1. I describe the desk I want to the labourers. They listen intently and seem to comprehend, so this might go nice and smoothly like I’d hoped. Ah, naiveté…
2. The frame of the desk starts to look more like an oversized stool rather than the workstation I had asked them to make. This is unacceptable, so I get them to change it, explaining again exactly what I want at the bottom, and where I want the drawers.
3. The carpenters decide to use their own “creativity” to conjure up an abomination they call a footrest. This is all very disappointing, and I tell them so. Getting it re-done is going to take time, so I decide to live with it.
4. And then they botch up the drawer. Turns out they miscalculated the length of the drawer, so now sitting at the desk makes opening it impossible, unless I’m willing to forgo some skin on my knee. Genius.
5. Well, at least the top’s flat and the drawers open. I have to deal with the bizarre frame, but it doesn’t interfere with my life so much.
Convenience Meter: 2 (Just short of murderous rampage)
1. There had to be a better way to get the rest of the furniture done, and the best way was to show them visually. I have the drawing skills of an epileptic rat, but I’ve been tinkering with Google SketchUp for a few days. I wonder…
2. I start with SketchUp, thinking that it’ll take me just a few minutes to design a new cabinet; no such luck. I’m not limited by the software, but actually using those features to create something that will become real is a different ball-game.
3. I struggle with SketchUp for a couple of hours, making sure that I use the exact measurements for the cabinet-I don’t want to end up miscalculating anything.
4. The cabinet’s done, and I’ve verified the measurements and proportions a billion times. When I show it to them, the carpenters seem to realise that it’s a Formidable Force they’re dealing with, and get to work.
5. This way is so much better. I’ve got my cabinet just the way I designed it!
Convenience Meter: 4 (Learning new skills takes time!)
If you’ve got the time, inclination and the skill, design your furniture in Google SketchUp or similar software like 3D Home Creator, and then have your carpenters build it. If they have any snags on the way, you can show them every detail in 3D, and they can’t even come back at you with a “your instructions weren’t clear” if things go wrong. Just make sure your proportions are right.