-in woodwork that no longer suits modern lifestyles.
For remodeling, repair, and maintenance projects, we listen carefully to our clients’ requests regarding design, functionality, and usability before beginning production. This approach has earned us many words of appreciation from our customers.
We hope to meet the needs of customers who wish to use their wooden furniture and wooden architectural elements with care for many years to come.

⚫︎You want to repair and maintain beloved furniture or doors so you can continue using them for a long time.
⚫︎You want to remodel furniture that your family has used for many years so it better suits your current lifestyle.
⚫︎You want to order custom-made furniture or doors made from natural materials, with careful attention to both design and usability.
⚫︎You want to live in a healthier environment, both physically and mentally, by using natural materials in the furniture and doors of your home.
⚫︎You want to incorporate a relaxing environment with natural materials into your office.
⚫︎You want to create a shop that uses plenty of natural materials.
And more.

For consultations about furniture and architectural woodwork made from natural materials, please leave it to us at OJIKI Workshop.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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OJIKI Co., Ltd.
Wooden Furniture and Wooden Architectural Woodwork [Custom-Made, Remodeling, Repair]
Zama, Yamato, Sagamihara
5-49-16 Hibarigaoka, Zama City, Kanagawa 252-0003, Japan
Phone: 046-204-5592 (Weekdays 9:00–18:00)
Representative Director: Kenichi Okawa
Profile
Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Tokai University
Graduated from Chippendale International School of Furniture in the United Kingdom
(Furniture making and antique furniture repair)
Trained for three years at Rengesou Motomachi Workshop
Based on the traditional production process of Yokohama furniture, which has continued for more than 100 years, he continues to explore new designs using materials such as iron, leather, and glass while engaging in woodworking every day.
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