Frequently Asked Questions
ABOUT THE WORK & THE COMMISSION PROCESS
What types of furniture can you commission from Will Marx and who are the clientele he serves?Will Marx designs and makes bespoke furniture by hand. From dining tables, hall tables, sideboards, cabinets, desks, bedroom pieces, and sculptural one-of-a-kind commissions. Working primarily in solid timber and complex materials including carbon fibre and resin. His clients are private collectors, homeowners with a taste for originality and interior designers seeking something that cannot be sourced from a showroom or a catalogue. Each piece is made to commission, one at a time, for clients who values the highest quality and the dedication to create an heirloom piece that is worth waiting for. Will accepts commissions from clients in Australia and internationally.
How is a commission with Will Marx different from buying custom furniture from a furniture retailer?The difference is presence. When you commission a piece with Will, you are working directly with the person who will design it, select the timber, and build it from the first cut to the final finish. There is no factory, no offshore fabrication, no production team interpreting someone else's drawings. Will has spent over 25 years developing a conversation with timber. His understanding of how it moves, the nuance way it holds light and what it remembers. That accumulated knowledge is present in every joint, every surface and every decision made during the making. What leaves the workshop is not a product. It is a record of that conversation, forever written in wood.
What is the process for commissioning a piece of furniture?It begins with a conversation. You reach out through the contact page with a sense of what you are imagining. The piece, the space it will live in, the life it will be a part of. Will responds personally, asks questions, and listens carefully before anything is drawn or priced. From there, a design is developed collaboratively: detailed drawings, timber selection, material samples, and a full specification before a single tool is lifted. No work begins until the design is approved and you are completely satisfied with what has been agreed. The process is a patient study that evolves collaboratively because the result deserves to be right.
What does a commission cost, and is there a minimum investment?Every piece is priced individually, based on its complexity, the materials selected and the hours of skilled work it requires. Will's commissions are investments that reflects over 25 years of mastery, the selection of exceptional timber and the full attention of a master craftsman.
Clients who approach Will are typically looking for something that will outlast a generation. A piece that becomes part of a family's story rather than a purchase they will eventually replace. If longevity, provenance, and artisanal quality are what you are seeking, you are in the right place.
Does Will Marx work with interior designers and architects?Yes, and these relationships are among Will's most rewarding. Interior designers and architects who specify a commission with Will are working with a maker who understands the disciplines of a broader project. From the proportions, finishes, material hierarchies, and the way a single piece must hold its own within a larger designed environment. Will is accustomed to working from detailed design briefs, providing samples and workshop visits for approval and communicating progress with the clarity that a project timeline demands. If you are a designer or architect working on a residential or superyacht interior and are looking for a furniture maker of exceptional quality, Will welcomes the conversation.
What timber species and materials does Will work with?Will works predominantly in solid hardwoods: Tasmanian Blackwood, American Walnut, White Oak, Sapele, Sassafras and Mahogany among them. These are material chosen for their structural integrity, figuring, and the quality of light they hold when finished. He also works with complex and contemporary materials including carbon fibre, perspex, and resin, for commissions that call for something structurally demanding or visually distinctive. Timber is selected personally, with attention to grain, figure, and character. Will chooses materials that is right for that particular piece and that particular client.
What awards has Will Marx received for his furniture making?Will Marx is a multiple Queensland Furniture Awards recipient, having won the award three years consecutively. He has received recognition from his peers in one of Australia's most rigorous craft competitions. The awards reflect what those who know timber and joinery most deeply have observed over the course of a career. Will's work is not merely technically accomplished but genuinely beautiful and that beauty in furniture of this order is always the result of discipline, not decoration. The awards are a verifiable credential for clients conducting the due diligence that a commission of this investment deserves. In addition to his awards, Will has exhibited his work extensively in galleries like Bungendore Gallery, Grays Gallery, Artisan and also the Queensland Museum.
How long does it take to have a piece of furniture made?Timeframes depend on the complexity of the piece and Will's current schedule. A considered commission, a dining table, a hall table, or a sideboard typically requires several months from design approval to completion. More complex sculptural or structural pieces may take longer. Will is transparent about his schedule from the outset and will give you an honest timeframe before work begins. If you have a specific date in mind, an installation, a renovation, a gift, please raise it early in the conversation and Will will tell you candidly whether it is achievable.
Can Will Marx deliver furniture interstate or internationally?Yes. Will is based in Brisbane, Australia and has delivered commissions to clients across Australia and internationally. Pieces are crated and shipped using specialist fine art techniques and furniture logistics, with full insurance coverage from the workshop to the destination. Whether an item is sent by air freight, sea freight or road freight, Will can prepare your commission for its journey to you, including the shipping documentation and customs clearance requirements. For interstate deliveries, Will typically manages installation directly. For international commissions, logistics are coordinated with the client and their receiving team. The distance between maker and client has never diminished the quality of the work or the care with which it arrives. If you are considering a commission from outside Australia, please do not hesitate to get in touch.