Frequently Asked Questions

About our Furniture: East Meets West

Warranty

Care Instructions

Cleaning

How to Apply Beeswax

Timber Furniture Guarantee

Handmade Furniture Disclaimer

About our Furniture: East Meets West

Our furniture has been designed by both Australian and Javanese designers to meet the demands of the Western World yet remain faithful to the rustic heritage that is belongs to. The design is both functional and practical whilst still rustic in nature, as each piece has been made by local Javanese craftsmen, handmade in small villages around Central Java. These craftsmen still use traditional tools and techniques passed down from generation to generation. Each piece is made with pride, often constructed on uneven dirt floors, with chickens, roosters and village children running around, as it has been done for centuries. No two items will ever be exactly the same as each piece is made and finished by human hands and not by machines. The colour stain on this piece of furniture has also been hand finished (not spray finished). Some fill may have been used to fill small gaps, which is made from the traditional recipe of sawdust and glue.

It is very important to understand that each piece will come with its own inherent characteristics and imperfections that only add to the charm of rustic handmade furniture. When you buy a piece of Lizzies Place furniture, you are buying a unique handmade item crafted from solid timber that will last for a very long time.

Warranty

We offer a six month repair/exchange back-to-base warranty on our furniture (excluding for timber movement). If an exchange is offered, we cannot guarantee an exact colour match to your initial piece. All delivery costs are the responsibility of the customer (both getting the item/s back to store and then back to their home). Proof of purchase (Lizzies Place recipt) must be provided in ALL cases of warranty - no exceptions.

Caring for your Furniture

Important: If you do not have a humidifier in your home please read carefully.

Natural timber has been used to make each piece of furniture. It will expand and contract according to the weather conditions, in exactly the same manner as timber floor boards, timber doors or timber window frames do in your home. Also, there is a certain moisture content level that exists in Java, which is a hot, humid region and Australia has a different moisture content level. So whilst kiln drying may reduce moisture content in timber, it will go back to the moisture content level in the environment. Movement simply refers to the timber panels separating and then closing, as our furniture is crafted from solid timber, not thin sheets of veneer.

Please consider the timber like your skin. Your skin needs moisturiser to help stop it from drying out, so does timber. We recommend beeswax or orange oil for replenishing the timber with moisture. By doing so you are nourishing the timber, and helping to minimise any movement that may occur. We recommend waxing every month or few months as maintainence for your piece of furniture.

Remember to rub a little wax onto the handles, as this will keep them looking good. Conditions that can exaggerate timber movement include air conditioning, central heating or a fireplace. In fact, one of the worst places for a piece of solid timber furniture is in a sunny spot behind glass, or in a windy spot. To help replace water content in the environment of your home, simply place a bowl of water, vase of flowers or a well watered pot plant nearby. In these conditions more regular waxing is recommended.

Cleaning

For daily or weekly cleaning to remove dust, simply wipe over with a damp cloth or sponge.

How to apply Beeswax

Liquid wax is the easiest to apply. Simply apply liquid wax onto a clean dry cloth and rub with a circular motion, then using another clean dry cloth, buff off the excess in the direction of the grain. Paste beeswax takes a little more time but gives a better finish. Follow the same procedure as liquid wax, however if using dark wax, concentrate on those areas where the timbers join, the wax will act as a natural filler for those times when any shrinkage occurs, and it will occur de to the natural movement of timber. Once you have applied the wax in a circular motion, use another clean dry cloth to buff off the excess in the direction of the grain.

Timber Furniture Guarantee

When you buy a piece of teak or mahogany furniture from us, you are buying an antique of the future. We guarantee that each piece is hand-made in solid timber. Please note that movement is to be expected in all timber furniture (excluding chipboard and manufactured timbers), including our furniture. As timber is a living thing, it expands and contracts with climate conditions. As the timber we use is forest-friendly plantation timber it is quite young, therefore the panels of timber are not wide, and most times a couple of pieces of timber make up each top, side, base, drawers and shelves. (Please note, rainforest timber is old and therefore panels used from rainforest timber would be much larger – and much more expensive!). When the timber shrinks, as a result of dry climate conditions, these panels may split apart and leave a gap. We guarantee that this movement will not interfere with the functionality of the piece, ie. your TV Cabinet will still function very well as a TV Cabinet, whether it has movement or not. An example of timber movement is timber flooring and walls – as you are aware in winter they creak and groan – this is a result of the boards shrinking. Another example is antique pieces of furniture, over 100 years old, have been known to split – even though the timber has had over 100 years to dry out! Please consult our care instructions - as if these are followed you will minimise your potential movement. We do not offer a warranty against timber movement (as it is our experience that this is intrinsic to owning timber furniture - not a fault), but are happy to provide you with timber fill for you to cosmetically enhance your piece should your furniture experience movement.

We guarantee that you will not have any imported live Indonesian pests in your furniture, as all pieces are treated (dipped) prior to finishing, and fumigated. Please be aware however that after some time, there are local (Australian) pests that may infest your timber furniture, as the fumigation has a limited lifespan.

Handmade Furniture Disclaimer

Please remember, all furniture is hand made by local craftsmen, in unsophisticated conditions, whose knowledge has been passed down from father to son. Therefore, all our furniture is sold “as-is”, and each piece possesses minor imperfections and blemishes, that add to its character and intrinsic beauty. Should you be wanting a more perfect finish, you need look to machine manufactured furniture, made from man-made materials. In purchasing this furniture you agree to accept these items "as is", due to the handmade nature of the product.