Commission
Every Matthew Burt piece is made to order, whether a bespoke commission or a design from the collection. The process is a conversation between you, the timber and the studio.
The words commissioning or bespoke do not quite cover what we set out to achieve. We prefer to think of you as a collaborator: someone whose life, home and preferences inform the work from the very beginning.
You are at the core of what we do and why we do it. We are enthused by, and relish responding to, your design requests, and those responses are the engine of our imagination and creativity.
Bespoke work is designed from nothing: for your home, your brief and the way you live, with the timber, dimensions and detail agreed between us before anything is made. For a faster route to a piece, made to order designs are built from the collection: still made by hand in Hindon to the same standard, just without a design stage from scratch.
01
Meet
We will normally visit each other, both home and away. Settings will be viewed, parameters, materials and timings discussed, and a design brief will emerge. This could be loose ("I'd like a piece for this corner") or more specific. Either works.
Time is needed to research, mull over possibilities, present and discuss ideas. Some pieces may require the design and making of specialist fittings, or liaison with other materials and makers. That time is built in.
02
Design
Before anything is made, we will all know what we are doing, what we are doing it in, when it will be done, and what it will cost, with your position on the workshop schedule secured by a deposit.
We will keep you imaginatively informed of progress at all stages, invite you to visit your work in progress, and involve you in decisions during the making. The piece is yours long before it is finished.
03
Make
From sketchbook to timber stack to workshop bench, every piece has the hand of the designer-maker upon it. Matthew designs with posterity in mind, thinking about the grandchildren who will one day squabble over the legacy of the piece.
Common questions
How long does a commission take?
Current lead times are 12–14 weeks from deposit, depending on the workshop schedule. We are always happy to discuss timings at the outset.
Can I visit the workshop?
Yes. Lime Tree Studio & Workshops is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm (GMT/BST), and on Saturdays by appointment, in Hindon, Wiltshire. Come and see the work in progress.
What timbers do you work with?
Principally British hardwoods, selected tree by tree: oak (including tiger oak and bog oak), elm, ash, walnut, yew and cherry. Occasionally other species when a commission calls for it.
Do you deliver?
Yes. Larger pieces are delivered by a specialist two-person service and positioned in situ, packaging removed. Delivery within mainland UK is free. For Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or overseas, please contact the studio.
What if I change my mind once the project has started?
We build in a design stage before any timber is cut. Once the design is agreed and a deposit placed, significant changes can affect cost and timeline, but we would rather discuss a change than make something wrong. If the brief shifts fundamentally, we will find a way through it together.
What if my budget changes during the project?
Cost is agreed before making begins. If the budget changes during the design process, we can discuss what is possible within the revised figure: sometimes that means a simpler piece, a different timber, or a staged commission. We would rather have that conversation early.
What if my building project overruns and the furniture is ready too early?
We understand that building projects slip. If the workshop schedule allows, we can hold a finished piece until the installation date is ready. Please let us know as early as possible: the earlier we know, the more options we have.
What if I don't like it when it arrives?
This question is worth asking directly. Our answer is that this almost never happens, because we do not make anything without your approval at every stage: design, timber, drawings. If we have done our job properly, you are already excited about the piece before it is made. If something is genuinely wrong, we will put it right.
I find choosing timber and materials overwhelming. Can you help?
Most people do, initially. We show you real samples in the setting of your home, and we explain the options plainly: what each timber does over time, how finishes age, what the light will do to it. There is no decision we expect you to make without understanding what it means. This is one of the reasons we visit early.
Get in touch
Write to us, call or come to the studio. We normally reply within two working days.
showroom@matthewburt.com
+44 1747 820800
Lime Tree Studio & Workshops
Wylye Road, Hindon
Wiltshire SP3 6ER
England
Monday–Friday 10am–5pm (GMT/BST)
Saturdays by appointment