How to Order
1Typically, you will contact me with an idea. You might ask about a dining table and chairs, a chest of drawers, a blanket chest, a desk, etc.
You might have found an example of my work on this website which sparked an idea, or found a design elsewhere. This provides a starting point for discussing and designing a new piece of furniture. We will consider size, design and function. This is the first step in designing your furniture.
This site is a small representation of the work I’ve done in over 30 years as a woodworker. At last count, my furniture pieces numbered over 1,000. As you can imagine, among these, there is a wide variety. If you would like to see more images than you do here, I’d be pleased to e-mail them.
2 When I have gotten an idea of what you are looking for, I will draw up a few sketches which capture what we’ve discussed.
After we have come to a final design, I will make working drawings for your approval. This is the second step in designing your furniture.
If you’re interested in the design of a piece which you’ve either found on my website or in additional images I’ve e-mailed you, there is no design fee.
3 Choosing a wood, or woods, and finish for your project are the final steps. I harvest, mill, stack, and dry most of the wood I use. I’m also open to using wood of your choosing, if you prefer something other than what I have on hand.
Currently, I can provide claro (California black) walnut, figured claro walnut, paradox walnut, western figured, fiddleback and quilted maple, madrone, Kellogg’s (California black) oak, sycamore, European elm and non-figured and figured cherry.
Please see Wood Choices page for images of the woods.
Pricing
When quoting on a design I’ve created in the past, I can give accurate prices.
All custom work (unique, original pieces) is priced on a time-and-materials basis.
There is no markup on materials purchased from a lumberyard. When we discuss a piece of furniture, I will give a very well thought-out estimate of the time it will take to make.
All my clients understand that when a new piece of work is commissioned there may be complications that arise which have not been accounted for. This is the nature of working with wood and of making one-of-a-kind furniture.
Payment
When the project is started I will ask for approximately one half the remaining price. I ask for the final payment when I deliver the piece or before I ship it out.
Shipping
When shipping furniture, I use Plycon Van Lines, Inc. to blanket wrap each piece. After working with them for many years and observing the care they take, I know I can stand behind this responsible, reliable delivery service and the cost of this superior service is comparable to the cost of crating and shipping using a common carrier freight company.