Custom/Bespoke/Couture
Custom, bespoke, and couture all describe the same thing: something made entirely for you. A Kearsley commission begins with your intention and is engineered to meet it precisely, whether it is a set of custom table linens, a single couture quilt, an appliqué cashmere blanket, or the complete outfitting of a residence, yacht, or aircraft. We guide the process from first idea to finished piece. Many of our clients work with us through their interior designer or architect, and we collaborate seamlessly with design professionals. If you do not have a designer, our in-house team works with you directly.
The Process
A Kearsley commission is engineered, not ordered. Before a piece is made, it is drawn. We map exactly how each commission is constructed and sewn, calculate every cut, and determine fabric yields and fill specifications to the detail. The materials are precious and the margin for error is small. A single decision, a fiber weight, a fill specification, a dimension, a cutting layout, can change the outcome considerably. This engineering is what protects both the finished piece and the investment behind it.
Our Fabrics
Kearsley works primarily from its own library of fabrics, woven for us by mills in Italy and across Europe. Most commissions are made entirely from Kearsley materials. When a client wants something we do not already hold, we develop it, a custom weave, a custom dye, or specialized embroidery, and that development becomes part of the commission.
Lead times are discussed for each project and begin only after the quote is approved, signed, and paid. A custom weave or dye enters the mill's production queue, and while we work continually to keep each commission moving, the exact timing is not always ours to set. Depending on the work involved, schedules run from roughly 12 weeks to nine months or more. This is custom art. It is made to last for generations, and it is never rushed, because rushing is what introduces flaws.
The Atelier
Every Kearsley commission is handled by our most experienced artisans, from the first drawings and specifications through to the finished piece. For embroidered work, this begins with detailed sketches, refined until the stitch count and construction can be calculated precisely. That specification is what produces an accurate estimate, and it is the same expertise that constructs the work itself. Many of our team come from couture clothing backgrounds, and that precision shapes everything we make. Work at this level is never delegated or rushed. We are efficient and exacting, and the time a commission requires reflects the complexity of the work, not the pace at which we do it. This is the standard the finished piece depends on.
How a Commission Works
Stage One: Design & Specification
Every commission begins here. We translate your intention into detailed drawings and specifications, the same work that determines materials, construction, and stitch count, and prepare your quote. This stage includes the consultation, correspondence, and revisions required to capture every detail accurately. Design and specification time is billable beyond an initial consultation; the terms are below.
Stage Two: Production
Production begins only after your quote is approved, signed, and paid. We then produce full construction drawings to scale, with construction notes in English and Italian, complete production orders for our craftspeople, and purchase orders for our mills and suppliers. Timelines are confirmed for each commission and reflect the work involved.
Design & Specification Time
The design and specification behind a bespoke commission is skilled professional work, and beyond an initial consultation it is billable.
- Initial consultation up to 30 minutes: complimentary
- Additional design, engineering, sourcing, and specification: billed at $300 per hour, against a design retainer set to the scope of your commission
- If the design work is completed for less than the retainer, the unused balance is credited toward your order
- The design retainer covers Stage One. Production is priced separately
- Sourcing requests to our mills and suppliers begin once the retainer is confirmed
For trade partners: your client engages you, and you engage Kearsley. Our design and specification time is invoiced to your trade account and is intended to be passed through to your client as a billable line item, the same as any specialized trade resource. We provide itemized time documentation to support your billing.
For inquiries regarding custom orders or guidance
Phone: +1 707-935-7273 & Email: Kearsley@kearsleyhome.com