After thirty years of building furniture — and repairing other people's — here is the checklist Daniel runs on any piece, anywhere. Use it freely, including on us.
The structure checks
1. Open a drawer. Dovetail joints = built to last. Staples and glue = built to sell. 2. Lift one corner. Solid hardwood is unmistakably heavy. 3. Look underneath. Quality shows where nobody looks: sealed undersides, corner blocks, a centre rail on wide pieces. 4. Rock it. A well-joined chair or table has zero wobble — and no visible screws doing a joint's job.
The material checks
5. Check end grain — real wood shows growth rings; veneer shows a photograph of them. 6. Ask the species and the drying. "Hardwood" is not an answer; "kiln-dried odum" is. 7. Run a hand under edges — hand-finished pieces are smooth where machines can't reach.
The honesty checks
8. Is the price written down? Published prices discipline everything upstream — it's why ours are public. 9. Is there a warranty in writing? Five years structural is ours. 10. Can you see the workshop? Anyone can rent a showroom. A yard full of stickered, drying timber can't be faked — visit ours.
Every piece in our collection is built to pass all ten. Test us.
Shop the craft
See these woods and techniques in our handcrafted collections: living room furniture, dining room furniture, bedroom furniture, office & study furniture, outdoor furniture — all made to order in our Spintex Road workshop, or commission a custom piece.
