Commission

Every piece of furniture I build begins as a dialogue between intention (a particular use, a specific place, an idea of beauty) and material (the wood itself — its unique grain, a captivating flaw).

If you’re interested in commissioning a custom piece of handmade furniture, we’ll be collaborators in articulating this intention and selecting the wood.

At the beginning of the project, we’ll meet and discuss what you envision. You can bring sketches, photographs, dimensions to facilitate this conversation. I might sketch out of a few possibilities on the spot, or pull out a few boards of wood that I think are suitable.

If you’re interested in working together at this point, I’ll request a design fee (the amount is applied to the final cost of the piece) at the end of the meeting.

I work from scale mock-ups (for spatial volume) and scale drawings (for joinery and dimensions). I’ll have sketches and some combination of these visual aids for our next meeting, as well as a quote for the price and an estimated timeline for completion. There may be some iteration: selecting the finish, refining the design to suit the wood, etc. Depending on the complexity of the piece, I request 1/3 to 1/2 of the final price as a deposit.

Throughout the process, you’re welcome to visit the shop and see your piece progress.

As a final note, this is how I prefer to work for larger projects — thanks to the mentorship of experienced makers, who’ve generously shared their success stories and cautionary tales — but I am happy to discuss your individual circumstances and project. Please don’t hesitate to reach out, whether about a possible project or for clarification.