Half the delay in any commission happens before a single board is cut. A vague first message means a vague first quote, then a fortnight of clarifying emails. Here is what to send instead — it takes twenty minutes and saves two weeks.
1. The wall, not just the piece
"A 2m sofa" tells us almost nothing. "A sofa for a 3.2m wall, with a walkway on the left and a window sill 65cm up" tells us everything. Measure the wall the piece will sit against, and note anything the furniture must dodge: sills, switches, aircon trunking, sliding door tracks.
2. A photo of the room as it really is
Do not tidy up for the photo. The laundry rack and the toy basket are data — they tell us how the room is actually used, which changes what we recommend. Two photos from opposite corners beat one careful wide shot.
3. The access route
Lift dimensions, stairwell turns, gate widths. A magnificent 3m table that cannot make the turn on your landing is a magnificent problem. If access is tight we build in sections — but we need to know at the sketch stage, because it changes the joinery.
4. Who uses it, and how hard
Two adults who read in the evening wear a sofa differently from three children and a golden retriever. Tell us honestly. There is no judgement at this workshop — only fabric recommendations with the right rub count.
5. A budget band, even a rough one
Clients sometimes withhold the budget hoping for a lower number. It usually backfires: we design something either too modest or too ambitious, and the revision costs a week. A band — "RM 4,000 to 6,000" — lets us put the money where it matters most, usually into the frame and the fabric.
6. The date that matters
Moving in on the 1st? Reopening after Raya? Say so up front. Production slots are booked in sequence, and a firm date early is worth more than an urgent phone call later.
7. Pictures of what you like — and what you hate
Three saved photos from anywhere — hotels, dramas, other makers — give us your taste faster than any adjective. One photo of something you dislike is worth five you like.
The one thing to leave out
A finished design. Ironically, arriving with fully finalised drawings removes the part where our experience helps you — the quiet adjustments to proportions, timber movement and wear that make a piece last. Bring the problem, not the solution, and let the workshop earn its keep.
Bring the problem, not the solution — the workshop earns its keep in the gap between the two.
Ready to put this to use? Send your brief through the contact page — measurements, photos, dates and all. We reply within one working day.