The Best Wholesale Furniture Vendors For Interior Designers
When it comes to sourcing and procuring furniture, designers should shop wholesale. The reason is simple: designers get access to wholesale pricing, which means better margins, better pricing, and a wider selection of products. Shopping through wholesalers is essential for designers who want to increase their profitability.
In this post, I’ll be sharing my favourite and most trusted trade-only wholesale vendors.
How Does Reselling Wholesale Furniture Work?
If you’re new to the design world, reselling furniture may sound a bit intimidating or confusing. However, the way interior designers earn profit from reselling wholesale furniture is actually quite simple.
The process typically works like this: the designer sources products from wholesalers and presents the furniture selections to the client at a price that includes their markup. The industry standard markup is generally between 25–35%. Once the client approves the selections, the designer invoices the client for the materials at cost plus the markup.
From there, the designer purchases the products on the client’s behalf and manages the procurement process, which may include sending out purchase orders, scheduling deliveries and installations, and handling any returns or damages.
Also Read: How Interior Designers Can Earn More with Affiliate Links
Some designers may also charge a procurement fee in addition to their markup, which is often calculated as a percentage of the total amount invoiced.
Some designers choose not to charge a markup and instead pass wholesale pricing directly to their clients. These designers typically charge higher fees for their design services to compensate.
Retail Trade Accounts vs. Trade-Only Wholesale
What Is the Difference Between Shopping Retail and Wholesale?
Wholesale suppliers are not open to the general public. They sell exclusively to businesses, which can include interior designers operating as sole proprietors.
In some cases, wholesalers require a membership to purchase from them, pricing may vary based on volume, and returns may be limited or not accepted.
Many retailers such as Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel offer designer discounts, which can certainly be beneficial. However, these discounts are often relatively small, typically ranging from 5–20%. Additionally, if you’re reselling products sourced from a retailer, clients often expect that some of the discount will be passed along to them, which can reduce your profit margin.
For this reason, the most advantageous way for designers to earn meaningful margins on products is by shopping wholesale. Wholesale pricing allows for greater markups and better profitability. It also prevents clients from easily purchasing the same items themselves, allowing the designer to maintain control over the sourcing process.
The Drawbacks of Reselling Wholesale Furniture
Like anything, there are drawbacks to reselling furniture. Of course, one major benefit is the opportunity to increase your profits as an interior designer.
The downside is that reselling furniture comes with a considerable amount of administrative work. This can include reporting earnings to the appropriate government agencies quarterly or annually, obtaining reseller certificates where applicable, invoicing clients, managing POS systems, tracking products, coordinating deliveries and installations, and handling damages and returns that inevitably come with the territory.
With that said, if you’re charging a healthy markup, reselling furniture can be an excellent—and often necessary—way to maintain a profitable design business.
My Go-To Wholesaler Furniture Vendors for Interior Designers
1. Surya
Surya is a trade-only vendor that I have been sourcing from for years. I especially love sourcing from Surya when working with clients who have eclectic, bohemian, or contemporary tastes.
They offer a wide variety of products, including an extensive rug collection. In fact, this is my absolute favourite place to source rugs. They also have amazing selections of wall art, lighting, and furniture.
Another reason I love Surya is that they ship across both Canada and the United States, which is incredibly convenient for a designer like me who works with clients in both countries.
The customer service is excellent, and I have never had an issue with any of their products. This wholesaler is an absolute must for interior designers.
2. Sunpan
My other top go-to wholesaler is Sunpan, a trade-only vendor for interior design professionals with locations in both Canada and the United States.
Sunpan carries furniture across many categories, including living room, dining room, bedroom, and outdoor furnishings. Their styles are beautiful, contemporary, and trend-forward.
I have sourced from Sunpan for years and can confidently say that both the customer support and product quality are fantastic.
One drawback is that they do not deliver directly to residential addresses, so you will need to arrange a third-party delivery service. However, I still believe this wholesaler is well worth sourcing from.
3. Daniel House Club
Daniel House Club is a trade-only vendor that carries a variety of brands, including Surya, Sunpan, Uttermost, and many others.
Because of this, Daniel House Club acts as a one-stop trade resource where designers can source products from multiple brands in a single place, making the sourcing process much easier.
I love Daniel House Club because of its selection. They offer absolutely fabulous products across many design styles, although I find their overall aesthetic tends to lean slightly more traditional and glam.
It’s important to note that this vendor requires a membership subscription to purchase products. Daniel House Club offers different membership tiers, which determine your wholesale pricing.
This vendor ships throughout both Canada and the United States.
4. Kravet
Kravet is another brand that I love to source from, particularly for wallpaper and fabrics. However, the brand offers much more than that, including furniture and accessories that are timeless, sophisticated, and high-end.
Kravet has amazing customer service and exceptional product quality. One thing to note is that their products tend to be at a higher price point, so they may not be suitable for every project budget.
Kravet ships throughout Canada and the United States, and some of their product lines can also be found through other retailers and vendors.
5. Uttermost
Uttermost is another beloved wholesaler among interior designers, and for good reason.
They offer a wide variety of artwork, furniture, decor, and accessories. The selection is impressive and spans multiple design styles, from contemporary to rustic. They also carry some truly unique statement pieces that work beautifully as accent items within a space.
If you’re looking for a wholesaler with a broad range of products and styles, Uttermost is definitely one worth considering.
Click Here To Shop My Favourite Home Goods
Let’s design your space together, virtually.
