JOURNAL / CRAFT
Many clients come to us after a bad experience: unexplained delays, poor-quality wood, budgets that grow without warning, or pieces that look nothing like what they ordered. It could almost always have been avoided with the right questions at the start.
1. Proven work
Ask to see finished projects, not just catalog photos. Ask which architects or studios the shop has worked with and, if you can, visit a site or the workshop itself.
2. Materials
Is it solid wood or veneer over board? Which species, and why for that piece? What finish do they propose and what maintenance does it need? A good shop explains its material choices.
3. Process
Do they review drawings and propose details? Do they show wood and finish before building? Do they quote per piece? What happens if there are changes? Be wary of very short lead times: solid wood needs conditioning and finishes are applied in coats.
4. Communication
Do they understand what you're after? Do they ask clear questions and reply on time? Do they say no when something isn't right, or yes to everything?
5. Scale
A small shop may be ideal for one piece, and a larger one necessary for a hotel. Ask whether the shop can handle your project, and also what it doesn't do. We, for example, don't work with melamine or mass-produce, and we say so from the first conversation.
The fine part is what you don't see
A well-made piece shows itself over the years: in joints that don't loosen, wood that doesn't warp and a finish that ages gracefully. That depends on decisions you can't see in a photo, which is why it's worth choosing carefully who you trust with them.