Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of guarantees do you make regarding your furniture and built-ins?
Can you make something for me for less than I can buy that identical piece in a store?
Can you make a custom piece for me for less than someone else can make it?
When do I pay for my furniture?
Do you accept payment by credit card?
What woods do I have to choose from when you make my furniture?
How can I contact you to begin this process?
What sort of finishes do you use on your furniture?
What is the average lead time required to design, build, and deliver a piece of furniture to me?
How do you restore antiques, architectural woodwork and/or furniture, and how much does it cost?
Answers
Q. What kind of guarantees do you make regarding your furniture and built-ins?
A. I understand that it is a leap of faith for you to place an order with someone you don't know. I try to ease your fears by revealing as much about myself and my business as I can on this web site. My promise is to deliver to you the best piece of handmade furniture that I can make. I strive to make furniture that we can both be proud of — and I stand behind every piece I make:
Q. Can you make a piece of custom furniture for me for less than I can buy that identical piece in a store?
A. No. Neither I, nor any other artisan that I know of, am able to make an identical piece of furniture for less than one can buy it in a store. Long, long ago, I thought that I might when my mother wanted to buy my wife and me a nice bookcase for our then poorly furnished home. Looking at the price tag, I pronounced grandly, "I could make it for less than that." I was wrong. Because the design is already there, and inferior materials can be used, bought, and manufactured in bulk, in larger facilities, to say nothing of the entire piece being built outside of the country, production/store-bought furniture is always less expensive than the exact same custom piece. That being said, if you can find exactly what you are looking for in a store, buy it and consider yourself lucky!
Q. Can you make a piece of custom furniture for me for less than someone else can make it?
A. Perhaps, tending towards 'likely'. For instance, I recently had a client ask me to make them a television console. They had an image of this console from the internet, and if you read Architectural Digest magazine, you have seen it advertised there. I made my client's console out of beautiful curly maple, with solid legs, and an internal cooling fan, for a little over $4000. The same console design, made out of inferior materials, is selling elsewhere under the guise of a custom piece for $4700 and change. Thus, it may be worthwhile for you to shop your ideas with me.
A. Due to increasing demands upon my time I cannot take any commissions for less than $1500.
I have put general price guidelines on many pieces recently in response to customer queries. Whether this is helpful to you or me remains to be seen. Generally, the piece that is actually pictured is in the middle of these guideline prices. However, the piece pictured in the Gallery section may have extensive carvings and inlays which do cost more money. Simpler and less complex pieces will, of course, be less expensive.
Your cost is based on several factors. I have and do make paint-grade built-ins and furniture. Remember that labor costs more than materials. Thus, the amount of time spent designing, and the complexity of the piece (inlays, fancy joinery, etcetera) will increase the cost. With built-ins, the design is a major part of the cost. If, for instance, you wished to order a 'stock' rocker that I had made before, with no measurements taken to make sure it fits you, the rocker would be less expensive.
Materials are usually at most one-quarter of the total cost. Cherry is one of the most expensive domestic hardwoods. Sometimes twice as expensive as quartersawn oak. Curly maple fluctuates dramatically in pricing.
Q. When do I pay for my furniture and how much do I pay?
A. Payment can be made by check or money order. At this time I do not accept credit cards.
To place an order in the wood of your choice requires a deposit of 50% to start the order. Upon receipt of your deposit, your order is placed next in line for construction. I will contact you directly to let you know the estimated date of completion, discuss delivery or shipping, and to give you the total cost. The balance of your order must be received prior to delivery or shipping.
I try my best to complete each order by the agreed upon date, however, circumstances beyond my control might cause a delay. At all times I remain in close contact with you, apprising you of the progress of your furniture. Upon your approval I will send digital photos of your piece at various times during it's construction. I like doing this to give you an idea of just what is involved in crafting your hand-built piece of furniture.
Q. How much does shipping cost?
A. Shipping costs vary depending upon the distance, size and weight of the piece, and the insured value. At this time I am striving to put into place more definitive guidance, however, UPS, the Postal Service, and various freight agencies have forms which you fill out online to determine these costs yourself.
