Furniture

Though you may not stick to it, a budget for purchasing furniture is a good guideline when you begin shopping. If you appreciate quality construction, fine woods, and unique design you may be tempted to spend more for these features. And you may decide that your budget deserves to be readjusted if you fall in love with something special. But a budget can keep you in line so you don’t spend all your available funds on one piece.

Wood Furniture can be both elegant and homey. With good construction a piece of wood furniture can last forever.

All wood furniture is made from either hardwood (trees that lose their leaves seasonally) or softwood (from trees that keep their leaves year round). Oak and teak are hardwoods that really are hard and heavy. Fine hardwoods like walnut, mahogany, maple, cherry, or oak are found in the most expensive pieces. Softwoods like are used in less formal pieces.

Drawer construction is generally a good indication of overall furniture quality. Some drawers have no guides. The lack of guides allows more “play” and can cause the drawer to bind when it is opened and closed. Others have wood-to-wood center guides, nylon-to-wood center guides, side-mounted roller guides or center-mounted metal guides. Roller guides and center-mounted metal guides normally have built-in drawer stops, and some have lifetime warranties for drawer operation. Many drawers have glue-blocks to strengthen the bottom. Most ready-to-finish chests have wood drawer bottoms not always the case with prefinished furniture.

Now, as in the past, doweled and dovetailed drawer joints indicate a high degree of craftsmanship. However, modern machine technology, good bonding glue and pneumatically driven staples coated with resin have afforded savings in construction while providing durability.

The finish on furniture can enhance the natural look of wood or change it completely. A finish of oil or wax lets the wood shine. For more durability, lacquer or varnish is applied when the piece is manufactured. Distressed furniture can be natural (as with an old piece) or man-made (via sanding or beating the wood with chains). Painting, gilding, and inlays can change the look of a wood piece as well. The finish of case goods should be smooth to the touch and any table leaves should match.

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