Made to order means your piece does not exist until you order it. We do not keep a warehouse of finished furniture. Once you choose a piece, its size, its finish and its surface, we build it in seven stages, from choosing the wood to delivering it to your home, and we send you photographs before it is finished so you can approve it. Making takes 7 to 10 business days and delivery 3 to 7, so most orders arrive in 10 to 17 business days.
Why we work this way
Building to order lets every piece be made in the finish you choose, from boards chosen for that piece. Nothing sits in storage for months, gathering knocks or drying out unevenly in a warehouse. And because a person looks at your piece at each stage, it is checked by eye and by hand before it moves on.
It also means we offer every finish, Oak, Walnut, Brown and Black, at one price, and two surfaces, Smooth and Natural rough. You choose by what suits your room, not by what is in stock.
The seven stages
1. Choosing the wood
Every piece starts with selecting boards. For a tabletop, that means boards whose colour and grain sit well together, so the surface reads as one. Boards are checked for splits, loose knots and unsound wood. Natural features such as tight knots or a live edge are chosen deliberately, not left by accident.
2. Drying
Freshly sawn wood holds a lot of water, often more than its own dry weight. As it dries, it shrinks, and if that happens after a piece is built, joints loosen and tops crack. Furniture wood for heated, air-conditioned homes is generally dried to around 6 to 8 percent moisture content, close to the level it will settle at in your home. Dry, stable wood is the foundation of everything after.
3. Shaping
The boards are cut to size, flattened and shaped: tops joined, legs and frames cut, edges profiled. This is where your dimensions become real. On a live edge piece, the natural edge is cleaned and kept.
4. Built in the raw
The piece is assembled before any finish goes on. Building it in the raw lets us check the joints, the proportions and the way the parts meet while the wood is still bare and any adjustment is clean. It is the stage at which the piece first stands as itself.
5. Your approval
Before finishing, we photograph your piece and send the photographs to you. You see the actual boards, the grain, the joints and the size, not a catalogue image. Check what matters to you: the overall look, the details, the dimensions you asked for. If anything is not as you expected, this is the time to tell us, while the wood is still unfinished.
For live edge pieces in particular, this is when you meet your own board for the first time.
6. Finishing
The piece is finished by hand in the tone you chose. For a Smooth surface, the wood is fine-sanded and sealed with a gloss polyurethane topcoat. For Natural rough, it is wire-brushed to raise the grain and sealed with a single coat of matte polyurethane. Both are sealed against everyday spills and need no oiling or waxing at home.
7. White-glove delivery
The finished piece is prepared for its journey and delivered to your home. Delivery takes 3 to 7 business days. We will be in touch to confirm the details before it leaves us.
What this means for you
- Timing: 7 to 10 business days to make, 3 to 7 business days to deliver, 10 to 17 business days in all.
- Choice: four finishes at one price, and two surfaces, Smooth and Natural rough.
- Visibility: photographs of your piece before it is finished.
- Samples: on request we send photos and video of the real finish samples, so you can see the tones before you order.
- Warranty: every piece carries a one-year warranty.
Plan around the timing. If you need a piece for a particular date, such as a move or a family gathering, order with that window in mind.
Getting ready for your piece
A little preparation while your piece is being made makes delivery day simple.
- Measure the route. Check the narrowest door, hallway and stair turn against the piece's dimensions, and tell us early if anything is tight.
- Clear the space. Move what is there now, and check that the floor is level where the piece will stand.
- Check the room's conditions. Keep the piece clear of radiators, heating vents and strong afternoon sun, and aim for indoor humidity of roughly 35 to 55 percent.
- Give it time to settle. Solid wood adjusts to a new home over its first few weeks. A drawer that runs a little firm at first usually eases as the wood settles.
When the photographs arrive for your approval, look at them in good light and take your time. They are there so that nothing about your piece comes as a surprise.
When you need a different size
Standard pieces follow the dimensions on each product page. If you need a different length, width or height, we can build to your measurements. A custom order starts with a free consultation, and you receive a full quote before any wood is cut. The same seven stages follow, including your approval before finishing.
You can begin with a standard piece from our dining tables or beds, or tell us what you have in mind on our custom orders page. Either way, you will see your piece before it is finished.