If you or I feel that shipping will be a significant factor, we can discuss this prior to your placing an order with me.
Alternatively, you may choose to pick up your furniture personally and save yourself shipping and delivery costs. My shop is located in Sacramento, California 95864.
Q. If I already have a furniture design will you build the furniture for me, and will it lessen the overall costs?
A. In most cases, the answer is "Yes" to both parts of the question. Designing a piece from scratch requires a significant amount of time in the cabinetmaking process.
Q. Do you accept payment by credit card?
A. No, I do not currently accept credit card payments. Payment can be made by check or money order. Additional information can be found here.
Q. What woods do I have to choose from when you make my furniture?
A. I can use any commercially available wood to make your furniture. Some species of wood are more appropriate than others for specific uses. We can discuss what type of wood might be the most appropriate for your piece of furniture during designing. Particular favorites of mine are quartersawn oak, curly maple, black walnut, and black cherry. Further, and equally important, are the tremendous varieties of figures that these woods occur in, including curly or tiger, quilted, spalted, and birdseye.
Q. How can I contact you to begin this process?
A. You may contact me either via email at david@orsayfurniture.com or by telephone at (916) 359-0451. When clients are within a reasonable driving distance, I often travel to their homes for one-on-one consultations. There is an initial fee of $40 for this service. This is particularly important for built-ins.
Q. What sort of finishes do you use on your furniture?
A. It depends. I am experienced with and able to use almost any finish. I will help you to decide what is the best finish for your given situation. Contrary to popular belief, there is no one "best" finish. Each type of finish, hand-rubbed oil varnish, lacquer, shellac, tung oil, polyurethane, has distinct advantages, and disadvantages. There is probably a "best" finish for each specific situation, based upon the intended use of the object, the amount of care that the user wants to put into to maintaining the finish, the "look" desired, etcetera. I am well-versed in this information from many years of searching for the Holy Grail of finishes; rumor has it that this wonderful finish protects and beautifies the Fountain of Youth.
I do find that the Sutherland Welles line of oils and varnishes (where oils or varnishes are appropriate) are superior in all respects to other products. You won't find them in the hardware stores because they cost considerably more than other oils and varnishes. Suffice to say that the pricing is more than justified.
Q. What is the average lead time required to design, build, and deliver a piece of furniture to me?
A. Anywhere from five to ten weeks. The time it takes from taking a deposit on an order and then delivering that piece can vary considerably depending on many factors. How many projects are ahead of you (some times of the year are very busy, such as around Christmas), the level of complexity of your project, sometimes the woods used, and more, all contribute to the time frame. When your order is placed I will do my best to give you a fairly accurate estimate of when your furniture will be completed. And at all times I will stay in constant touch keeping you informed on the progress of your furniture. Upon your approval I will send digital photos of your piece at various times during it's construction. I like doing this to give you an idea of just what is involved in crafting your hand-built piece of furniture.
Q. How do you restore architectural woodwork and/or furniture, and how much does it cost?
A. Restoration, repair, or refinishing always costs a minimum of $1000. As with custom furniture, half of the agreed upon total is due upon my accepting the job and picking up your piece for repair. This minimum price of $1000 is not because I think that all repairs are worth that much. I simply cannot take on smaller jobs for a lesser amount. It is up to you to decide upon your budget and whether having me do the work is appropriate.
First, the work that you wish to have restored or repaired must be within a reasonable driving distance of Sacramento, California. For a $40 Good Faith estimate fee, I will come to your home and assess what needs to be done to restore/repair your architectural woodwork or furniture, and then contact you with an estimate of the cost, and how long it will take to accomplish the work. It is usually not the case that the owner wants everything to look like "new", but rather to "blend" the work to match what already exists. The patina of age, not to be confused with actual damage, is considered valuable and should be maintained throughout the restoration process. This patina can easily be destroyed by using poor restoration techniques and the wrong finishes.
Restoration of architectural woodwork can range from $3 to $5 a square foot depending on the existing damage, desired results, and complexity of the surface to be restored.
