About Landers' Studio in Austin Texas

Mark Landers and his wife, Christina, own and operate a shop and design studio, Landers' Studio, for the design and construction of custom furniture Mark Landers at the wood lathe and high quality architectural piecework. With a background in home building, Mark's interests turned to the designs of the interior rather than the exterior. In 1975, he set up shop to build custom furniture. Tina joined him in 1976.

The studio does only individual commissions, having no product-line as such but rather filling the void between what people really want and what is now commercially available. Landers uses only the highest quality materials and the finest joinery for, to Mark, the process is an important as the product in his efforts to create the heirlooms of tomorrow. His creations satisfy the desire for artistry as well as the necessity of function. His artwork is an integral part of the architectural and functional aspects of the site.

Member of The Furniture Society and Architectural Artisans Collaborative

Q) How do I start the process to discuss an idea
for a piece of furniture?

A) Just contact us by email, phone or fax (512-472-9663).

It is always best if you can come by our studio at 500 West St. Elmo Rd in Austin, Texas ( MAP ) to see our office/showroom and see our complete portfolio. This allows us to meet you and allows you to see the quality and craftsmanship in our work.

Of course, we can send jpegs of examples close to what you are considering and communicate by email or phone. We always advise potential clients to shop quality as well as price.

Q) How much do I need to know before contacting you?

A) We work with people in all stages of design. Sometimes, architects come in with complete blueprints or scale drawings of exactly what they need. Sometimes, a client will come in with a sketch on a napkin of what they have been wanting - or a client may come in with a photograph ripped from a magazine saying that they want the essence of this , but eliminate this...add this...

Early on in the process, when we have a feel for what you are interested in, we will give you a "ballpark" price so you can know then whether to continue the discussion. There is no charge for this initial conversation. Some clients admit they don't know what they want and ask us to come to their home or office to help them define their needs. All design time, drawings and out-of-shop consultations are at an additional charge of $75 per hour.

Q) After we decide on a design, what happens?

A) After we have designed the piece to your specifications, we can determine our material and labor costs. We then give you a firm final bid price. We always require a 50% deposit to initiate the order with the remainder due upon completion.

Q) How long after giving Landers' Studio the
"go ahead" until I get my piece of furniture?

A) Completion time, of course, varies with the complexity of the piece being ordered. Our starting time may also vary due to our backlog. Generally, we have a waiting list of 3 to 4 months. At one point, we had a year's backlog, but now we try to avoid that.

Q) Why would I not shop the cheapest price?

A) At Landers' Studio, we feel we offer our clients so much more than just the "product". We offer complete service.

If we are building an entertainment center, we talk to the audio and visual experts to be sure we are building the cabinet to allow for the equipment to function perfectly including proper ventilation and heat considerations. We try to anticipate future requirements, wire chases, etc.

If we are building a dining table, we insure that your chairs will slide under comfortably. We have even allowed families to come in and personalize their tables by carving their initials on the underside or hand scraping an unseen edge to feel part of the process. In all our creations, we analyze all practical and aesthetic aspects of the work, not only of itself, but also its relationship to other pieces and architectural elements in the whole space.