How payment works on your order

A clear guide to how and when you pay for your made-to-order piece, what each stage means, and how we keep it simple and consistent for every customer.

The short version

Almost everything we make is created especially for you, to your own specification. Because each piece is genuinely made to order, your payments follow the making of it, in clear stages tied to real milestones.

Your payment stages

For the price of your furniture, payment is spread across three simple stages:

Shown as a share of your furniture price. See "Your first payment and your fabric" below for how the first payment works when fabric is involved.

At each stage you will hear from us, with an order confirmation, then an update as your piece goes into production, and finally, once it is complete in our workshop, photographs of your finished piece and your delivery booking, so that paying feels like a milestone in your piece coming to life.

Your first payment and your fabric

If your fabric is chosen when you order: you simply pay the 50% deposit.

If your fabric is not yet decided: you pay 25% to confirm your order and secure your price, protecting you against any later price increase. Once your fabric and final details are confirmed, you pay a further 25%, and at that point we book your production slot and order your fabric. We need the full 50% in before production begins.

If we help you source bespoke fabric for you: because we buy that fabric especially for your order, your first payment is 50% of the price of the furniture plus the full cost of the fabric, so it is paid for before we place the order. The rest of the furniture then follows the usual 25% and 25%.

If you are supplying your own fabric: there is nothing extra to pay for fabric. Your 50%, 25% and 25% apply to the price of the furniture, excluding any fabric costs.

Choosing your delivery, and changing your order

When you place your order, we will ask when you would like your piece. Many customers want it as soon as we can make it; others have a particular week in mind. We plan production around the week you choose, so your piece is ready close to when you want it.

You may cancel within 5 business days of paying your deposit, and we will refund it in full. Where we have already bought fabric especially for you, the cost of that fabric cannot be refunded, as it is reserved for your order. After 5 business days, because your production slot and materials are committed, a made-to-order piece cannot be cancelled.

When your piece is ready

As soon as your piece has passed its final quality check, we will let you know it is ready and share photographs of your finished piece from our workshop. Your final balance is due within 7 days of that notification, and always before your piece leaves us. We do not release any piece for delivery until it is paid in full.

If timing or plans change

We understand plans shift. If you have paid your balance but need us to hold your finished piece a little longer, we are glad to store it free of charge for up to 4 weeks. Beyond that, a storage charge of $80 per item per week applies.

If your balance is not paid by its due date, we can look into storage options for you with local storage facilities. Rates will be applicable based on availability and any seasonal variances. Storage companies invariably calculate storage on a volume basis. Storage costs will apply from the day your piece is ready, and interest is added to the outstanding balance at WSJ prime rate plus 2.5% per annum, charged daily until the balance is paid in full. These charges are required because, once your piece is ready, we pay the makers and suppliers who created it. 

If a balance is still unpaid 60 days after it is due, we may treat the order as cancelled. Because your piece is made specifically for you and cannot readily be resold, you agree that the payments already made represent a reasonable estimate of the costs we will have incurred in producing it, and we may retain them as liquidated damages. We would always far rather simply get your finished piece safely to you within the agreed timeframes.

The details, in one place

If anything here is unclear, or you would like to talk your payment plan through, please contact us at sofas@sophieconran.com or (+1)646 851 2200. We are always happy to help.