FAQ
Before you order.
Scale, materials, shipping, returns, and what the charge looks like on your statement. If something is not here, ask us.
- How do I know it will fit?
- Every product page states exact dimensions in inches — height, width, depth or diameter — before it says anything else, along with the weight. Measure the space and compare the number rather than judging from the photograph. If you are between two spots or unsure, email us the measurement you are working to and we will tell you whether it works.
- What will show up on my bank statement?
- MUSE AND OAK. That is the only thing we ever bill under, on every order, so if you see anything else it is not us. If a charge looks unfamiliar, email hello@museandoak.com with the amount and the date before you call your bank — we can identify it in minutes and it saves everyone the dispute.
- Will it look exactly like the photograph?
- Close, but not identical, and that is worth knowing before you order. Solid timber varies in grain and colour board to board. Stoneware is thrown and glazed by hand, so glaze depth and where it breaks over a throwing ring differ piece to piece. Unlacquered brass arrives bright and browns within a year. Washed linen creases permanently. None of that is a fault — it is what these materials do — and each product page says exactly what to expect. Anything that differs in a way we have not described is a fault and we will replace or refund it.
- How much is shipping, and how long does it take?
- Standard shipping is $12 and free on orders over $150, arriving in 4-8 business days. Express is $32 and arrives in 2-3 business days. Orders ship from within the United States and we do not ship internationally yet. Everything travels as a parcel — there is no freight and no delivery appointment, because nothing here is big enough to need one.
- Can I return something?
- Yes — 30 days from delivery, for any reason, including that it is not what you pictured. Email us and we send a prepaid label; you never pay to send something back and there is no address for you to find. Pieces need to be unused and back in their original packing, which is why it is worth keeping the box until you are sure. Refunds go to the card you paid with within five business days of the parcel reaching us.
- Why does the packaging matter so much?
- Because it is what lets a fragile piece travel. Stoneware and turned timber ship in moulded inserts inside a double box, and that packing is also what a return needs — we cannot send a prepaid label for a vase with nothing to travel in. If the packing has genuinely been destroyed, tell us and we will send replacement packing rather than refuse the return.
- Does any of it need assembly?
- No. The stools and the side table arrive assembled and stay that way — they are joined with drawn and wedged joints rather than fixings, which is the entire reason they do not loosen. The only thing that needs anything is the peg rail, which comes drilled and countersunk with fixings for both plaster and stud in the box.
- How do I look after it?
- Most of it is: wipe with a barely damp cloth, and re-oil the timber when water stops beading — roughly every couple of years. The two instructions that actually matter are on the product pages and worth repeating here: nothing oiled goes in a dishwasher, and the wool cushion cover is dry clean only. Those are the two that cannot be undone. There is a full care and repair page if you want the detail.
- Is the brass going to tarnish?
- Yes, and quickly — it is unlacquered on purpose. It leaves bright, dulls to gold within weeks and to a soft brown within a year, faster where hands touch it. Polish it back whenever you like or leave it. The alternative is a lacquered brass that stays bright for a while and then flakes at exactly the point it gets used, which cannot be repaired.
- Are there reviews?
- Not yet, and we would rather say so. This workshop opened this year, so there are no star ratings, no review counts and no testimonials anywhere on the site. What you get instead is the full specification on every piece — material, weight, exact dimensions, construction, origin, how it ages and what will ruin it. All of it is checkable against the piece when it arrives.
- What if it arrives damaged?
- Send a photograph within 14 days of delivery and keep the packaging until we reply. Anything damaged in transit, or measuring outside tolerance — a quarter inch on a machined dimension, half an inch on anything turned or thrown — is replaced or refunded in full including shipping, and you will not be asked to send it back.
- How do I reach a person?
- Email hello@museandoak.com. Every message answered within one business day. Our published telephone line and support hours are in the footer of every page. There is no chatbot and no ticket number — the reply comes from someone who can look up your order.
Still deciding?
The materials page says what each one is for and what will ruin it. The care page covers everything after it arrives.