What can actually be made bespoke?
Colour and finish most commonly — matching a floor to existing joinery, a stone, or a designer's scheme. Beyond that: board width and length, grade and character, edge detail, surface texture such as brushing or hand-distressing, and pattern block dimensions. Essentially any variable in the specification can be set rather than selected from stock.
How long does a bespoke floor take?
Longer than stock, and the honest answer depends on what is being changed. A custom stain on a stocked board is the quickest route. A floor made to non-standard dimensions in a specific grade runs considerably longer, because it is manufactured rather than allocated. We give you a real date at the point of sampling, not an optimistic one.
Can you match an existing floor?
Often, yes — and the more of the original we can see, the better the result. A physical offcut is ideal; a good photograph in daylight is workable. Bear in mind that an existing floor has aged, so matching it means matching where it is now, and a new floor laid alongside it will continue to change for a year or two before it settles.
Do I get to see a sample before committing?
Always, on any bespoke colour. We produce a sample on the actual board being supplied and send it to you, because a colour approved on screen is not a colour approved at all. Judge it in the room it is destined for, at different times of day — north light and evening light will show you two different floors.
Is bespoke much more expensive than stock?
There is a premium, but it is usually smaller than people expect — particularly for custom colour on a stocked board, where the difference can be modest. Non-standard dimensions and low-yield grades cost considerably more, because they change how much usable timber comes out of each log. We set out the difference clearly at quotation.
Is there a minimum order for bespoke work?
For custom colour, generally not — it is viable on room-sized quantities. For custom dimensions or a made-to-order grade there is a practical minimum, because the run has to be worth setting up. Tell us the area and the specification and we will say straight away whether it is viable or whether a stocked alternative gets you closer for less.
