Furniture Delivery Delays? Designers Find A Way

MY MOTHER, who was not known for her patience, once waited for nine months for an armless rocking chair upholstered in a custom green velvet stripe. Long waits were common in the 1960s. A wait of nine months was long even for the 1960s. She complained to the furniture store, which blamed the factory, which said actually it was the shipper’s fault.

“I’ve had babies in less time than it took for me to get this damn chair,” my mother observed to my father, who knew better than to engage.

For everyone waiting for furniture delivery these days, it feels like the 1960s all over again. Thanks to the pandemic, the supply chain has been tangled up in knots over the past year and a half—and it has become routine to wait for many months for furnishings.

“Two-thirds of all goods trying to come into this country are coming in really late,” said furniture industry analyst Ray Allegrezza, executive director of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association in High Point, N.C. “I’ve never seen anything this crazy—and it’s not going to get better any time soon.”

Of course, far worse things happened during the pandemic. “It’s just furniture,” said Ali Budd, an interior designer in Toronto. “That’s what I remind people.”

Ms. Budd said that even getting the simplest things is a challenge. “Getting a stone slab right now is like the Wild West. You show up and have to be ready to buy if you don’t want to lose the slab,” she said. “Everything is selling and people won’t hold things, sometimes not even for 24 hours.”

Why is the home décor industry being hit so hard by supply chain problems?

Home Furnishing Pros Explain

“It was a perfect storm,” Mr. Allegrezza explained. “There’s a higher-than-normal demand for home goods because everybody who was forced to stay in place during the pandemic realized they hated their sofas. Meanwhile the companies in Asia that make furniture had shutdowns. Ports everywhere are clogged, so ships can’t find a spot to unload, and when they finally do, there aren’t enough crane operators to unload the containers. Also, the trucking industry has a shortage of drivers, because a lot of them decided to retire in recent months.”

Worsening the perfect storm was actual bad weather. Winter 2021 storms in Texas and Louisiana shut down two major factories that manufacture chemicals used to make foam padding for sofas and chairs. “The delays are so bad that I had a client recently who needed a bed for a guest room, and I said, ‘Maybe don’t get an upholstered bed,’” said Michelle Gage, an interior designer in Philadelphia.

Manufacturers and retailers say it’s difficult to predict when furnishings will be delivered. “We have a container of rugs coming from Morocco that was delayed for weeks in Barcelona—with no real explanation—so we gave all the customers who purchased them a 10% discount to try to assuage the anger,” said Ben Hyman, chief executive of Revival Rugs in Oakland, Calif.

“We had 200 or 300 customers waiting for a woven-wire chandelier that was shipping from India and was expected in four to five months,” said Brownlee Currey, chief executive of Currey & Company in Atlanta. “It ended up being nine or 10 months. We kept ordering more meanwhile, and when they finally sent them, we got an enormous shipment.”

What America's Supply-Chain Backlog Looks Like Up Close

The bad news is that the situation isn’t going to get better soon: “The pundits are saying maybe 2023,” Mr. Allegrezza said.

The good news? Interior designers are coming up with creative workarounds.

How to Sidestep Shipping Delays

“I’m getting more things custom made by local craftsmen—things like small side tables and upholstery pieces—because then you don’t have to worry about shipping,” said Courtney Sempliner, an interior designer in Port Washington, N.Y., who I phoned for advice. “We’re fortunate to have a lot of local mom-and-pop craftsmen in Brooklyn, Queens and upstate.”

“Who are some of your favourite go-to suppliers?” I asked.

“Sorry, I can’t share my sources—it’s too dangerous, because I don’t want them to be overwhelmed,” Ms. Sempliner said. “But here are other tips: Buy floor samples from showrooms. Or reupholster something you already own—the wait time is much shorter.”

Ms. Gage, the interior designer in Philadelphia, said a quick way to shave off weeks of wait time is to eschew custom fabrics. “Where in the past we might have picked a custom fabric for a sofa and waited for the fabric to get shipped from the manufacturer, now we choose a stock fabric for a sofa,” she said.

Other strategies: If you are shopping online and see that an item you want is in stock, “order it immediately. Don’t want until the next day, because who knows if it still will be available,” said Ms. Budd, the interior designer in Toronto.

One-of-a-kind vintage wooden furniture from sites such as 1stdibs, Chairish and Etsy are another option. “Vintage coffee tables and consoles are good because if they are high-quality pieces, they retain their value—just be sure you ask the seller for a lot of pictures taken from every angle to ensure that there’s no damage,” said Joy Williams, an interior designer in Chicago.

The main thing is to keep some perspective. It’s just furniture.

In my mother’s case, nine months after she ordered her rocker, the delivery man—the poor delivery man—finally arrived. On the appointed day, all four of us children gathered around his hand truck, expecting a thrill like Christmas morning.

With a flourish, the delivery man unwrapped the package—to reveal a chair upholstered in the wrong fabric. It was another nine months before they got it right.

As global trade tensions intensify and tariffs reshape the retail landscape, one Australian brand is choosing to scale rather than retreat.

Sydney-founded luxury label MAISON de SABRÉ is doubling down on the US market, pushing ahead with a bold expansion strategy despite rising cost pressures and broader global uncertainty.

While many brands are increasing prices or pausing shipments, MAISON de SABRÉ is holding its price point for customers and continuing to invest in its US operations.

The move reflects a deeper strategic play: a vertically integrated, zero-waste supply chain that allows the brand to deliver on cost, speed, and quality — even under pressure.

It’s this model, paired with consistent product innovation and sharp design, that has helped MAISON de SABRÉ build lasting equity in international markets.

At its pop-up in Bloomingdale’s, MAISON de SABRÉ is currently the top-selling brand in its category — a position it also holds in the top two across both Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom’s online platforms.

Co-founder and CEO Omar Sabré says this is no accident.

“This is going to be a very difficult period for a lot of smaller brands — especially those relying on offshore mass production or single growth markets,” says Sabré.

“We’ve built a uniquely global model that can absorb shocks — from pricing pressure to supply chain disruption — while protecting customers and safeguarding long-term growth.”

Founded on a mission to deliver modern, accessible luxury, the brand hand-finishes its signature full-grain cowhide goods in Sydney, tested against a 13-point quality control protocol.

Sustainability is embedded, not just as a value but as a competitive advantage. MAISON de SABRÉ sources exclusively from LWG Gold-Rated tanneries, and its transition to DriTan™ leather — the world’s most sustainable tanning method — saves 25 million litres of water annually and reduces chemical use by 33%.

With 85% material utilisation, zero-waste production, and carbon offsetting on track by 2026, MAISON de SABRÉ is setting a new standard for sustainable craftsmanship at scale.

“We’ve always believed that staying close to the customer — operationally and emotionally — is what separates sustainable brands from short-term players,” says Sabré.

“This isn’t just about product. It’s about building systems that hold up in any climate.”

While competitors pivot or pause, MAISON de SABRÉ is executing a long-term strategy built on control, creativity, and disciplined growth. In a disrupted global retail market, the brand isn’t just weathering the storm — it’s shaping the new definition of modern luxury.

Furniture Delivery Delays? Designers Find A Way

Couches, upholstered beds, rugs and light fixtures can take up to a year to arrive.

Home Furnishing Pros Explain

How to Sidestep Shipping Delays

As tariffs bite, Sydney’s MAISON de SABRÉ is pushing deeper into the US, holding firm on pricing and proving that resilience in luxury means more than survival.