Custom Ordering
Custom ordering a special piece of furniture can be a rewarding experience. Contact us by phone or email and we can discuss your needs. Based on your rough price range, wood preferences, and design requirements, various sketches will be provided that explore the available possibilities. Sample pieces of finished lumber can also be reviewed to select the desired materials. Once we agree on the details, a quote will be provided to you. Upon acceptance of the quote, a deposit will be required. Receipt of the deposit will begin the engineering process in earnest. This will include scale drawings, a scale model in the selected woods and finishes, and possibly a full-scale mockup in plywood to refine proportions. Following acceptance of the final design details, the project may be placed into our schedule for material procurement and construction.
Materials
We generally use only the finest domestic hardwoods with spectacular color and grain. This lumber is usually purchased in matched sets from the same tree to ensure consistent color. Exotic woods are periodically used for details such a drawer pulls or minor embellishments, but are mostly avoided due to their allergenic working properties (the sawdust can become a major irritant).
Construction Methods
All construction is executed in solid hardwoods, with no plywood whenever possible. Veneering may be performed in limited quantities to add accent inlays or small highlights. Traditional construction methods are used to ensure strength and longevity, including hand-cut dovetail joinery, mortise and tenon, and frame and panel. All pieces are finished with multiple coats of hand-applied finish, polished by hand, and waxed.
Lead Times
Lead times can vary from 4 months to 2 years, depending upon our workload, the complexity of your project, and the availability of materials. All purchased lumber must be properly acclimated to the humidity and temperature levels in our shop to ensure stability, which can take several weeks by itself. The hand-finishing process can also take quite a long time, requiring minimum dry times between each coat for multiple coats. Any hand-carving, inlay, or other detail intensive work can add weeks to a project, as well. Owing to the handmade nature of our furniture, we can provide scheduling estimates, but cannot reliably work to a deadline while striving to get every detail perfect. We will maintain frequent communications to provide you with project updates and photos to keep you informed of our progress while trying to meet the estimated schedule. We like to think that the end result will be a treasured family heirloom that will be worth your wait.
