Frequently Asked Questions

We build with North American hardwoods only, carefully dried to furniture-grade standards:

• Red oak
• White oak
• Maple
• Cherry
• Walnut

Each species has its own character in grain and color, so no two pieces are ever exactly alike.

Our standard finish is a hand-applied stain topped with a durable polyurethane topcoat. It’s a protective, low-maintenance finish that suits everyday family use. We also offer:

• Natural oil finishes (linseed-based oils and beeswax) for a warmer, more traditional feel that requires more routine care
• Custom finishes for designers and special projects
• Match-to-sample finishes, when you need a new piece to live comfortably beside an old favorite

If you’re unsure what’s right for your space, we’re happy to talk through options.

Often, yes. Finish matching is a custom service and typically looks like this:

1. You send clear photos of the existing piece and, when possible, a small physical sample (like a drawer front).
2. We create a finish sample here in the shop.
3. We mail the sample to you for approval before we start building.

Because of the extra time and materials involved, custom finish matching includes an additional fee.

We can. Painting is something we reserve mainly for interior designers and special projects where a painted finish is part of a larger design plan.

Because there are so many paint systems and colors, painted pieces:

• Are quoted on a case-by-case basis
• Usually include an elevated finishing fee
• Require extra discussion to set expectations

We don’t position painted furniture as a core part of our line, but if you’re working with a designer and have a specific vision, we’re open to the conversation.

We’ve done it in the past, but it’s not our standard approach. Customer-supplied lumber raises questions we can’t always answer:

• How was it stored?
• What’s the current moisture content?
• Has it been properly dried?

If we consider using your lumber, we must inspect and test it first. Even then, pieces built from customer-supplied wood are not covered under our lifetime warranty, simply because we can’t stand behind wood we didn’t source and season ourselves.

No. Each piece of Manasses Henry furniture is made to order. That’s how we maintain the level of detail and customization our customers expect.

The exceptions are care products (like lemon oil and beeswax), which we typically keep on hand and can ship quickly.

Our traditional model is:

• 50% deposit to start the order
• Remaining balance due before the piece leaves the shop

As we integrate e-commerce, some orders may be paid in full at checkout. However it’s structured, once payment is made we treat the order as a committed custom build and schedule it into production.

Each piece is built to order, often with specific wood, finish or size choices made for your home. Because of this, we’re not able to accept returns for “changed my mind” or design preferences.

If you believe there is a manufacturing issue, that’s handled through our lifetime warranty for the original owner. Non-warranty repairs or refinishing can still be arranged; in those cases, repair and shipping costs are the customer’s responsibility.

Most of our furniture is delivered through blanket-wrap, white-glove carriers who:

• Pick up your piece directly from our shop
• Wrap and transport it with padded protection
• Deliver it into your home and complete basic setup

Typical timelines run 2–3 weeks from pickup at the shop to in-home delivery, depending on your location and the carrier’s schedule. Some regional deliveries in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana can be faster when routes line up.

You’re also welcome to pick up your furniture at the shop at no charge. Many customers enjoy making the trip to see where their piece was built.

At this time, we do not manage international shipping. International customers are responsible for arranging their own freight; we’ll coordinate timing and packaging details as needed.

Some of our carriers provide online tracking numbers; when they do, we’re happy to pass that information along.

Others are smaller, regional white-glove services that operate through direct phone and email communication rather than tracking portals. In those cases, our goal is to:

• Keep you updated when your piece leaves the shop
• Make sure the carrier has your contact information
• Help you know what to expect for delivery timing

We’re working toward having a dedicated office contact to follow each piece from pickup to delivery.

Yes. Our shop sits on a small farm property outside Middlebury, Indiana, and customers are welcome to arrange a visit or schedule a pickup.

Picking up your furniture:

• Eliminates shipping costs
• Lets you meet the team and see where your piece was crafted

If you’d like to do this, just contact us to coordinate a day and time.

Solid wood is essentially still alive; it will expand and contract as humidity changes. To keep your piece stable, we recommend maintaining your home between about 35–55% relative humidity.

In the first year especially, your furniture is acclimating to its new environment. Stable humidity greatly reduces:

• Cracking
• Warping and cupping
• Gaps that open and close with the seasons

Our Furniture Care page goes into more detail about daily care and long-term maintenance.

In brief:

• Manasses Henry furniture is covered by a lifetime warranty for the original owner, under normal residential use.
• Warranty registration (including upload of your signed delivery receipt) is required within a set window after purchase.
• If you have a concern, you can file through our Submit a Claim form; we’ll review photos and details, ask questions as needed, and determine if it’s a manufacturer defect or an environmental/user issue.

For confirmed manufacturer defects, we arrange repair or return-to-shop service and cover those costs. For non-warranty situations, we can still help with repairs, but costs are the customer’s responsibility.

For full details, see our Warranty section.

Our focus moving forward is on a direct relationship between our shop and our customers.

Historically, some pieces were sold through dealers, but we’re not emphasizing dealer networks on the new site. If you have questions about where your existing piece came from, we’re still glad to help if we can.