The last two decades have seen astronomical growth for Houston’s culinary and hospitality scene, even attracting the Michelin Guide to the Bayou City. While the fare remains of utmost importance, the most radical transformation in how diners select restaurants is all about aesthetics. If cozy dinners, matcha runs, and milestone celebrations don’t make “the ‘gram,” did they even happen?
These days, hospitality design has to be bolder, swankier, and sexier than ever before in order to attract an elevated clientele, all while remaining practical and commercial grade in construction quality. While it has become de rigueur for restaurateurs to announce which top interior designer or architectural firm has created their latest opening, it is somewhat less common to hear about the construction firms who translate those designs into the physical realm, but that’s about to change.
Construction Concepts — the award-winning build team behind some of Houston’s trendiest restaurants such as Marmo, Graffiti Raw, Doris Metropolitan, and Cocody, their collaboration with Houston design star Nina Magon (the full list is an astonishing 400 projects) — have launched an ambitious new venture in hopes of revolutionizing the furniture and other furnishings used in hospitality design throughout Houston. Joshua Weisman and Mark Bordman’s new stand alone project, Custom Concepts Furniture & Lighting, delivers bespoke furniture and lighting solutions for restaurants, hotels, hospitality, and corporate spaces.
Trendy Houstonians have more than likely experienced the Custom Concepts Furniture & Lighting treatment without having realized it. New hot spots Chardon, Melrose, and Solarium have all been outfitted with Custom Concepts creations, with highly-anticipated Succulent and Recess both hot on their heels.
After 20 years on the build side of the business and being recognized with 16 Houston Business Journal Landmark Awards for projects across four categories, the why behind creating the new company becomes clear.
“We saw an incredible need for this product and service; it’s an underserved market. There’s very limited options for people to go find these products and we have a passion for unique designs and builds — eclectic, neat pieces,” Weisman tells CultureMap. “There’s just no big surplus for it. You’re either custom making it, or you’re going to a big box store and seeing what you can find.”
With a robust team numbering almost 30 people, Custom Concepts handles everything for clients from design all the way to white glove delivery and installation, plus an absolutely unheard of two-year warranty on all of their products. Lead time on bespoke pieces is around 12 weeks, lighting is 8-10 weeks, and furniture requires 10-12. Amazingly, their in-stock catalog line of approximately 2,000 SKUs is ready-to-go. “You could call tomorrow and say ‘I need 40 stools with backs in this color,’ and we’d give you four or five models to choose from,” says Weisman.
Given Custom Concepts’ quality and elite clientele, one could easily assume that services are mildly cost prohibitive. Shockingly, this isn’t the case. “Our pricing, being straight to manufacturer, is considerably less than retail. Our pricing is very aggressive and competitive compared to the national market — 40-50 percent less than nationwide retailers,” says Weisman. “We build things to last that are amazing and affordable,” adds Bordman.
Restaurants and hospitality make up 90 percent of Custom Concepts’ business, but residential clients are not unheard of. Weisman tells CultureMap that some higher-end clients will reach out to them directly when in need of lighting and furnishings for an entire home. Otherwise, they work directly with designers. “We love having designers come in and run wild with it — and we manufacture it from scratch,” says Weisman. “Whatever their vision is, we will bring it to market for them.”
Attention to detail is undoubtedly the cornerstone of Custom Concepts. Furnishings have felt padding to protect floors and all tables — like those at Chardon — have a velvety felt underlining to protect their clientele’s delicate garments from catching, no detail is insignificant.
“Just being proactive in the design and product that we’re delivering, we’ve been in this arena for so long, why not go the extra step,” says Weisman. “Really refining your product and what you’re giving your client; let’s do these added features, let’s do the ‘wow’ factor. If you can make it flawless, why not?!” Why not, indeed.
