Bespoke lighting projects do not fail in the workshop. They fail in the brief — because a fixture was drawn for a ceiling nobody measured, or approved on a rendering that showed a drop the space could not take. This is what a well-run commission looks like from the inside.
Stage 1 — the brief
A usable brief is short: room type, dimensions, ceiling height and structure, the intended mounting point, the look you are after, the date it has to be installed, and a budget frame. A photograph of the ceiling does more than a page of description, because it shows where the structure is and where the fixture can actually be supported.
Stage 2 — the concept
We return a composition and a scale indication: how the piece sits against your room, at your mounting height. This is the stage to be honest about ambition. A larger diameter or a longer cascade is easy to draw and harder to hang — knowing both figures early keeps the project out of trouble.
Stage 3 — the drawing set
Once the direction is agreed, the commission becomes a document:
- Overall diameter, height and drop
- Canopy position, shape and fixing arrangement
- Tier or ring arrangement and component schedule
- Finish references for metal, crystal and glass
- Finished weight and load information
- Voltage, lamp type and dimming protocol
- Packing arrangement
Production does not start until you approve this set. In practice this is where most of the value of a bespoke commission is created, because it is the last point at which a change is cheap.
Stage 4 — material approval
Finish is the hardest thing to judge on a screen. Brass families alone — polished, brushed, antique, aged — read completely differently in daylight and under the fixture's own light. Samples are approved before production so that nobody is negotiating about a colour after the fact.
Stage 5 — production and inspection
Metalwork and finishing first, then hand assembly of crystal and glass, then electrical testing at your project's voltage. You receive progress photographs at agreed points, and approval photographs of the finished piece before packing. Nothing ships that has not been seen and signed off.
Stage 6 — delivery and installation
Complimentary door-to-door delivery with duties and taxes included as stated, tracking, and practical installation guidance for your electrician. Tiered fixtures arrive in a protected, sequenced packing arrangement; spare components are held after delivery for the client's aftercare.
What to insist on, whoever you buy from
- A dimensioned drawing you approve in writing before production.
- Finished weight and load information, given to your contractor, not kept internal.
- The voltage and dimming protocol stated in the specification.
- Photographs of the actual finished piece before it is packed.
- A named contact who answers while the fixture is on site.
Start a bespoke commission
Send a photo of the room and the ceiling, the mounting height and the date you need it installed. You will get a concept, a spec and a schedule.