How we work

There are two key elements to the 1718 bespoke furniture experience. One is that we take care of our clients, the other is that we apply the highest quality of British craftsmanship to every detail of our work.

Led by Michael and Susan Mancini who, together, know all of our clients personally, we follow a creative process that works time and time again, and which we refer to as the 4Ds: discovery, design, development and delivery.

Discovery


Our journey begins with your idea or challenge. You may have a fully-formed concept and design, or an original drawing you would like to see brought to life. Or you may just say ‘I need a chair and table for this room’. We can work from anywhere on the creative spectrum, following your lead faithfully or creating original designs that will work for you and your space.

Every approach is fun in its own way – and we’re proud that we always achieve the ultimate outcome of creating something our clients love and treasure.

Design

Our designs are extraordinarily detailed and we love discussing them with our clients, together with the selection of materials and finishes. We then provide photo-realistic 3D images to bring the designs to life, enabling you to make an informed decision over approvals.

This is the point when our clients often start to get really excited, and it’s always a thrill sharing these first visuals.

Development


Our team showcases the highest standards of Scottish craftsmanship. Whether your furniture design is traditional, radical, contemporary or timeless, and whatever materials and techniques are required, we have the techniques, tools and artistry to bring the dream to life.

The magic happens in our workshop, where years of hard-earned technical experience combine with the team’s extraordinary talent and some very smart technology.

Delivery

We arrange the delivery and installation of every piece, safely and on schedule. Our furniture and accessories have been carefully transported to destinations across Europe, and from the Far East to the Middle East and the Americas.

It’s also our pleasure to attend onsite to ensure that your furniture is perfectly installed, and that you’re happy with every aspect of the 1718 experience.

The finest materials & finishes


Every piece of wood we work with is hand-picked by our team. We explore the grain, feel the texture, analyse the colour and even breathe the wood’s natural aromas to ensure that the finished furniture will be everything it can be.

Our expertise encompasses a wealth of skills from veneering, carving and woodturning to specialist finishes such as marquetry, églomisé and lacquering. We bring these skills together to make exquisite furniture that will be the sought-after antiques of tomorrow.

Explore some of the finishes and materials that we work with below.

Lacquer

Verre églomisé

Gilding

Straw marquetry

Inlay and marquetry

Carbon fibre

Shagreen

Vellum

Leather

Timber

Lacquer

Lacquer is often applied to protect and provide greater durability to furniture that’s in day-to-day use, such as desks or dining tables. Mindful of environmental and health & safety standards, we use a range of acrylic lacquers that either simply protect the existing texture and appearance, or create subtle layers of colour and gloss.

Verre églomisé

Named after the French art dealer Jean-Baptiste Glomy, who revived the technique in the 18th century, verre églomisé is the application of design and gilding to glass, creating a mirrored finish. Artists such as Kandinsky and Klee used the technique to create glass paintings, and it can make a striking feature for bespoke furniture.

Gilding

As the name suggests, gilding adds the golden touch to your bespoke furniture by applying gold flake or gold paint. It’s a pain-staking approach that has been practised by artisans for thousands of years, and helps to create stand-out furniture with echoes of Europe’s royal courts.

Straw marquetry

An eastern technique brought to Britain in the 17th century, straw marquetry provides a beautiful alternative to wood veneer. Wheat or oat straw is soaked in water, then ironed, and finished in a range of shades from pale gold to dark brown.

Inlay and marquetry

Marquetry is the art of inlaying wood with a pattern or picture – usually made from wood, but it could be another material such as mother of pearl, metals or gems. While time-consuming and requiring the utmost skill, it provides the finished furniture with a beautiful and unique stamp of quality.

Carbon fibre

This is a semi-natural product made by subjecting organic raw materials to high temperatures, turning them to almost 100% carbon. Carbon fibre is both strong and lightweight, but can also make for a striking feature in contemporary furniture design.

Shagreen

With similarities to leather and vellum, shagreen was traditionally made from shark or horse skin, but now mostly comes from farmed stingrays. With its tougher, granular surface and water-resistant properties, it’s long-been popular for luggage and stationery, and a renewed interest in Art Deco in the 1970s saw it used more often by furniture makers.

Vellum

An alternative to leather, vellum is crafted from calf or goatskin to create a finer texture, which is traditionally used for parchments as well as bespoke furniture. In its natural form, every piece of vellum is uniquely marked, providing particular individuality to the finished item, although it can also be dyed.

Leather

As with furniture, the craft of creating luxury leather is something that has gently evolved over the centuries, and we source leather of the highest quality and provenance to provide the perfect finish. We understand the range of textures and dyes that work with different furniture styles.

Timber

We work with a wide range of fine woods including oak, walnut, beech, sycamore, pine, elm, sapele and zebrano. As well as a deep understanding of the varying characteristics of each wood, we know how to manage the often complex challenges of the grain.