InventiaDesign2pt0

There are two ways: 1) crated 2) blanket wrapped. We have a shipper that we can recommend, but as our customer you Always get your choice regarding shipping. If you are local to the Portland area (within a day or two drive) we may be able to deliver the piece ourselves, which is fun for everybody.

We like WDI, but they will only do dock to dock west coast. For the rest of the country and for residential deliveries, we have been using Plycon Transportation Group. We like them because their rates are reasonable, and in all the years we've been shipping, they have never damaged nor lost any of our pieces.

Our shipper comes to my shop and mummifies the piece in heavy shipping blankets and tape before moving it an inch. If there are multiple components (like table leaves) they have brightly colored number-coded tape to identify each piece and match them to the bill of lading. I check that their bill of lading shows your address correctly and double check that all the pieces are marked with colored tape. They inspect the piece of course, and generally point out all of the imperfections that exist already. Then they (usually two guys) move the piece onto their truck, which is generally a medium sized moving truck designed to get into small residential streets. They will transfer the piece to a large truck for highway transport.

We usually use blanket wrapping for the following reasons:
a. it is typically less expensive than crating.
b. we've had experience with two blanket wrapped shippers and neither has damaged or lost a piece.
c. blanket wrapped pieces are treated like furniture and moved by humans, whereas crated pieces are moved by forklifts and are typically stacked upon one another in warehouses.
d. if we feel the piece needs extra protection (like mirrors), we can crate it ourselves in the shop.
e. there are no packing materials for you to dispose of on your end with blanket wrapping. They unwrap the piece and take the blankets with them.

Yes. We don't have much experience with crating companies, and the one good crater (Gateway) in Portland is no longer in business. We did have one customer choose to have a very large multiple component piece of furniture crated, and they chose a shipper who was based in Seattle who got the piece across the country in a matter of a few days. We feel that crating is essential for things like mirrors, for extra protection. We have had Gateway do them in the past, and we have built our own mirror crates a couple of times in the shop.

Yes and it is NOT FUN!! It is a big hassle for everybody. I always request full insurance, using the full value of the piece, with no deductible. The added cost of such protection is minimal compared to the hassle. And, like I mentioned, our preferred shipper was not the one to damage that shipment, and the piece was not pad-wrapped before it left the shop. I will never allow a piece to be taken from our shops in such a manner again!
Shipping a big piece is expensive, and I make an educated guess on each post. As a "mom and pop" shop we don't do enough volume to justify a big discount, but we do get a small reduction on our damage insurance which we pass along to you.

Ordering a piece of furniture is a big commitment, and it's very personal. At the end of the day, we really want you to be happy. In made-to-order or bespoke work, we'll need to get very clear on every detail of your project before you put down any money. We'll discuss all of this, by phone or in person or by email. My job is to fill in your knowledge gaps and bring up issues that you may not have considered so that you can make the best choices. One of the reasons we love Etsy so much is that Etsy (unlike many other platforms) never gets in the way of communication between you and us. We'll make sure we are on the same page, and nothing is binding until we write up a contract and you agree to it.

I have tools at my disposal, such as an extensive online photographic library of full-resolution photos so that you can zoom in on our work. Also I have in my office, detailed notes on every project that we have ever done, including full scale drawings and all dimensions for every part. We may also wish to refer to photos published by others, for inspiration. Another tool is our collection of finish samples, some of which will travel to you so that you can choose colors and effects in your own lighting. The projects that we sell on Etsy are tried and true designs that are buildable and functional, and for each proposed change, we can tell you ahead of time any issues associated with it.