Ethos

The devil is in the detail

The buck stops here

C M Pretlove Cabinet Maker is a small business, and commited to delivering just what you are seeking is a team of just two, the client and myself. This makes the clear communication of ideas that is essential to any project's success very straight froward. During a consultation every facet of your commision that we discuss is being shared for consideration with the designer, the materials purchaser, the machinist, the bench joiner, the finisher and the installer. Reassuringly this means that responsibility for every aspect of the end product lies directly at the feet of just one individual. Inevitably this approach results in longer lead times than those manufacturers who can draw upon the resources of a large team, but the payoff is a service tailored precisely to your individual requirements at each and every stage of the procces.

Responsible design

Product sustainability relies upon two primary factors, the renewability of the materials and the longevity of the finished product. The first is achieved by selecting only materials that are Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. The second can be a little more challenging, it requires that the end product not only be robust, practical and aesthetically pleasing, but also be able to weather the years by developing a pleasing patina of age rather than descending into a tatty state of repair. Although such articles cannot be expected to be the cheapest available, their longevity assures that they represent an excellent investment for both the client and the environment.

There are many facets which need to be taken into consideration in the pursuit of good design and responsible manufacturing. These have been debated in countless books on the subject, covering it’s philosophy, ethics, aesthetics and role in society. Through these diverse texts the one idea which remains a constant, is that no aspect in isolation can result in good design. The unanimous conclusion being that worthwhile results can only be achieved through the pursuit of compromise and harmony, such solutions embody balance in the divergent of function. Designs which follow their own path, as opposed to the latest fads and trends, are inevitably predisposed to possess enduring appeal, an aspect crucial to both enduring client satisfaction and manufacturing responsibility.

Adaptable manufacturing

An effective production facility is a key factor in being able to produce high quality, bespoke furniture at an affordable price. Because the workshop's focus is one off pieces rather than mass manufacturing, it has been concieved to be as versatile as possible. This allows a far greater freedom in the design stage, making it possible to broaden the pallet of possible solutions and styles that can be catered for. In the inerests of precision and efficiency, investment has been made in carefully selected and specified modern machines, in the interests of versatility, traditional hand tools and techniques have been recognised as irreplacable. The result offers the best of both worlds, providing a flexible and cost effective manufacturing facility with the focus firmly on the quality of your commision.