It’s time to talk custom millwork design!
It’s kind of the best part of working with a designer. Millwork truly enhances a space but is also such a practical requirement. The design can be so personalized and creative and that’s exactly why we love it.
It’s also a HUGE part of any project so you don’t want to rush through this phase.
It takes a lot of thought and backend processes to execute a beautiful vision so we thought we would walk you through our process in today’s post. It also gives you a better of idea what it’s actually like to work with us. Let’s jump in!
Okay wait, what is Millwork?
Maybe you’ve heard the term before and maybe you haven’t, so let’s start with the basics.
Millwork is a fancy designer, trade, construction term which basically means any woodwork manufactured in a mill that is typically custom made.
So why custom millwork?
When you go to good ol’ Home Depot or Ikea you are constrained by standard cabinet box dimensions, materials, and profiles. Yes, there are times when this makes sense for a project but there is no question that custom millwork provides our clients with so much more flexibility and control over size, design, and finishes.
Not to mention custom millwork is a much higher quality product.
Custom Millwork Design Process
So, what’s the overall process? Let’s dive in:
Programming
First things first – understanding our clients. We dive deep to understand your overall goals, preferences, timeline, and budget for your design. We collaborate with you to ensure we understand your needs and what you need your millwork to do for you.
Most importantly we discuss what is not working for you so we can provide you with solutions functionally and aesthetically. We review inspiration imagery to understand your aesthetic as well as the aesthetic you don’t love.
We take note of specific requirements, dimensions, accessibility requirements, spatial adjacencies, and preferences to ensure we have a clear understanding and concrete foundation to begin building the millwork design.
The beautiful thing about custom millwork design is that there are truly no limitations. We are here to ensure every little detail supports your needs and functions exactly as you need it to.
Concept
During this phase we begin building the design based on the desired aesthetic as well as practical requirements.
We like to start with putting good ol’ pencil to paper and sketching out the proposed layout and elevations of the custom millwork design.
This helps to ensure we are capturing all requirements and provides the best possible solution for your design.
We keep things high level during this phase, focusing on overall layout and look and feel. This is when we will present you with concept imagery, high level plan or elevations, and finishes.
This phase is really about building the foundation of the design, and the overall direction, and ensuring we are on the same page. It’s where we get your honest feedback (which we welcome and want!) and make necessary changes.
It’s also important to note that we take the time to ensure we are on the same page, to collaborate with you, and listen to you. We don’t just go from 0-100, we schedule a concept review as part of the design process because this is truly all about you and meeting your needs.
Drawing & Details
Next, we make any required changes based on feedback from our concept review.
Once we have your seal of approval, we move into the next phase which is documenting and communicating the design through construction drawings. This is when we begin firming up the design.
Every detail of the custom millwork design is communicated so a skilled general contractor and trades can easily execute the design. Our drawings are the answer to all the questions and provide a roadmap for the design and guidance for seamless execution.
Drawings include everything from material finishes, dimensions, details, and any other pertinent specifications.
This phase is truly our bread and butter, we love a good set of detailed drawings 🥰 But we take it a step further and ensure the millworker provides us with a set of shop drawings to review before anything goes into production. This is an opportunity for us to review any questions or suggested details from the millworker. We trust our trades and we prioritize communication with them to ensure everyone is on the same page which always ensures a successful result.
In conjunction with the drawing phase, we provide details regarding millwork finish which includes everything from species, stain, and sheen.
Typically, we provide a control sample that the millworker references to generate a sample for approval to ensure it is 150% what you and we envision.
Final Approvals
Once we are all happy, we sign off on both control samples and shop drawings.
It typically takes a few sets of revisions or a couple of samples to get the stain and sheen just right.
It’s important to take the time during these touchpoints to review in detail because it greatly reduces hiccups when things are arriving and being installed on site. We have learned this one the hard way!
FABRICATION & Installation
Contrary to HGTV, the custom millwork will not arrive overnight. There is a production lead time meaning it takes time for everything to be fabricated.
Once everything is ready, installation commences! And once again this can take a few days, weeks, or months depending on the scope of the project. So not overnight – thanks again, HGTV 😉 (we kid).
An experienced team of professionals will provide a project schedule at the onset of execution that includes sufficient lead times for fabrication and install so you are aware of how long everything will take.
As always, we over communicate to ensure everyone is on the same page 😊
Then it’s finally the big reveal! The most exciting and treasured part of the process when you can start enjoying your shiny new custom millwork design.
Wrapping Up Our Process: Custom Millwork Design
So, there you have it! A sneak peek into our process to custom millwork design and an idea of what it is really like to work with us.
What seems simple enough actually has a lot of backend process to ensure the best possible result. When you work with us, we handle all those little details for you 💪🏻
Until next time!
Whether you’re a contractor, builder, or client we are here to support you. Get in touch today!
