Assemble‐It‐Yourself: The Perceived Value of Residential Furniture

Abstract

Buyer-assembled furniture represents a shift away from hardwoods to lighter and less expensive materials, such as particleboards, instituting a significant impact on the perception of quality, associated value, and expected permanency of furniture in residential environments. On the other hand, the market share of bespoke furniture manufactured by local and boutique workshops has been steadily decreasing. This led to a shift in the perception of furniture from a symbol of permanence, with deep, layered emotional connections grounded in memories, to the rise of treatment toward furniture as a disposable, replaceable, and transient object. Moreover, the contradictions with the sustainable mindset reveal problems that might have unexpected and lasting effects. This chapter elucidates the impact of buyer-assembled furniture on the representation of style, embodiment of memories, mediation of experiences, and the utility it provides to various daily activities. This is accomplished through a four-part framework focusing on identity, technology, function, and context.

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