Shipping policy

Paint and other non-furniture items

Where do you deliver?

I deliver to the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Furniture is different: please see below.

What delivery services do you use?

All orders are sent via Royal Mail.

'Standard delivery' means Royal Mail Tracked 48. The expected delivery timescale for this is 2–3 working days.

'Express delivery' means Royal Mail Tracked 24. This is expected to arrive in 1–2 working days.

Parcels to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands may take slightly longer, so please allow 3–5 days for standard delivery and 2–4 days for express.

Just to make you aware, Royal Mail do not provide any guarantees around these services, and during busy periods (such as around Christmas), or at times when they are suffering staff shortages for any reason, deliveries may take a little longer.

How much will delivery cost?

The charge for delivery is based on the service (standard or express) and on the weight of the parcel.

Delivery generally starts at £3.95 for standard, and £4.95 for express. As a guide, if your order is heavier than two 500ml pots of paint then it will probably move up to a higher price band.

Delivery to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands is generally £1 more.

Free standard delivery codes

A free standard delivery code covers standard delivery, which is Royal Mail Tracked 48.

When a code makes your delivery free, I will send your order by standard delivery, whichever delivery option was chosen at checkout. I won't contact you separately to say so. If you've paid for your delivery, it goes by the service you paid for.

If you need your order sooner, please let me know before you order: see What if I have special requirements? below.

When will my order be dispatched?

Orders placed before midday on weekdays (other than bank holidays) will be dispatched on the same day.

Orders received after that will be dispatched the next working day.

If, for any reason, this will not be possible, this will be clearly shown in a banner message at the top of the site.

You will be notified by email when your order has been dispatched.

Shipping details

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the shipping address and other contact details on your order are correct. Whilst I make every effort to spot obvious errors, I cannot be held responsible for missing parcels if you have not provided me with complete, correct address information.

If you realise you have made a mistake with your order it is best to call me immediately – Caroline, 07812 186556; if you email me, I can't guarantee I will see the information in time.

What if I have special requirements?

If you need your order more quickly, or have any other special requirements, please do let me know. For example, you may have missed the cutoff for same-day dispatch, or you may want your order to be tracked, or signed for, or to be guaranteed next day.

The best thing is to telephone me. The number is at the bottom of the page. If I am unable to take the call, please leave a message and I will call you back as soon as I can.

Once I know your requirements I can then obtain the best method of getting your delivery to you and a postage cost. I also have the added benefit that my local post office is just a few minutes from the studio which allows for flexibility on my part to do my very best to meet your needs.

If I can help, I will!

How are orders packaged?

Small, non-fragile items such as roller sleeves or paintbrushes are generally sent in padded envelopes.

Other items are carefully packed in sturdy cardboard boxes and clearly marked as fragile.

I take great pride in the quality of my packing, and so far (touch wood!) I have had no instances where orders have suffered damage in transit.

Environmental impact

The packing chips that I use are biodegradable and can be composted (in fact, they dissolve in water).

Paint and other liquids have to be adequately protected while in transit. This is a requirement of Royal Mail. As such, they have to be wrapped to be leak-proof, and at the moment that means clingfilm and plastic bags.

I'm always trying to make my packaging more environmentally friendly, subject to meeting Royal Mail requirements. Please do your bit by recycling as much as you can.

Furniture

Where do you deliver furniture?

I deliver furniture within England, Scotland and Wales only. I'm afraid I can't send furniture to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

Delivery to the Scottish Islands, the Isle of Wight or Lundy is likely to cost extra. Please contact me before you order, with your address, so I can get an estimate for you.

How much will it cost?

Shipping is free to the British mainland.

I generally use couriers operating a single-person service. For larger items, that means that they will need assistance from you when delivering. If that is not going to be possible, then I will need to arrange for a larger delivery team. Again, please contact me prior to purchase so I can check if there will be any additional cost for you.

When will the furniture arrive?

I aim to have furniture delivered approximately two weeks from receiving the order.

This is subject to the availability of couriers, so may not always be possible, particularly at busy times such as near Christmas.

If you have particular requirements, for example that delivery be before, on, or even after certain dates, then please let me know as soon as possible: I will do everything I can to accommodate you.

Due to space constraints I will generally not, however, be able to store furniture for long once it has been sold.

Who delivers furniture?

I work with a small number of selected couriers that I know are experienced in delivering furniture and that I trust to offer a reliable service.

After an order is received I establish which of them is best-placed to carry out the delivery, and arrange for the furniture to be collected.

I keep you fully informed until the furniture has left me.

Once the furniture has been collected, the courier will contact you directly to arrange a delivery time. I will also give you the courier's contact name and phone number so you will be able to recognise their calls.

Please note that delivery is generally organised to be to the front door. Any arrangement to place furniture inside, and, in particular, to take it upstairs, is strictly between you and the courier and will be entirely at their discretion.

Will it be safe on the journey?

I carefully protect all furniture with specialist wrap. Any vulnerable areas receive additional protection as required.

Please see my refund and returns policy for what to do if the worst does happen and your furniture arrives damaged.

Mixed orders

Please note that where an order comprises items from more than one of the above groups, separate delivery charges will generally apply to each group.

Please contact me prior to placing your order if you require further clarification.

Pickup

Orders may be collected from my studio near Belper. This should be by prior arrangement. To ensure that no shipping charge is added to your order, please enter the studio address (postcode DE56 2UN) as the delivery address.