A useful guide to commissioning custom made furniture

At Aspirational Furniture we believe that commissioning a piece of fine bespoke furniture is an aspiration shared by many more people than those who actually do it as it may seem a little daunting at first. However, the concern is outweighed by the exciting prospect of ending up with a piece of custom made furniture that is exactly suited to your needs.

Once you have decided what furniture you need to have made, many of the furniture makers will offer to visit your home to see the proposed setting for the pieces and to discuss your likes and dislikes. At the same time you can explore the merits of various types of woods or other materials, look at photographic images of recent works and consider styles and budget. The bespoke furniture craftsman will then help to visualise the concept by producing some initial sketches for your feedback – many of them will do this for free. This is, arguably, the most important phase of the commissioning process as, at the end of this stage, both parties should be in total agreement as to what is going to be produced.

As each commission is different, an exact price can only be agreed when the requirements have been finalised, at which point many furniture makers will request a deposit covering, at least, the cost of the materials. Depending on the complexity of the piece, and the individual craftsman, more detailed technical drawings are sometimes produced which provide the blueprint for the cabinet maker to follow.

Delivery times will vary depending on the scale of the project, and the individual furniture maker’s workload, but it is likely to take at least 12 weeks and possibly as long as 12 months for large and complex pieces. Your bespoke furniture maker will be able to advise you. During this time you may like to arrange a visit to your craftsman’s workshop to check on progress.

Enjoy browsing our extensive list of craftsmen and take the first exciting step to owning a piece of bespoke furniture.