Commissioning a Piece of Furniture or a Sculpture
Some people that contact us have a very clear idea of what they want the piece to look like, others come from the perspective of having a role for the piece but fewer specifics. To help you get a clear idea of what you want, the following points are all worth considering, and are also very helpful to give us an idea of what is required:
What would you like? Or what do you want it to do? (e.g. a table to seat between 2 and 16 people, not be rectangular, and not have legs in anyone's way)
What is it to look like? (e.g. not sure, we would like you to come up with some ideas, or, we want it to match the rest of the room, or, we found a picture and would like a design based on that)
How big is the piece to be? (e.g. it needs to fit in this corner, please would you advise?)
What material(s) do you have in mind (e.g. not sure but we would like it to be this sort of colour, or, we would like it to be oak but as light a colour as possible, or, we have a 2ft diameter cherry tree that has died, would it be a good idea to make it from that?)
The Design Process
My approach to designing furniture starts with the fact that wood is beautiful and the design should make the most of that beauty. Also timbers vary and different timbers need to be treated differently to make the most of their features. However, anything built in wood has to take into account the fact that wood moves different amounts in different directions as the humidity (inevitable in the UK) changes. Designing a piece of furniture starts where you are. If you know precisely what you want and have dimensions, sketches, pages from a magazine or even CAD drawings, then we will start there. I will generally ask questions to determine the features that are important to you and to see if the starting point can be improved upon.
Some people are not quite sure what they do want but know they don't like anything they have seen in the shops. In which case I will be more creative but you still control the design process.
Other customers have more of a concept and give me the challenge of how to achieve their goals. For example, one couple came to my workshop wanting a "democratic table" that would seat two regularly, ten sometimes and more at New Year; it was also not to be rectangular and not to have annoying legs. Having got the table they wanted, they would then buy a house to suit the table. Because of the range of people to seat, we considered making three interlocking tables that could be used separately or together but eventually settled on a single oval table, 7' long and 5' wide with a single pedestal leg. They are now living in their new house, bought to suit the table!
At the other end of the scale were customers for whom I had already made several pieces and wanted a very specific "statement table" making. My only contribution to the conceptual design was to curve the rail running along the length of the table to connect the legs. Initially the table was not really to my taste, until it was delivered into the room for which they had designed it, and where it looks superb. It is now one of my favourite pieces and I have based a subsequent design upon it.
As part of the design process, I like to visit client's houses to see the space where the piece will go, and to make sure that its timber, style, details and finish fit will with its surroundings.
During meetings together, I will do rough sketches to both make suggestions and confirm I understand what you have in mind. Afterwards I will use a Computer Aided Design (CAD) package called Alibre Design to make one or more full size, three dimensional computer models of the design. This will allow both me and you to have a much clearer idea of what the finished piece will look like and forms an important part of the process of agreeing the design. Alibre is parametric which means that any dimension can be adjusted by changing parameter values rather than redrawing. Alibre will also generate a three dimensional image in a .PDF file that can be emailed to anyone and viewed, rotated and manipulated in 3d without having access to CAD software, just a free copy of Adobe Reader. Instructions for reading a 3D .PDF file are given on the page entitled Viewing 3D Designs. Naturally, all designs are under copyright and not to be shown to third parties.
Once the final design is agreed I will produce a contract for making the piece(s). This will include description, critical dimension, materials, surface finish, cost and payment schedule.