As outdoor living becomes a more permanent part of how people design homes, hotels and gathering spaces, the “right fit” may matter as much as the right look. That’s one reason that special orders have been a huge part of the casual industry for the past couple of decades.
Made-to-order furnishings can reduce the compromises that come with off-the-shelf buying, from awkward sizing to unnecessary replacement. People are trying to make outdoor spaces work harder, last longer and feel less generic.
Soft-furnishings brand FabricaKraft recognized this and set out to build the brand around the dimensions, use case and design needs of each project, rather than pushing standard sizes or mass inventory.
Co-founders Neha Khanna and Vibhas Sen have built FabricaKraft as a serious design-to-delivery platform, with a human-centered production model and a focus on quality control, customization and durable execution. The result is a brand that speaks to both homeowners and trade buyers, especially interior designers, hospitality groups and commercial clients looking for more precise soft-furnishing solutions.
However, Khana and Sen, who are married, were not always in the outdoor furnishings game. Vibhas was a Paralympian fencer, and Khana worked for a nonprofit that helped victims of sexual abuse. COVID set a change in motion in both of their lives, and FabricaKraft was born in 2021.
“This year, we are going to do $1 million in revenue,” Sen told Casual News Now. “We succeeded by offering a personalized service and we are growing the team. Next year we might even launch indoor furnishings because we have been getting a lot of feedback from our outdoor customers who are doing great. Over the last three years, we have started working with more interior designers and architects. We have worked on projects with hotels, provided outdoor seating to the U.S. Navy as well as other large B2B projects. Our customer breakdown is about 75% retail and 25% B2B or wholesale.”
Sen said that he feels the reason FabricKraft has succeeded with custom orders is because no two homes or two sitting areas are the same. People want comfortable outdoor furniture that’s personalized and decorated.
He adds that they educate people on products, like why an L-shape cushion is more expensive than making two rectangular cushions, and work with people on their budget.
“This flexibility helps them get what they really need, and I think that’s the reason we have a 60% to 70% conversion rate,” he said. “There is hardly any customer we can’t customize for in their budget.”
The company also has a sustainability angle, as it uses spare fabric scraps from companies like Sunbrella to create its products. These partnerships with industry suppliers have provided FabricaKraft the opportunity to help the industry cut down on waste and give retailers benefits, like being able to simply keep samples and swatches.
“We have a zero-waste story from the way that we make new materials from fabric leftovers,” Sen said. “Also, many retail customers will have old product they need to get rid of, and we can take that and give it new life. We didn’t want to see leftover fabrics dumped into a landfill. Neha found a way to make free items like coasters and tote bags from the leftover recycled materials, and our customers have appreciated the zero-waste story.”
While FabricaKraft doesn’t need to show at industry trade shows because of the nature of its business, Sen said he is excited to partner with more retailers and offer custom furnishings at all price points.
