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Furniture Makers
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| Guidelines on
commissioning a piece of work. |
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The commissioning
process in a nutshell |
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Choose a maker after seeing examples of his or her work.
Bring along pictures of things you really like, from books
or magazines, and discuss the project. The maker should
bring up the key issues of design, materials, likely completion
time, and price.
Get a sketch and description and price in writing from
the maker.
Hand over a deposit.
Await the overdue arrival of your masterpiece.
Pay the balance and start planning what you want for your
next commission.
You need not stick to these rules. Some makers are business-like
with prices and explicit description of what is to be
undertaken, just as you would expect from a builder. But
many rely on a verbal agreement and informal discussion
of what the customer should expect. The more details in
black and white there are, the harder it is to fall out. |
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Which maker to
choose? |
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Some cabinet makers pride themselves in being able to
build anything, but they are often to be avoided if you,
the customer, have a particular style in mind. Those who
think of themselves as contemporary designers rarely do
justice to traditional styles. The more passionate a maker
is about a particular style, the more knowledge and effort
they will put into the project. When you look at a maker's
work the most important question to ask is, do you like
it? It might not be exactly what you want but if most
of what they do appeals to you then they can probably
design something you will love. |
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Discuss
the commission |
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At no point is the commission more difficult than when
trying to get your ideas across, client to maker, maker
to client. Most makers will find it slightly distressing
to try to design something for a client without a clear
idea of the remit. With little idea of what the client
likes and dislikes, a great deal of time can be wasted.
Some people are "looking for ideas" and the
maker is faced with the prospect of being used as a free
consultancy service. A few makers will charge for their
designs. This does not mean you will pay more overall
as otherwise the cost will be built in to the final price
for the work.‘ |
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How much
will it cost? |
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How long is a piece of string? Or better, what is the
price of a car? Its best to get this issue on the table
straight away. Its an important part of the design brief
and discussing it early can save a lot of wasted time
and embarrassment. Once the price is set you have the
right to expect the figure to remain constant, unless
you ask for changes to the design or materials. If the
work does not go completely smoothly (and it rarely does)
the maker will suffer the consequences, not you. |
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How long
do you wait? |
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As long as it takes' is the only realistic answer. The
maker should give you an approximate delivery date and
some may be persuaded to work to a deadline. Working on
one-off projects with natural materials will often lead
to unforeseen problems, which set back delivery. Some
makers have a waiting list of over a year, this might
indicate that their work is exceptionally good but if
you need the piece in a hurry you might be better looking
elsewhere. |
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| disclaimers, copyright and that sort of thing
Scottish Furniture Makers |
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