If you have never commissioned custom millwork before, the process can feel opaque. Here is how a typical project moves through our shop in Rancho Cordova, from the first conversation to the final install.
1. First conversation
Most projects start with drawings from an architect or designer, but a sketch, photos or a rough idea are fine too. We talk through what you need, the space, your budget range and your schedule, and tell you honestly whether we are a good fit.
2. Design details, materials and finishes
Next we work out the details: species, finish, joinery, hardware, upholstery and any metal or glass. On designer-led projects we coordinate with the design team. The Citizen Hotel front desk, for example, was designed by Indidesign of Los Angeles and built by us.
3. Site measurement
Built-in millwork has to fit the building as it actually is, not as it was drawn, so we confirm field dimensions before anything is cut. For curved or irregular conditions, like the six 18-foot arched windows at 1X Technologies, careful field measurement is the whole project.
Distance does not have to slow this down. For Little While in San Diego, we made one trip to measure and handled everything else over calls, email and video.
4. Fabrication
Everything is built in our own shop: milling, joinery, CNC work where it helps, bent lamination for curves, and hand work where it matters. That includes details like the hand-turned spindles at Okesutora and the hand-carved oak panel at Franquette, which took more than 45 hours.
5. Finishing and upholstery
Pieces are finished in the shop for a consistent, durable result, and seating is upholstered so frames and cushions fit each other.
6. Delivery and installation
Our own crew delivers and installs, after hours when a space needs to stay open. For projects farther away, finished pieces are crated and delivered, and installation is handled by our crew or coordinated with your contractor.
How long does it take?
It depends on scope, materials and site readiness. Two recent examples: 1X Technologies went from first call to finished install in about four weeks, and fabrication for Little While took five weeks.
What helps a project go smoothly
- Drawings or clear reference images early on
- Decisions on species and finish before fabrication starts
- Site access for measurement once walls and floors are in place
- A realistic install window that fits other trades
Ready to start?
See our commercial millwork, architectural millwork and restaurant furniture pages, or tell us about your project.
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