FAQ

If you’ve never considered having furniture custom made for your home or business before, it can seem like a daunting process. With over 25 years experience working on various private and commercial commissions ranging from simple dining chairs right through to luxury fit-out of entire homes and offices, I’ve compiled a list of some of the frequently asked questions that regularly come up regarding the custom made process.

Below are just some of the factors that you might wish to consider when looking for a custom made furniture maker for your bespoke project.

What if I don’t know what I want yet?

Often, clients will present me with their general requirements but they don’t know exactly what they want the finished item to look like. My expertise is designing furniture that fits seamlessly within your home and that is a functional expression of your personality. Quality custom built furniture is an investment to last for generations. If it is well thought out and well built, it never needs to be replaced again. Therefore, I take the time to personally and thoroughly discuss and understand your requirements. Based on those discussions, I then design a custom piece that you will absolutely love now and for many years to come.

What do I need to start a custom made furniture project?

Just the desire to have something beautiful, unique and specially tailored to suit your lifestyle and requirements. Contact me and I will look after the rest.

What is the process involved in a custom made project?

From start to finish, the process is generally as follows. It can vary depending on the project scope :

1. Contact me via email or phone for an initial consultation.
2. If possible, I would like to visit your home, office or the site to get a full understanding of the space and your personal requirements. (If you live interstate or overseas, we can just as easily work with you via email, Skype, FaceTime or video conferencing ). Getting a good understanding of the unique characteristics of the site such as ceiling height, lighting, window positions, flooring and existing decor can help me to design furniture that is perfectly suited to your space.
3. After the initial consultation, I supply a number of potential designs for you to consider.
4. Material selection – Using my large supply chain of well established suppliers, I source the ideal material for your project. I only use supplies from tried and trusted suppliers who have demonstrated their ability to consistently provide high quality materials. All materials selected have to pass a very stringent quality assessment to ensure that they are of the highest calibre. It is why I am proud to offer 10 year warranty on all my furniture.
5. Design approval – Once we have agreed upon the design and materials, there will usually be a few small revisions and design tweaks before the final design is submitted for your approval.
6. Depending on the item, I often supply a prototype / mock up piece so that you fully understand the design form and dimensions.
7. Upon approval of prototype, I order materials and begin construction.
8. I send progress photos during the construction phase and workshop visits are welcomed.
9. Upon project completion, I send photos of the finished piece for your final approval.
10. Delivery and installation is scheduled.

What materials can we use for a custom made project?

While I use predominately high quality solid timber to build your furniture, I also use veneers, metal, stainless steel, plastics, marble, stone, perspex, glass, carbon fibre, fibreglass etc. depending on the project scope.

What is the budget I need to set aside for a custom made furniture piece?

As each piece is unique, I am unable to provide an accurate quote until I can fully understand the requirements of your project. I can, however, give you an estimate that will be confirmed once the final design is agreed upon. Please contact me via email or phone to obtain an indicative quote.

Due to the work involved in designing and building a quality custom piece, the cost is higher than an “off the shelf” item mass produced for the masses. My specialty is in designing and building furniture that is built to suit you and not the other way around as with the “off the shelf” items.

That being said, it is possible that my price will be less than some of the high end brand production furniture companies, where you are actually paying for their advertising, sales staff and expensive showroom.

What are the benefits of getting custom made furniture?

1. It is a long term investment in your future as well as our planet. In the long run, quality custom furniture is actually cheaper and more environmentally sustainable than production furniture. My furniture is designed and built to last for generations and will never have to be replaced. Most production furniture is only made to last a few years and therefore, the ongoing financial and environmental cost of replacement is substantially higher.
2. You get exactly what you want. As I design each piece especially to suit you and your home, you get to choose a form, feel and function that is perfect for you. As you are involved in the design process, you experience the joy of full ownership of the furniture that you will behold in your home.  “Your home should tell the story of who you are and be a collection of what you love” ~ Nate Berkus
3. You are supporting a local artisan, the handmade industry and a local business. Your item will be built right here in Will Marx’s Brisbane workshop. Your purchase will go towards supporting a local family.

What is the time frame for a custom made furniture piece?

The production lead time for each project varies significantly depending on the item and design scope. As I can only take on one project at a time, my schedule can vary depending on my current workload. Most clients contact me well in advance of their anticipated delivery dates so there is some leeway for rescheduling projects to meet everyone’s deadlines. Please contact me via email or phone to get a better indication of production times.

How is my furniture delivered?

If your home is within Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast or Toowoomba, I personally deliver and install each piece.

If you are interstate or overseas, I have an experienced, reliable and trusted network of professional logistics partners who can take care of all your interstate and international shipping and logistics requirements.  I book, track and monitor all shipments to ensure that your furniture arrives in a safe and timely manner. I send you periodic transit updates to keep you informed of the process.

I custom build a specific special heavy duty MDF box that is specially reinforced to protect all the furniture in transit. In addition to this, I provide insurance on all items that are shipped to ensure that in the event of any unexpected incidents, your investment is well protected for all contingencies.

Where do you deliver to?

With clients in Brisbane, all over Australia as well as in USA, Asia and Europe, I deliver to any location that a courier can get to.

Do you offer any warranty?

My custom furniture is built to last for generations and I offer a 10 year warranty on all items. I have been in the industry for over 25 years and will be happy to discuss extended warranties beyond 10 years.

What is the maintenance process like?

As many of my items go to family homes, each piece is designed and made with living in mind.

There are many options for materials and finish and I thoroughly discuss the pro’s and con’s of each option with you.

I do however make sure that my items require very little to no maintenance at all. If there is any maintenance, I provide full instructions and I am available 24 / 7 to discuss.

Have you read the About Us section or viewed our gallery to see a sample of our finished projects? If you have been considering having a sideboard, desk, dining suite or any piece of furniture designed and custom made to capture your style and suit your needs, please phone or email 24/7 for a no obligation discussion or quote.