Bespoke Woodwork Commission Terms & Conditions

PLEASE NOTE: This contract and terms & conditions should be used as a guide only. In some cases terms & conditions specific to your project may be emailed to you upon acceptance of a quote, when you confirm you would like to progress with your commission.

Please read these terms and conditions carefully. By paying the initial non-refundable deposit of 50% (of the Artist's agreed commission fee), you (the Customer) accept these terms and conditions in full. If you (the Customer) disagree with these terms and conditions or any part of these terms and conditions, you must notify the Artist before paying your deposit.

Completion Timeline

The Artist intends to complete commissions within 4-6 weeks of the date a contract is signed and returned. An exact date of completion is generally not able to be provided until the project has begun due to sourcing of wood being an unpredictable time variable. If an expedited or exact completion timeline is required this can be arranged at extra cost but must be discussed case by case as it may not always be possible. The Artist reserves the right to approve or decline expedited completion requests at their sole discretion.

Late Completion - All attempts will be made to complete the commission within the above time frame (6 weeks maximum) but in the case of unforeseen circumstances, the Customer will be notified of any delays as soon as a delay is caused. This disclaimer only exists for extreme circumstances, commissions are nearly always delivered on time. 

Cancellation Policy

If the commission is cancelled by the Customer it is reiterated that the initial 50% deposit is non-refundable. Any materials procured by the Artist towards completion of the commission will be retained by the Artist. A cancellation charge will be payable and will be determined by how far into the commission process the Artist is (e.g. considering amount of raw wood already cut to size, etc). This will be a pro-rata amount of the remaining 50% Total Agreed Price due and will be determined by the Artist at the time of cancellation. If the commission has been fully completed but not physically delivered yet then the full remainder of the Total Agreed Price will be due.

It may rarely occur that the Artist has to cancel a commission. If the Artist cancels due to reasons outside of the Customers control (including but not limited to Artist ill health, oversubscribed with other commissions, other emergencies, etc) then the Customer will be entitled to a full refund of any monies paid, including the otherwise non-refundable initial 50% deposit. The Artist will make every effort to offer an alternate solution before resorting to cancellation, for example offering project completion with an extended completion time frame.

The Artist reserves the right to cancel any commission at any time if the Customer is abusive towards the Artist in any way. In such cases the Customer is not entitled to a refund of any monies paid.

Revisions

Satisfying the Customer is a priority of the Artist, but there are limits to what will be altered at the request of the Customer. The Artist will only make revisions that are within the confines of existing style, original design specification, and that do not clash with the mission or vision of the Artist, and this is at the sole discretion of the Artist. This is for the intent of staying committed to business purpose and brand. (For example, changing the shape or style of a piece of trim is reasonable, but significantly changing the dimensions of a tabletop halfway through the project is not). Unlike other mediums, wood has a hard cut off for when revisions are even possible, and this moment is once a final finish has started to be applied. The Artist will frequently update the Customer during the creation process so that reasonable changes and revisions can be made as the commission progresses, however, once a final finish has started being applied (including but not limited to paint, oils, varnish, epoxy, etc) then no further revisions can be requested from the Customer. If a reasonable revision is requested it may require an extension to the previously agreed completion time frame and the Artist will communicate this extension with the Customer as soon as it is clear an extension is required. An extension to the agreed completion time frame does not constitute late delivery.

Copyright

The Artist shall retain full ownership of the copyright of the bespoke woodwork piece. This includes but is not limited to; any preliminary sketches, drafts, photographs, videos, and alterations including images hand drawn or shared electronically, including any images, videos, or details of the creation process. Social media sharing and other public sharing of woodwork pieces are vital for marketing purposes of the Artist. This includes, but is not limited to; commissions potentially being displayed on Artist’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, website, studio, brochures, web and print advertisements and business documents. The Customer consents to completed work, as well as reference and creation photos, being used for these purposes. Non-consent to the Artist’s ability to share the bespoke woodwork piece as described above may result in a higher quoted price as it ultimately hurts the Artist’s ability to advertise their business representatively.

Note: the Artist is willing to place a temporary hold on the sharing of the bespoke woodwork piece if the Customer has specific plans (i.e. the piece is a gift, surprise, etc), this must be agreed with the Artist in writing with a clear end date in place.

Retention of copyright includes all reproductions rights, licensing rights, and the right to claim statutory copyright. Ultimately this means that the Customer has permission to share the work publicly and use it on display for private use, but any reproduction of the work, especially reproductions that will be used for profit or commercial uses, is strictly prohibited unless approved by the Artist in writing.

Reproduction

The Artist retains the right to license reproductions of the bespoke woodwork piece for UK or Worldwide use unless otherwise agreed. This means the Artist can make an identical bespoke woodwork piece for a different client at the Artist’s discretion, unless specifically agreed with the Customer. If doing so, no reference will be made to the Customer’s name without permission and no personal information shared unless by mutual agreement.

Physical Delivery

Delivery is strictly limited to the UK only. International delivery is theoretically possible but very expensive due to the weight of solid wood and has a higher risk of damage in transit, so this needs to be discussed with the Artist prior to beginning even the rough design stage. The Artist retains the right to reject a commission request based on a requirement of international shipping.

Upon receipt of the bespoke woodwork piece, the Customer has 48 hours to settle the final amount due of the Total Agreed Price. The final amount payable will have been sent in an invoice to the Customer prior to final delivery.

Delivery cost will be incorporated into the Total Agreed Price upon commencement of the commission, a separate delivery charge will not be charged unless explicitly stated by the Artist prior to taking the 50% initial deposit. Delivery will be completed by either the Artist themself, or by an appropriate delivery service.

If the Artist is facilitating delivery themself then an appropriate delivery time will be agreed between Artist and Customer close to commission completion. The Customer is required to be present during delivery, the Artist will not leave the commission in a safe space. This is because projects occasionally need to be installed into their final position by the Artist, and particularly large pieces may require the Customers assistance in moving into the final position. A site visit prior to giving an initial quote may be required to assess access for larger pieces of furniture.

If delivery is through an appropriate delivery service the Artist is not responsible for any possible damage during shipment. Every reasonable precaution will be taken by the Artist to prevent damage during transit such as using the most premium packaging materials and methods, but no guarantee is given. Wood is a heavy material and most delivery services have fees associated for heavy or bulky parcels, this cost will be covered by the Customer unless otherwise agreed. For particularly costly items the Artist strongly advises the Customer to take out Shipping Insurance with the delivery service prior to shipping.

Guarantee

The Artist offers no warranty with any bespoke woodwork piece. However, all products are made to the highest standard possible and in a workmanlike manner. All pieces come with an informal “lifetime guarantee”; for as long as Old Lion Studios continues to do business, the Customer can contact the Artist and the Artist will assess any problem that has arisen to see if repair or replacement is reasonably required. This “lifetime guarantee” has limited liability to repair or replace a bespoke woodwork piece only, and only if the problem has arisen as a result of the Artist’s actions and not as a result of neglect, misuse, or accidental damage.

The three main reasons a wooden product fails are: Exposure to chemicals (including water, solvents, cleaning agents), Exposure to UV light, or misuse (incorrect usage, abrasion, impacts, etc). All of these actions are out of the Artists control, and for this reason the Artists “lifetime guarantee” does not cover the final finish of a product (oil, varnish, paint, epoxy, etc). If the final finish begins to fail the Customer can contact the Artist to review the piece, but in almost all circumstances any repair would be considered a new commission and priced accordingly.