Stories, insights, and craft wisdom from one of America's great furniture makers. Stephen Robin has spent over 60 years working with fine wood in Woodstock, NY — here he shares his knowledge on custom furniture, cabinetry, materials, and the art of making things built to last.
"I've always wanted to commission a custom piece, but I don't know where to start." We hear this constantly, and we understand why. The process of commissioning custom furniture can seem mysterious, a domain reserved for people with deep pockets and design degrees. In reality, commissioning a piece from Stephen Robin Woodworking is a straightforward, collaborative process that most of our clients describe as one of the most enjoyable things they've ever done with their home.
Here's exactly what to expect, from first call to finished piece.
Everything begins with a conversation. We want to understand what you're looking for, not just the dimensions and the wood species, but the context. What room will this piece live in? What's the existing furniture? How do you use the space? What's your aesthetic, traditional, contemporary, mid-century, something entirely your own?
We also want to understand your budget. Custom furniture is an investment, and we'd rather have an honest conversation about what's possible at your price point than design something you fall in love with that's out of reach. In most cases, we can find a design approach that delivers the character and quality you're looking for within your budget.
This first conversation can happen in person at our gallery in Woodstock, over the phone, or by email. There's no obligation and no charge for the initial consultation.
Based on our conversation, we develop a design proposal, typically a written description of the piece, dimensions, species, finish, and hardware, along with rough sketches or reference images. For complex pieces, we may produce detailed drawings.
We go back and forth with the client as many times as needed to get the design right. This is the most important phase of the process, and we never rush it. A piece that is beautifully built to the wrong design is a failure; a piece built to a design the client loves is a success, even if the execution isn't perfect (which, in our case, it always is).
Once the design is agreed, we provide a written quote with a projected timeline.
We require a 50% deposit to begin work. This is standard practice in custom furniture and protects both parties.
After the deposit is received, we select the materials. For a piece in figured walnut or cherry, this often means a visit to our lumber supplier to hand-pick boards with the right grain pattern and character. If you'd like to join us for this, we're delighted to have you. Many clients find it one of the most illuminating parts of the process.
Our shop is in Woodstock, NY, and you're welcome to visit at any point during the build to see the piece in progress. We'll also send photos at key stages, rough milling, joinery, assembly, and finishing, so you can see the piece taking shape.
Timelines vary depending on complexity and our current workload, but most pieces take between 6 and 16 weeks from deposit to delivery. We'll give you a realistic timeline upfront and keep you informed of any changes.
We deliver and install all our furniture personally. This isn't just a service. It's how we make sure the piece is set up correctly and that you're completely satisfied. We don't consider the job done until you're happy.
For built-ins and kitchens, installation is a more involved process that we plan and schedule carefully. We take pride in leaving every installation site cleaner than we found it.
A custom piece from Stephen Robin Woodworking is built to last your lifetime and beyond. We use traditional joinery techniques, mortise and tenon, dovetail, drawbore, that have held furniture together for centuries, combined with modern finishing materials that provide lasting protection. We stand behind our work completely.
If you've been thinking about a custom piece, we'd love to hear from you. Call us at 845-679-8527 or visit the Robin Elliott Gallery at 2488 Route 212, Woodstock, NY.
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