We are proponents of buying upholstered furniture that is of high quality, for all sorts of reasons. First, it’s a wise investment. Yes, you will likely spend more upfront on high-quality furniture, but it will last for decades. And getting furniture that lasts decades brings us to our second point…it is a good policy for the earth. It’s always better to keep furniture and re-upholster it than to add to our landfills by throwing it away.
How to Know if You’re Purchasing High Quality Furniture
Some clients tell us they worry that the piece will go out of style. Never fear. A solid design will be in vogue for years and years. And when the time does come to make a change, a good upholsterer can not only switch the fabric on the piece, they can also work with parts of the frame, such as the arms, to change the styling of the piece.
True, a lower price is always appealing, but the problem with lower price is that it usually goes hand in hand with low quality materials and joinery. Buyer beware….you don’t want to spend hours looking for the right piece of furniture only to have it look cheap or flat-out fall apart within a couple of years.
So what should you look for when buying furniture? Be sure you’re not buying furniture made out of particleboard and held together with staples or nails! Likely you won’t be able to tell just by looking at it, so do your research. You want the following elements:
- Kiln-dried hardwood.
- Joints that are dovetailed, or mortise-and-tenon, or use dowels and screws.
- A base that has reinforced, blocked corners.
- Cushions with coil springs that are hand-tied, or another type of spring, or with high-density seat foam.
- The springs and foam should be wrapped with either a Dacron, down, or a mix of the two.
- The cushions should be reversible.
- Back cushions should either be high density foam or if down or Dacron, the inner lining should be divided into sections so that the filling won’t crush.
- The fabric should be taught and straight on the piece, with solid, straight seaming.
Furniture is a big investment and with any investment, you don’t want it to let you down. Be smart when choosing furniture and evaluate the cost vs. the quality!
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