Furniture & décor sourcing in China
From drawing to container, without losing your grip on quality.
China concentrates workshops able to make furniture and décor at every level of the market. The whole difficulty is telling the trader from the real manufacturer, then holding quality from one run to the next.
Furniture is sourced mainly in Guangdong (Foshan, Shunde) for indoor and décor, and in Zhejiang for outdoor and metal. Foshan alone gathers thousands of factories within a few kilometres: in a single day you compare makers an isolated buyer would take months to sift. The catch is telling the showroom that resells from the workshop that actually builds.
In this sector price is never the real variable, consistency is. A compliant first run guarantees nothing if the wood tone, the foam density or the packaging drift on reorder. We freeze a precise specification (species, finishes, hardware, packing standard) and inspect at the factory before every loading.
- Indoor furniture
- Décor & tableware
- Lighting
- Outdoor furniture
- Bespoke fit-out
With furniture, everything rides on the finish, the packaging and consistency. We inspect at the factory before loading and put our name to the contracts: you receive what you approved, not a variation.
- Formaldehyde E1 / E0
- Panels and plywood must meet emission limits (EN 13986). Require E1 as a minimum; E0 for sensitive markets.
- REACH
- Glues, varnishes, treatments and upholstery textiles must be free of restricted substances (SVHC). Frame it from the spec onwards.
- Sustainable wood (FSC / PEFC)
- For committed retailers and tenders, an FSC/PEFC chain of custody is expected on wood and derivatives.
- Fire reaction (upholstered)
- Upholstered furniture for public venues or certain markets (e.g. UK, BS 5852) must meet specific flammability requirements.
- Strength (EN 12520/12521)
- Heavy-use seating and tables benefit from strength/stability testing, especially for hospitality and contract.
50 to 300 pieces per item depending on complexity; often one 20′/40′ container mixed across several models.
Sample 2 to 4 weeks, production 30 to 60 days, then 4 to 5 weeks at sea.
Wood-tone drift between runs, under-sized packaging (transit damage), and over-humid wood that cracks once in a heated European interior. All checked before loading.
- What MOQ to start in furniture?
- Often 50 to 300 pieces per model, but negotiable on a first run: part of our work is securing a reasonable first batch before scaling volume.
- How do you avoid transit damage?
- With a written packing standard (reinforced corners, bracing, double-wall) approved on the sample, then verified at pre-loading inspection. The packing cost is trivial against a damaged container.
- Can the wood crack on arrival?
- Yes, if its moisture content is too high at departure: it dries and splits in heated interiors. We frame the moisture target and check it on sensitive species.