Ask any designer where a project is won or lost, and many will point to the same place: the carpentry. Good joinery disappears into the space. Bad joinery is all you see.
What I look for
- Their own work, in person — photos hide everything; a hinge and a drawer tell the truth
- Questions before quotes — a carpenter who asks how you live is a carpenter who will get the details right
- Clarity on timing — the honest ones tell you what's hard, not just what's possible
The one question to ask
"Show me a join you're proud of." The answer — and how quickly it comes — tells you almost everything.