St Clair Works
PRODUCTION-READY FURNITURE PACKAGE PROPOSAL
Summary
You’ll have furniture that fits the plan, doesn’t rock or rack, and can be built again to the same dimensions, finish, and feel, with drawings a workshop can price with confidence.
We’ll design the pieces, build and test a prototype, then hand over drawings your joiner or factory can quote and build without guesswork. This proposal covers the production-ready furniture package, from concept through sign-off, and what it costs.
We start by measuring and agreeing the constraints that make furniture succeed in the real world, like clearances, stability, joinery, and finish wear. Then we sketch, mock up at scale, model in CAD, and prototype. We only lock the final design once we can build it, sit on it, and repeat it.
Who you are working with
We’re an industrial and furniture design studio that sits close to the bench. We came up through making and detailing, so we don’t stop at a render. Our work lives in dimensions, tolerances, and materials that behave. That is how a chair stays solid, a table stays flat, and a finish stays presentable under daily use.
People come to us when they can’t afford a second build. We make decisions you can point at in a drawing set: fixings, edge details, clearances, and how parts locate during assembly. We’ll show you what changes and why before it hits the workshop. You get a package that a joiner can quote, build, and repeat.
The team
You’ll deal with the same four people through the job, so decisions stay connected from first measure through to first-article sign-off.
Recent projects
A few recent packages that went from concept to build, with prototypes and drawing sets that workshops could quote and repeat.
Narrow-site banquette
Designed a banquette and two-top system to keep a tight aisle clear. The prototype confirmed seat height, kick space, and a base detail that cleaners could get around without damage.
Stackable café chair
Turned a sketch into a production chair with repeatable joinery and a durable finish schedule. The final drawings let a small maker quote parts and labour without adding contingency.
Retail display plinth set
Built a modular set that packed flat and assembled quickly. The cut lists and hardware callouts reduced on-site fiddling, and the edge details stayed tidy after frequent moves.
“We were worried the prototype would reveal problems we couldn’t fix in time. Instead it made the build straightforward, and the drawings matched what arrived.”
Cafe owner, a long, narrow fit-out
Brief and measure record
A written summary of the constraints we agreed, key dimensions from site measure, and the decisions that affect fit and flow, so the work stays anchored as it moves forward.
CONCEPT SET
A small set of sketches and layout options that show seating count, clearances, and overall proportions, with one direction chosen before we invest time in detailed CAD.
SCALE MOCK-UP NOTES
Photos and measured notes from a quick mock-up of the critical parts, like seat height, table spacing, and edge overhangs, so comfort and access are decided early.
Prototype and test findings
One built prototype or a representative prototype section, plus what we learned from wobble, racking, fasteners, and finish touch points, with clear changes carried into final detailing.
PRODUCTION CAD AND DRAWINGS
A complete drawing set suitable for quoting and manufacture, with dimensions, joinery details, hardware callouts, and tolerances shown where they control fit, stability, and repeatability.
CUT LISTS AND FINISH SPEC
Cut lists and a material and finish schedule that names timber species, sheet goods, adhesives, upholstery and foam where used, plus the finish system and sheen so the look can be repeated.
Pricing
Pick the tier that matches how far you need us to take it: drawings only, prototype proof, or a small-batch run with first-article sign-off.
Priced items
Next steps
If the scope and price below look right, we can book the measure and brief session and start turning the layout into buildable pieces.
1. Sign the proposal and choose the pricing option. 2. Send any plans, a rough layout, and the opening or delivery date. 3. Book the site measure and brief workshop with us.
CAN YOU WORK WITH LOCAL TIMBERS AND WOOL UPHOLSTERY, OR IS IT ALL IMPORTED?
We can specify local timbers and wool upholstery where they suit the job. We’ll also call out moisture movement, lead times, and finish systems that work with those materials, so the choice is practical as well as good-looking.
WHO ACTUALLY BUILDS IT: YOUR SHOP, A LOCAL JOINER, OR OFFSHORE?
Any of the above. This package is written so a local joiner, our workshop, or an offshore factory can build it. If you already have a builder, we’ll format the handover around how they quote and work.
Signature
Fee summary
What’s the lead time if we need it installed before opening?
We’ll confirm the timeline when we know the piece count and complexity, plus who is building. As a guide, concept and detailing move faster than manufacturing. If the opening date is fixed, we’ll plan backwards from it.
HOW WILL THIS HOLD UP TO OTAGO HUMIDITY AND HEATER-DRY WINTERS?
We design for movement and wear: timber selection, grain direction, joinery that allows seasonal change, and finishes that can be maintained. We’ll also flag where solid timber is the wrong call and suggest stable alternatives.
Payment
We invoice 40% to book the project, 40% when the concept set is approved, and 20% on delivery of the production CAD and drawings. Invoices are due within 7 days.
Changes. We price the scope above. If the brief changes after concept approval, we’ll write up the change, the added fee, and any timing impact before we do the extra work.
What we need. We need access for site measure, plus any available lease plans, services locations, and appliance specs before we start CAD. We also need a decision-maker for sign-off within 3 working days.
Prototype costs. Prototype materials and any outsourced processes are billed at cost with receipts. We’ll confirm the expected spend before we order anything, and we won’t proceed without your written approval.
Lead times
We’ll give a schedule after the brief and measure workshop. Dates move if approvals, supplier information, or site access move. We can’t hold installation dates until drawings are signed off.
Suppliers and builders. We can work with your joiner, a local shop, or our own workshop where it suits the job. We’ll name who is building what before prototype or production starts, so pricing and responsibility stay clear.
Factory liaison. Factory liaison and first-article sign-off mean we check the first unit against our drawings and finish spec, then issue a punch list. We don’t supervise every unit unless you ask us to.
Ownership. Once paid, you own the finished design outcome and can build from our production drawings for this project. We keep ownership of our CAD files and working methods unless we agree otherwise in writing.
