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How to commission a bespoke piece from a designer (and what it costs)
At Blacksand you commission a piece in five steps: share your idea, meet up to three designers from the collective, design it together, approve the final render, then it is produced and delivered. The price is a design fee, quoted upfront, plus the piece by weight at €158 per kilogram. There is no minimum: one piece or a full series.
Commissioning a piece used to mean finding a designer, then finding someone who could make it, then hoping the two agreed. At Blacksand both sit in one place: a collective of designers working in one material, and the production that turns their drawings into finished pieces in black quartz sand.
The five steps
- Share your idea. A sketch, a reference image or a full brief. Brands often arrive with a brief, private clients with a feeling.
- Meet your designer. Pick up to three designers from the collective, or we build the team for you.
- Design it together. The designer develops a 3D model with you, with revisions. The design fee is quoted upfront.
- Approve the design. A final render, size and finish. Nothing is produced until you say yes.
- Produced and delivered. The piece goes into production, then it is assembled and shipped from Valencia.
What it costs
Price = design fee + the piece by weight.
- Design fee: quoted with your brief, before any design work starts.
- The piece: its weight in kilograms × €158, including VAT, plus any second material such as glass, metal or a light kit, each at its own price.
- Trade clients (architects, interior designers, studios) have their own reduced rate per kilogram.
Because price follows weight, a hollow form or an open lattice costs less than a solid block of the same size. Detail adds nothing. See How much does sand 3D printing cost? for real examples.
What you can commission
| Size | Up to 1.8 m in one piece (1800 × 1000 × 700 mm print). Larger pieces print in parts and are bonded |
|---|---|
| Scale | From a single piece to a full series. No minimum |
| Lead time | Most pieces take 4-6 weeks. Bespoke dates are set out in your proposal |
| Materials | All sand, or sand combined with resin, glass, metal, wood or stone |
Who commissions
- Brands and companies: signature pieces, product lines and limited series, developed with one designer or a team from the collective.
- Architects, interiors and hospitality: lighting, furniture and wall pieces for a specific project, from one room to a whole hotel. A typical brief: a lobby light about 1.2 m tall, twelve of them.
- Private clients: a piece you can picture but not draw. You bring the idea, we bring the designer.
Already have a design?
Skip the matching. Send the drawing or 3D file (STEP, OBJ, STL or 3DM) through Production: we check it for sand printing, flag anything that needs a tweak and come back with size, finish and a price by weight. Read Designing for sand 3D printing first.
Start a commission on Bespoke.
Questions
How much does a bespoke piece cost?
A design fee, quoted upfront with your brief, plus the piece by weight at €158 per kilogram including VAT, plus any second materials at their own price.
How many designers can I work with?
Up to three from the collective, or we put the team together for you.
Is there a minimum order for bespoke work?
No. A single piece or a full series.
Can I see the design before it is made?
Yes. You approve a final render with size and finish. Nothing is produced until you say yes.
How long does a commission take?
Most pieces take 4-6 weeks to produce. The dates for a bespoke project, including design time, are set out in your proposal.
Next steps
