The hand, the tool and the better home
Furniture history offers a more useful question than handmade against machine made: what makes the finished piece better?
By the Ajusteur team1 minute read
Care is a design decision
The part of a cabinet you touch matters. So does the joint you rarely see. A useful conversation about furniture includes both: how a piece feels in daily use, and how thoughtfully it is put together.
Craft was also an argument about living
The V&A describes the Arts and Crafts movement as a response to industrialisation and the status of decorative arts. William Morris valued well made objects for everyday use and a closer relationship between makers and their work. His position was not simply opposition to every machine.
Technology was part of the conversation
The V&A also describes designers in Germany who saw technology as a way to make production more efficient while maintaining quality. Richard Riemerschmid developed machine produced furniture, and the Deutscher Werkbund brought designers into collaboration with established producers.
Our test is the result
At Ajusteur, our aim is to use technology where it removes avoidable work: organizing requirements, comparing equivalent scopes, preparing information and following up on decisions. Skilled people still need to assess materials, check dimensions and make the work well.
Ask about the result rather than the label. Does the drawer run smoothly? Is the edge finished properly? Can a part be replaced? Are the material and installation included in the price? Those answers tell you more than a claim that something is modern or traditional.