Turkey has a large furniture industry, and buyers from abroad often meet it through showrooms, trade fairs and websites that look much alike. Photographs rarely tell you how a sofa is built or who will answer when an order needs a change. A short list of direct questions does.
This checklist covers six points worth raising with any maker before you request a quote: where the furniture is produced, what it is made of, how far it can be adapted, whether you can see samples, how long production takes and what the maker has already delivered. For each point we also give Sitdesign's own answer, so you can see what a specific reply looks like.
1. Do you produce in your own factory?
Some companies manufacture what they sell; others select and resell pieces made by several producers. Both models exist for good reasons, but they affect who controls the frame, the upholstery and the schedule. Ask directly: where is this piece made, and can the person quoting you speak to the people building it?
What to listen for:
- A named production location, not just a city or "local partners".
- Whether changes to dimensions or materials are decided in-house or passed on to a supplier.
- Who you contact if something needs correcting after delivery.
Sitdesign's answer: we have been making furniture since 1983, and every piece is handmade in our own factory in Büyükçekmece, Istanbul.
2. What exactly is inside the furniture?
On an upholstered piece the cover is what you see, but the frame and the seat decide how a sofa feels after years of daily use. A serious maker can name each layer without hesitation. Ask about:
- Frame: which timber is used, and whether it is dried before construction. Properly dried hardwood is less likely to shift or creak.
- Seat: the foam type and what supports it underneath – springs, elastic webbing or a solid base.
- Leather: whether it is genuine leather throughout, and which type and finish.
Sitdesign's answer: upholstered frames are made of kiln-dried beech, and seats combine high-resilience (HR) foam with sprung seating. We use genuine leather only, in 76 colours across 12 colour families, and Italian leathers form our top leather group. Our leather materials page explains the options. Fabric upholstery is also possible, and we accept customer's own material (COM).
3. Can the dimensions be adapted?
A catalogue model will not fit every room exactly. Seat depth on a sofa is typically around 55–60 cm and seat height around 42–46 cm, but a deep lounge sofa or a narrow alcove may need something different. Ask which measurements can change – width, depth, seat height, arm style – and whether a change affects cost and timing.
Bring the key figures to the conversation: the wall length, the clearance needed for walkways (a common rule is at least 80–90 cm for a main route), door and lift sizes for delivery, and the height of the tables the sofa will stand next to.
Sitdesign's answer: our catalogue has standard models, such as the Platon sofa and the rest of our sofa collection, and custom dimensions are available on request. Our guide on how to order a custom designed seating group walks through the steps.
4. Can I see and touch the materials first?
Colour on a screen varies from one display to the next, and leather in particular changes character with its finish: a pigmented leather looks even and resists marks, while a more natural finish shows the grain and develops a patina. Before you commit, ask for physical samples and compare them in your own room, in daylight and in evening light.
Sitdesign's answer: leather samples are sent on request, so you can choose a colour and finish against your floor, walls and other fabrics.
5. How long will production take?
A clear lead time lets you plan around a move-in date, a renovation or a project handover. Ask for the production time per product type, when the count starts (usually once the order and the material choice are confirmed) and how delivery is arranged.
Sitdesign's answer: upholstered pieces take 3–4 weeks and wood pieces 6–8 weeks.
6. What have you already delivered?
References show how a maker works under real conditions. Ask for named projects and, where possible, photographs of installed pieces rather than studio images. Trade fair participation is another useful sign: a stand shows the range in person and lets you inspect the finishing up close.
Sitdesign's answer: our projects include the Radisson Blu Leogrand in Chișinău, the CAMILA and AL REEM yachts by Bilgin Yachts, three villas in Büyükçekmece, the Yalı Ataköy residence and the Sanel Asansör headquarters in Denizli. We have exhibited at IIFF 2026 and IIFF 2024, at CNR İMOB 2020 and 2018, and at İSMOB 2017 and 2016 – you can see our stand at CNR İMOB 2018 in the fair archive.
Write down each maker's answers side by side. Specific replies on factory, materials, sizes, samples, timing and references make the comparison straightforward. If you would like to apply these questions to your own room, contact us for leather samples and a quote.
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