How to commission a piece from a maker: what it costs and how long it takes

Most people have never commissioned anything, and the idea can feel like something reserved for portraits and country houses. It is much more ordinary than that. A commission is simply asking a maker to make something for you rather than buying something they have already made: a ring to your size, a painting of your house, a bowl in a particular glaze, a table for a particular room.

Plenty of makers on The Haud take commissions, and it is often the work they enjoy most. This is how it works, what it costs and how long to allow.

WHAT CAN I COMMISSION?

Almost anything a maker already makes, in a size, colour, material or subject that suits you. Some recent examples from our makers include a pair of standing stones proposal rings in bentwood by Ammonite Studio, a bronze hound and a lamb with a lava glaze by Annie Rose Edwards, Welsh inlaid tiles by Cerameg Traed Bran, and a table by Claire Broad. You can see them all on the Commissions page.

The best commissions start from work you have already seen and liked. If a maker's style is right but the piece is not quite what you need, that is exactly the conversation to have.

Some commissions are simple enough to order straight from a listing. Joshua Lea paints landscapes from your own photograph at a fixed price for each size, so you upload the picture and order as you would anything else.

Ammonite Studio makes rings to the wearer's size and width, which is a small commission built into an ordinary order.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

There are four steps.

First, you message the maker with what you have in mind and a rough budget. A photograph of something you like, or of the room, person or place the piece is for, helps a great deal.

Second, the maker talks it through with you and sends a quote. The quote sets out the price, how long it will take, and what happens if the commission is cancelled part of the way through.

Third, you accept the quote by paying through The Haud, and the maker starts work. For larger pieces the payment may be split into stages, such as a deposit and then the balance, and each stage is requested by the maker as the work reaches it.

Fourth, the finished piece is delivered to you.

If you like the idea of a commission but do not know which maker to ask, we can help you find one. Write to us through the concierge page.

HOW MUCH DOES A COMMISSION COST?

It depends on the piece, the materials and the time it takes, which is why most commissions are priced on application rather than listed. As a guide, a commission usually costs a little more than a similar piece the maker has already made, because it is designed for you. Some makers give a starting price: Claire Broad's furniture commissions start from £500, and Joshua Lea's small paintings from a photograph start from £40. The quote tells you the full price before you pay anything.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

Anything from a few days for a small piece to several months for furniture or a large textile. The maker will give you a timeline in the quote. If it is a present, tell them the date at the start, so they can say honestly whether it is possible.

For Christmas, ask as early as you can. Many makers stop taking Christmas commissions well before December.

WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND?

Because a commission is made just for you, the usual 14-day right to change your mind does not apply once you have accepted a quote. Instead, the refund terms set out in the quote apply, so read that part before you pay. Anything faulty or not as agreed is still covered in the usual way.

WHY COMMISSION AT ALL?

Because you end up with something nobody else has, made by someone you have spoken to, for a reason you will remember. A commissioned piece tends to be the one people keep longest, and it is one of the best ways to support a maker directly, since commissions are often what keeps a small workshop going between busy seasons.