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01

A sample is an object.
A specification is a contract.

Sample → written clause → production01 / 07
1SPECIFICATION

SIX ITEMS THAT DECIDE WHETHER THE SAMPLE SURVIVES

The delivery matches
the sample.

A sample without a written clause behind it is a photograph. Six items decide whether what was approved in the showroom is the same object that arrives on site.

01

Substrate and board reference

Manufacturer, decor name and code, thickness and core class, written as the reference on the purchase document. A board called warm oak in an email is not a reference; a decor code is.

Ask for: decor code, thickness, core class, supplier.
02

Veneer: species, cut and sequence

Species, cut (flat, quarter, rift), leaf width, and whether the order is sequenced for matching. Veneer is a natural material: unsequenced leaves will differ, and that difference has to be an accepted decision, not a surprise.

Ask for: cut, leaf width, matching method.
03

Lacquer: system, sheen and colour reference

Coating system, number of coats, sheen stated as a value rather than a word, and the colour reference tied to a physical standard. Satin and matt are opinions; a gloss unit is a number.

Ask for: sheen value, colour standard, coat count.
04

Edge band: material, thickness and radius

Material, thickness, radius and the colour relationship to the face, including whether the band is a matched or a contrast line. This single line decides whether a panel looks built or assembled.

Ask for: band material, thickness, radius, colour match.
05

Hardware: model and function

Hinge and runner model, load rating, closing action, and the drawer or pull-out function being bought. A model number survives substitution; a category does not.

Ask for: brand, model reference, load rating.
06

Joints, grain direction and break lines

Where panels break, which way grain runs, the width of a shadow gap or reveal, and how a tall run is divided. Drawn, dimensioned, and agreed before cutting.

Ask for: a dimensioned detail, not a rendering.
01RECORD

WHAT THE SAMPLE RECORD SHOULD HOLD

Six things,
one signed page.

The sample record is the document production is held to. Keep it physical, dated and signed.

In the record

  • Board and veneer sample with references written on the reverse.
  • Edge band sample and its thickness.
  • Lacquer panel at the approved sheen, in the approved colour.
  • Hardware model list, with the pieces handled, not just listed.
  • A dimensioned detail of the junction and the reveal.
  • The revision of the drawing set the sample was approved against.

Outside the record

  • A photograph of a sample, however good the lighting.
  • Colour matched from a screen.
  • A verbal yes on site.
  • A sample approved against drawings that later changed.
  • Assumptions about matching leaves that were never confirmed.
  • A sheen described only as 'like the one in the showroom'.
01BOUNDARIES

WHAT SPECIFICATION DOES NOT PROVE

Honest limits
of the document.

A specification controls what is built. It does not certify the finished room.

  • A board label describes the panel, not the assembled cabinet.
  • Colour will shift under different light sources; the reference fixes the finish, not the perception.
  • Natural veneer varies between leaves; sequencing controls the variation, it does not remove it.
  • Site conditions, humidity and installation affect performance after delivery.
  • Certification for a destination market is a separate process and is agreed project by project.

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