Are my expectations too high?

[Nozzle]

Hi,

I'm looking to have my expectations either cut down a bit or re-enforced:

I had a seat built into a bay window. The available area was 1.87m x 0.64m and the finished seat as a cut-out toward the centre for fat legs, plus a flap on top to load toys in, so the seat is also lined.

The representative came from the highly reputable local firm that does Kitchens, Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Studies to a high standard.

Long and short of the issue is..

There's rather a lot of engineered timber (MDF with laminate that exactly matches other solid oak components). I was expecting there to be very little or even none, given the price I paid, and the look of the craftsmanship on display in the showroom.

I paid ~£3200 for this thing, and it is nicely made, edges square and true, nicely routed panels etc, but there's an awful lot of what I regard as plastic on show.

So to go to the title of this thread - should spending £3200 on a custom build window seat bag me a whole bunch of laminated MDF with the odd spattering of solid oak, or the full bifta solid timber deluxe version?

Is it the done thing these days to hope the customer doesn't notice and pocket the difference in cost of the raw materials?

I've drafted a letter to the director, I've not yet sent it.

Nozzle

 

[Doggit]

I think you have a right to be concerned; how long did it take, and what was the specification that was agreed. At £3200, you should be as pleased as punch, and you're not; at that price, I'd have expected it to be completely made of oak, with no plastic on show whatsoever.

 

[matz]

most makers are very careful in using the right language to describe raw materials if they are not solid wood but in such a way as to be not very clear to someone that isnt used to furniture terminology. For example "oak finish" does not mean made from solid oak. So it would be interesting to read the exact wording of the spec for this item.....

 

[pete50]

We had an American oak overbed two wardrobe, four cupboard lots of draws overbed unit built by our local bedroom come kitchen company. Admittedly the American oak bit was laminate but we were aware of that and that cost £720 built. I think you were ripped off.

 

[big-all]

does sound a bit[very] high
but as said we need to know the spec you agreed to rather than what you expected
as said description can give impressions off rather than actual
most descriptions will mean a veneer or visual appearance off rather than construction method or materials used

 

[endecotp]

there's an awful lot of what I regard as plastic on show.

Do you regard all MDF as plastic?
Do you regard MDF with oak veneer as plastic?

Or is it actually Oak effect plastic laminated on to MDF?

 

[foxhole]

73C1FF75-B767-4398-9901-8B9631736425

• foxhole
• 5 Feb 2018

Window seat

Made my own for less than £100, would choke if someone quoted over 3k for a window seat. [3m long]

 

[Nozzle]

Hi folks, thanks all for your feedback. I balked at the quote but we were already "in", and I expected I would need to pay a high price in order to get nice materials.

I cannot tell whether it is true oak veneer or whether it is synthetic veneer, all I can tell you is there is a finishing strip along a cut edge and the grain of the finishing strip is 90 degrees to the grain of the veneer, so it's an immediate givaway. The representative came over and attempted to placate me but I'm unhappy about the outcome.

There is very little in the way of specification or "contract" one might say.
I have:
a) Quotation to supply and instal proposed Bay window Seat 1880*400*450 window seat with storage
b) Installation and clearing of site
c) Purchase Order Form - "door style - Shacker with lambs tongue" Door finish I think says lacquered Oak, carcase colour says oak

d) a drawing with no dimensions or notes on
e) my original email asking them to come over which indicates my expectations regarding the standard of materials

Nozzle

 

[matz]

I'm wondering what the initial advertising says (wording) ie what you referred to when you were deciding what to buy. Definitely the order form is using manufacturers speak as mentioned in my previous post.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

The available area was 1.87m x 0.64m

That's only the size of a long thin desk. I would expect solid wood for that price. Just look at what you can get in a furniture shop for a couple of thousand quid!

 

[Notch7]

I make fitted joinery, so a window seat is the sort of thing I will get involved with.

If we were doing it, I would probably do the interior in melamine faced mdf and the seat, uprights and ends in solid oak. IE all the visible parts solid oak, or solid oak and flat panels veneered.

I do drawings of the design and a specification to be agreed and signed by the client to avoid differing expectations.

I suppose a hand built, bespoke window seat in oak and fitted would be in the price range you are talking about, possibly a bit less.

 

[^woody^]

I've built an extension for about £3.2k. That's with the kitchen!

 

[Nozzle]

I've built an extension for about £3.2k. That's with the kitchen!

which is of course why DIY is so great - this isn't a DIY job though.. natch

Nozzle

 

[cwhaley]

To me, solid oak should be one piece of solid oak. We were in a furniture shop the other week and were accosted by a salesman telling us that all of the furniture is 'solid oak'. The table he was stood by was indeed made of oak, but the table top was not a solid piece at all - it was lengths of oak butt-joined together to form a 'solid' piece. Always annoys me when they market items as being solid when they're not.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

To me, solid oak should be one piece of solid oak. but the table top was not a solid piece at all - it was lengths of oak butt-joined together to form a 'solid' piece.

Your position seems a little untenable since the same logic says the entire table must be hewn from a single block of oak to qualitfy as 'solid'!