Custom Reception Desks

Typical lead time is 4–8 weeks from approved drawings, depending on current backlog and finish selection. Standard laminates ship faster; custom finishes, veneer, or specialty hardware add 1–2 weeks. We confirm a date in writing at contract. Most dealers depend on the OEM's schedule and quote 8–14 weeks; we control our own factory so we can move faster when needed.

All three have a place.

Used/remanufactured can save 30–60% but you trade off warranty, finish consistency, and configurability. New custom (what we make) gives you exact dimensions, lifetime warranty, and a non-obsolescence promise. A common hybrid: use Rieke custom for high-visibility ‘brand’ areas (reception, conference, exec offices) and pair with remanufactured task chairs in back-of-house. We help clients decide based on budget, longevity, and brand goals.

Apples-to-apples, Rieke custom laminate furniture typically lands within 10–20% of premium dealer brands, sometimes less. Because we manufacture in-house and sell direct, there are no dealer markups. You also get exact dimensions, custom finishes, and a non-obsolescence promise: we never discontinue our own product lines.

Three reasons buyers tell us they switched to a manufacturer like us:

(1) Custom dimensions at standard pricing. Dealers charge premiums to modify catalog products.

(2) Direct accountability: one team owns design, build, and install.

(3) Long-term flexibility: we can replicate, refresh, or reconfigure your furniture years later because we still make it. Dealers depend on whatever the OEM still offers.

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and most answers online are biased. Honestly: a furniture dealer alone solves furniture, not space. An interior designer alone solves aesthetics but rarely owns construction. Rieke does both under one roof (design, custom furniture, project management) so you don’t hire two firms that point at each other when something goes wrong. We wrote the buyer’s guide because the answer depends on your scope.

Every piece is built in our 150,000 sq ft facility in Elgin, Illinois, about 40 miles from downtown Chicago. ‘Made here’ matters because:

(1) we control quality and lead times directly

(2) finishes are color-matched in person, not via swatches

(3) you can tour the facility

(4) repairs, reconfigurations, and matching pieces are possible years later because we still build them

(5) shipping is faster and lower-carbon than imports. Most competitors source from overseas or third-party manufacturers and add a markup.

Yes. Rieke laminate furniture carries a Limited Lifetime Warranty. For anything beyond normal wear/abuse, we fix or replace at no cost. Because we still manufacture every line, the warranty actually works long term (no discontinued-part problem). Third-party furniture we resell carries the manufacturer's warranty, which we administer for you. Installation labor is warrantied for one year against workmanship defects.

Yes, we've completed projects in 22+ states. Our manufacturing is centralized in Elgin, IL, and we deploy our own install team for projects within a 4-hour radius. For projects farther out, we partner with vetted installation crews that we manage to Rieke quality standards. Design and project management are handled remotely with on-site visits scheduled at key milestones.

Yes, every industry page has project galleries, and we publish detailed case studies for representative projects. On a first call we'll send 2–3 case studies that closely match your scope, industry, and budget so you can see process, timeline, and outcome on similar work. Many clients also visit completed projects in person.