Most people come to this decision after a long time thinking about it. They've lived with something that doesn't quite work — the wrong size, the wrong feeling, a piece that never belonged — and eventually they decide they want something made right. By the time they reach out, they already know they want a table worth keeping. What they're less sure about is what that process actually looks like.

Here's what I wish more people knew before we talked.

Know how you actually use your table

Not how you imagine using it — how you actually use it. Is it where your family eats dinner every night, or mostly where the mail lands? Do you host often, or occasionally? Do kids do homework there? Is there a corner that always gets leaned on?

These aren't small questions. They determine size, finish, edge profile, and how much forgiveness you need to build in. A table that works for a family with young kids is different from one that works for a couple who entertains twice a year. Both can be made well. But they're not the same table, and making the right one starts with an honest look at how you live.

Custom doesn't mean infinite options

When people hear "custom," they sometimes imagine a menu — pick your wood, pick your finish, pick your size, done. That's closer to what furniture retailers offer with a longer lead time.

What I do is different. Custom here means we figure out what you actually need, and I build that thing. It's a conversation, not a configurator. That conversation is what makes the piece fit — your space, your life, your use. But it also means you need to be willing to think through things you might not have considered before, and to trust the process even when the answer isn't obvious.

Materials are a real decision

Wood species isn't just about appearance. White Oak is dense, stable, and handles daily use well. Walnut is softer and richer in tone, and shows the evidence of living more readily. Cherry starts light and darkens over years in ways that can be beautiful. Reclaimed wood carries its own history — marks, variations, character that can't be manufactured. I work primarily with North American species — what grows here, I know well, and sourcing close to home matters to me.

The finish matters too. The finishes I use are chosen to let the wood stay wood — real feel, honest surface. An oil finish feels honest and natural but needs more attention over time. A harder film finish is more protective but changes how the wood feels underhand. Neither is the right answer in the abstract — it depends on how you use the table and how you want to maintain it.

These are decisions worth making deliberately. I'll help you think through them, but you should come in knowing they exist.

Good work takes time

Lead time on a commissioned piece is typically several months from deposit to delivery. Not weeks.

That's not a limitation — it's what the work requires. Letting wood acclimate, cutting and fitting joints, finishing by hand — these aren't steps that benefit from being rushed. Commission the table when you're ready to wait for it, not when you need it before a date.

Here's what the process looks like

It starts with a conversation — usually a phone call or a visit to the shop. We talk through how you live, what you're looking for, and whether this is the right fit. If it is, I put together a proposal: dimensions, material, joinery, finish, and price.

From there, you put down fifty percent to begin. I build the piece, and you see progress along the way. Before delivery, there's a final balance due. The last ten percent comes on completion — when the piece is in your home and you're satisfied with it.

The whole thing is built on trust. You're commissioning something you haven't seen yet. I'm putting months of work into something for you specifically. That only works if we're both clear on expectations from the start, which is why the conversation at the beginning matters as much as the build itself.

One more thing

People sometimes ask whether they'll love it as much as they hoped. In my experience, what happens is different — you start to love it more over time, as it becomes part of how your family lives. That's what furniture made to last actually does.

If you're thinking seriously about a table — not just browsing, but actually thinking — reach out. A conversation costs nothing, and it's the only way to know whether we're the right fit for each other.

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