Maison Caligari

Frequently Asked

Questions &
Answers

Everything you need to know about commissioning bespoke modern Gothic and dark-academia furniture from our workshop in Spain, lead times, materials, pricing, worldwide delivery, whole-room projects and care.

I

Do you sell furniture that is in stock?

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Every piece in the shop can be purchased directly, and is then built to order for you. If you want to customise a design, or create something new for your space, contact us to book an appointment and start a commission. Every piece of modern Gothic furniture we make is built to order in our workshop in Spain once your specification is confirmed, so nothing you see is held in a warehouse. We can also tailor each bed, table, desk or cabinet to your exact dimensions, materials and finish.
II

How long does a bespoke commission take?

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Most made-to-order pieces are completed 10–14 weeks after your commission is confirmed. Larger or more detailed work, a four-poster bed, a full dark-academia library, a leaded stained-glass light, can take longer. You always receive a firm delivery date and a production schedule before you commit, and we keep you updated as your piece moves through the workshop.
III

Do you ship modern Gothic furniture outside Spain?

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Yes. We finish every piece with care in Spain and deliver worldwide, including across Europe, the United Kingdom and North America. Crating, freight and optional white-glove installation are quoted per piece according to size, weight and destination, so your furniture arrives fully protected and ready to place in the room.
IV

What materials and finishes do you work in?

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We build with premium materials chosen for weight and presence: finished steel, glass, stone and rich upholstery, with wood used selectively where a design calls for it. Every surface and finish is applied and patinated in our own workshop, never outsourced. If you have a specific material, colour or finish in mind that we have not listed, ask, almost every commission is fully customisable.
V

Can I request a fully custom, made-to-measure design?

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Always. Every commission begins as a conversation, not a catalogue. Bring us a sketch, a room, a mood board, a reference piece, or only a feeling, and our workshop will translate it into measured drawings for a bespoke piece of Gothic or dark-academia furniture designed precisely around your space and the way you live.
VI

How does pricing and payment work?

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Each quote is prepared individually because every piece is made to order. You can pay for a piece in full when you order it, or split the payment: a 60% advance confirms the commission and reserves bench time, and the remaining 40% is due before dispatch. For custom commissions and split payments, contact the atelier first. No payment is ever taken while you are simply browsing or requesting a quote.
VII

Do you take on whole-room or interior commissions?

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Yes. Alongside single pieces we offer a full interior design and decoration service: whole-room commissions such as a complete bedroom, study, dining room or retail space, in one coherent modern Gothic language. We coordinate proportions, materials and lighting across every piece so the finished room reads as a single, considered dark-academia interior rather than a set of separate objects.
VIII

How do I care for and maintain my piece?

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Dark carefully finished surfaces are best kept out of direct sunlight and refreshed once or twice a year with the care kit we provide. Marble should be sealed and wiped with a pH-neutral cleaner, and brass develops a living patina you can leave to age or polish back. Every delivery includes written care notes specific to the materials in your piece.
IX

Can I visit the workshop or see samples first?

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By appointment. Write to atelier@maisoncaligari.com and we will arrange a visit to see work in progress, handle material samples, and discuss your commission or interior design project in person. If you cannot travel to the atelier, we post physical material and finish samples anywhere in Spain and the wider EU.
IX

What exactly is Gothic furniture?

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Gothic furniture takes its proportions and details from cathedral architecture: the pointed arch, tall vertical lines, tracery and dark, dramatic materials, translated from stone and stained glass into beds, tables, seating and lighting for a modern home. At Maison Caligari, that means every piece keeps the drama of the style while being sized, finished and built for the way people actually live today, not a film set.
X

Is Gothic furniture always black?

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Not necessarily, though we do lean into a dark palette because it suits the style so well. Gothic furniture is really defined by silhouette and material more than colour alone: the arch, the vertical line, the weight of steel, glass and stone. Within that palette there is room for oxblood velvet, aged brass and deep jewel tones alongside black and charcoal, so a piece can feel dramatic without being flat or one-note.
XI

What is the difference between Gothic and dark academia furniture?

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Gothic furniture borrows its shape directly from cathedral architecture: arches, tracery and height. Dark academia is more of an atmosphere, built around old libraries, candlelight and worn leather. Our pieces sit at the meeting point of both: Gothic proportion and detailing, dressed in the warm, scholarly materials a dark academia room asks for, so the two ideas read as one considered interior rather than two competing themes.
XII

How do I start a commission with Maison Caligari?

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Simply write to us through the contact page or at atelier@maisoncaligari.com and tell us about the room and the piece you have in mind. A photo, a sketch or even just a feeling is enough to begin. We reply within 48 hours with questions and ideas, then move to measured drawings and a firm quote once the brief feels right, with no payment taken until you decide to confirm.

Didn’t find your answer? We reply to every message within 48 hours.

Ask the Atelier