Questions
Frequently asked questions
The questions we're asked most often, answered plainly. If yours isn't here, ask us directly.
- What does Chester Thomas Bespoke build?
- Bespoke fitted furniture and joinery: kitchens, fitted and walk-in wardrobes, media walls, home bars, cinema rooms, home offices and studies, wine rooms and cellars, and one-off cabinetry throughout the home.
- Is everything built to measure?
- Every piece is drawn for your room and built in our Derbyshire workshop, rather than adapted from standard carcass sizes. We take exact measurements of walls, floors and ceilings, which are rarely perfectly square in real houses, and design around those measurements so the finished furniture fits without packers, gaps or awkward compromises once it reaches your home.
- Do you design, build and install?
- All three, from the first design consultation through to final installation, with one point of contact throughout. We do not hand a project between separate design, joinery and fitting firms: the same team measures the room, draws the furniture, builds it in our Derbyshire workshop and installs it, so decisions made early on are carried through consistently to the finished piece.
- Where do you work?
- Our workshop is in Coton in the Elms near Swadlincote, and we work with homeowners across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, the West Midlands and further afield for larger projects.
- How does a project start?
- With a design consultation. We talk through the space, how you want to use it, the finishes you like and a realistic budget, then take measurements and prepare a design.
- How much does bespoke furniture cost?
- It depends entirely on the size of the piece, the materials and the complexity of the installation. We give a written cost against a specific design rather than a rate per metre, so you can see exactly what is included.
- How long does a project take?
- Design and approval typically take a few weeks, depending on how quickly decisions on layout and finish are made, and manufacture and installation follow once the design is agreed. You receive a written programme before any work is committed, so you know roughly when the workshop starts building and when the installation team is expected on site.
- Can you work with our architect, builder or interior designer?
- We regularly work as part of a wider team alongside architects, interior designers and main contractors, issuing drawings, service requirements and programme information in whatever format their project needs. This includes coordinating electrical and plumbing positions ahead of installation, and adjusting our own programme around the wider build so the furniture arrives and fits at the right stage of the project.
- Do you build furniture for period properties?
- Regularly. Period properties bring skirtings, architraves and panel mouldings that vary from house to house, so we take profiles from what already exists and replicate them in new joinery. This keeps a fitted wardrobe, bookcase or kitchen run looking as though it belongs to the room rather than sitting apart from its cornicing, skirting boards and door detailing.
- How do I get in touch?
- Call 07542 822456 or send an enquiry through the contact page with a little detail about your space, what you would like to create and where the project is.
Still Have a Question?
Send us the details of your project and we'll answer honestly, including whether it's something we're right for.