Material selection happens earlier than most people expect — before finishes are picked, before colours are discussed. It starts with a simple question: what will this surface actually go through? A kitchen counter, a wardrobe front, and an exhibition panel each face a completely different life.
Durability, finish, and suitability are weighed together. A material that looks right in a showroom sample can behave very differently once it's cut, joined, and living under daily use — humidity, direct sunlight, foot traffic, or simply years of hands opening the same door.
This is also where budgets and ambitions meet reality. Part of the job is steering a client toward the material that will still look right in five years, not just on handover day — and being honest when a more affordable option performs just as well.
Get the material right, and everything downstream — the joinery, the finish, the maintenance — gets easier.