August 25, 2021 | Furniture Concepts
What is Contract Furniture | Group Living Facilities
Furniture designed for heavy use environments like health care, higher ed, camp & conference centers, and other group living facilities must perform to standards that far exceed residential furniture standards.
While the sofas and chairs you see in commercial use facilities might look similar to what you see in a
typical residential home, what’s “under the hood” is dramatically different.The exacting standards of furniture built for group living results in what the furniture industry classifies as Contract Furniture.
Contract Furniture includes seating, dining, beds & mattresses, dressers & wardrobes (referred to as casegoods), and occasional tables & chairs that are built to withstand heavy-use, meet public fire codes, and tested to specific standards required by agencies like the Federal Consumer Protection Safety Commission (US CPSC), Joint Commission, State and Local Governments, and Licensing Agencies. Additionally, Contract Furniture offers the option of “specifying” which allows buyers to design custom pieces, alter existing designs to meet space limitations, select specialized fabrics or finishes, or require specific components to be used in production.
Contract Furniture looks similar to residential furniture but offers so much more durability that consumers often request the opportunity to buy Contract Furniture for their homes. While the exceptional strength of contract sofas, chairs and other furniture could be useful for homes with busy families, most Contract Furniture providers are set up only to sell to commercial end-users.
Issues like bulk shipping, commercial delivery requirements, and wholesale business models that cannot support individualized attention for small order buyers prevent Contract Furniture providers from offering residential sales.
Contract Furniture is a must for any heavy-use group living facility. While the convenience of shopping local at discount furniture stores might appear like a quick fix to furnishing needs, residential furniture will not standup to heavy use nor will it meet many compliance standards. When in doubt, spend a few minutes talking to Contract Furniture experts who in most cases readily provide no-cost consultations to learn more about why Contract Furniture is the best solution for your group living facility.
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