Starting the process

Hand crafted furnishings for your home mean something. They can add personality, beauty, and lasting function. Whether you are considering a wall mirror, shelves, or a custom piece of furniture, my goal is to understand your needs and bring your project to life.

Some things to consider for handcrafted items -

  • Dimensions: Think about the general space you want the piece to fill or where it will live. Using painters tape on the floor or wall to find the basic dimensions is really helpful here.

  • Wood species: Do you have a type of wood or tone you love? I primarily work with hardwoods, such as maple, cherry, walnut and ash. Hardwoods are relatively strong, enduring, and will not easily mar. But within each wood species, there are a lot of beautiful options! A tabletop can have a sleek straight or curvy grain, for example. Some boards have a fleck or curl. Consider the species and grain of the furniture you love. I am happy to send sample images of wood species and grain patterns (contact me here). Please note that some wood species change slightly over time, with exposure to sunlight and air, and each tree - each piece - is unique.

  • The use: Whatever the piece, make a note of how you envision using it. If you are thinking of a coffee table, for example, do you want a drawer - more than one? - and what types of items do you want that drawer to hold? For shelving, would you want it to hold books or records, and about how many? Having an idea of these needs will help determine the design and style.

  • Design: A fun part! Here, it helps to have some examples of my furniture or home decor pieces that you like or think might work well. If there is one that you like as is but want specific dimensions or wood species, then great. Or perhaps there are parts of a couple you want to blend. Also, note if there are wood accents you like.

  • The money stuff: Usually, I can give a estimated quote range based on these basics, which could be through email or phone. For a new piece, I will start with rough sketches before giving the estimate. Moving forward, you would pay $100 before I produce a more detailed drawing. Unless there are significant changes to the project the given estimate range should not change.

  • Once the project is agreed upon, I collect 50% upon starting and the rest when delivered.

  • Reach out through the Contact page, where you can tell me a little about your project and we can go from there.