www.coleywood.com

Getting Started

Maryville, Tennessee

Custom Furniture

By definition, custom furniture is designed and constructed to the specific needs and desires requested by the customer. This may be necessary for many reasons: the specific design is not available, the desired material or finish is not available, or the highest quality of materials and workmanship cannot be found in the typical commercial stores. Communicating these custom requirements, from the customer to the craftsman, is critical to accurate pricing, and to ensure that the final product that is produced is exactly what is expected by the customer. The only work I do is custom work commissioned by clients. Potential customers are encouraged to visit my shop and home to see examples of furniture, facilities and workmanship.

Design

The customer has some design concept in mind, either specific or general. Whatever is known is discussed with the craftsman. Information to help choose the primary (exposed) and secondary (drawer sides, backs, bottoms, etc) woods, as well as finishes, will be provided by the craftsman, as needed. The more details that can be defined the better otherwise, there will be several iterations until the expectations are clear. No item can be accurately priced until a working drawing is produced. When enough information is obtained by the craftsman, the design work can begin. A $200 fee is required before design work can begin. The detailed design drawings will enable a fixed-price quote of the final product. If the project is agreed upon, the design fee will be deducted from the final price. If the project is not authorized to proceed, the design fee will be forfeited.

The working drawings and any other shop documentation become the property of the craftsman. The craftsman also retains the right to use photographs of the item on this web site unless specifically stated otherwise in the agreement

Contract

Once the design, price and delivery expectations are agreed upon, all of the specifics are documented in a contract, which is written to protect both parties. After the contract is signed and a 50% deposit is paid, the work will be placed into the order queue. A typical furniture project can take anywhere from two to eight weeks depending on complexity.

Changes

If changes are requested after the project has begun, they may have a significant impact depending on the phase the work is in. Agreed upon changes will amend the contract and the price will be adjusted as required.

Completion & Acceptance

Upon completion of the project, the client is invited to visit the shop to inspect the item for acceptance and then take delivery. If the client cannot visit the shop, photos can be sent electronically or physically mailed for review. If it is desired to have the item shipped to the client, this will have been specified when the project was initiated. All shipping charges will be paid for by the client.

Workmanship & Guarantee

My guarantee is that the project will be completed with the utmost care for craftsmanship and quality. My work may require any combination of hand work and machine work. Some traditional hand-joinery techniques, such as hand cut dovetails on drawer sides, require layout lines to be scribed. There is no attempt to remove such layout lines, in fact, they are considered an indication of fine craftsmanship. I offer this example as one of several factors that differentiate hand crafted fine furniture from commercial pieces. It is also important to understand that even the best quality hardwoods are not homogeneous materials like plastics, laminates or other man-made materials. The characteristic grain patterns of the wood should be valued for defining the uniqueness of the piece.

Additionally, the work is guaranteed to meet and, hopefully, exceed the client’s expectations. If the client is not satisfied, an immediate refund will be made. My main concern is always the complete satisfaction of the customer. If the item fails during normal use, I will work to resolve the issue. If the item fails through abuse, I can work with the client to affect repairs however, there will be a fee.

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