What to look for in quality bedroom furniture

So you are in the market for a new bedroom suite and you want to make sure you buy a set with lasting quality - but what to look for?  We will be candid and acknowledge that we are biased that Amish-crafted furniture is superior to the mass-manufactured furniture offered by the big box stores.  But read on for ways that you can see this for yourself.

The first question should be “What is the furniture made of?”.  The best materials will be solid hardwood.  Don’t be fooled by a statement that something is solid wood - it needs to be solid hardwood, which means that it is made from lumber that came from the tree in board form.  These boards may have been glued-up edge to edge to form a larger panel or used by themselves for smaller components.  The term “solid wood” is increasingly being used to refer to materials that may have wood as a major component but may also include other materials (glues, sawdust, etc) . Ask the salesperson to be clear - if it’s not solid hardwood then you may be settling for a less than ideal material.

The next area of concern should be the finish.  Here’s a checklist of things to look for:

• Is the entire piece stained or painted in all areas that are visible (i.e. inside edges of feet, etc.)
• Are insides of drawers finished/sealed?
• Make sure there are no rough areas - either that were missed in the sanding or where dust/particulate has settled into the topcoat.
• Check to make sure there are no stain runs where the stain leaked back out of corners and joint lines before it had dried.
• Look for finish “sagging” - where the clear topcoat finish has been applied too heavily, too quickly and the finish runs as it is drying.

Next you will want to focus on construction.  Each type of bedroom furniture has some specific benchmarks to look for:

Beds - Regardless of the size (King, Queen, Full or Twin) you want your bed to be made with quality and attention to detail:

• Look for wood side rails, not metal.  The gauge of metal frequently used here in mass-manufactured beds can bend and flex.  A wood side rail will be more sturdy.
• Check that the rails are attached to the headboard and footboard with at least two bolts through a substantial bracket at each end of the rail.
• Look for wood cross slats that are held in place where they meet the siderails.  The slats should be dovetailed/keyed in place or have an index hole with a dowel that will not allow them to slide off the cleat on the rail.
• For King size beds and some queens make sure there are center supports for the slats - this prevents the slats and therefore the mattress from sagging over time.

Case Goods - Whether it’s a dresser, chest of drawers, armoire or nightstand the same hallmarks of quality will apply:

• Avoid furniture that has a single, center mount drawer slide.  This will quickly break and cause the drawer to be an aggravation.  Look for two slides - one on each side of the drawer or one on each bottom side of the drawer.  Look for types that feature a ball-bearing or spring/piston system.  Ask the salesperson to demonstrate to you how easy it is to remove and replace the drawers.
• Check to make sure the drawers are dovetailed, front and back.  Clarify that it’s an english dovetail, not a french dovetail.  
• Make sure that the decorative hardware is drilled properly - i.e. that the backside of the drawer or door face is not splintered out where the drill bit came through.  Is the hardware placed appropriately and even?
• If the piece has doors check to make sure that the hinges are of a type that allows adjustment. For large doors make sure that the hinges are heavy-duty enough and that there are the appropriate number and placement of hinges to keep the doors from sagging and not hanging level.
• Speaking of level - larger case goods should have levelers that will allow you to make sure the piece sits level, even on an uneven floor.  Allowing a case good to sit unleveled for years will permanently rack the frame and result in frustration with doors and drawers not working properly.

While this article is in no way a comprehensive quality checklist of what to look for when shopping for bedroom furniture it can serve as a starting point to help you buy with confidence.  

As always if you ever have any questions about the quality furniture available at Geitgey’s Amish Country Furnishings in Dublin please don’t hesitate to call, click or visit.

Which woods and finishes are most durable?

         
    oak                                      cherry                                 hickory                            

Which woods and finishes are most durable?

We are frequently asked this question in the store and like so many things in life the answer is... it depends!

There are five main factors that determine how well the surfaces of your wood furniture from Geitgey's Amish Country Furnishings will wear:
1.  What is the hardness or density of the wood?  The scientific name for this is specific gravity.
2.  What is the grain texture of the wood?
3.  What stain color are you choosing for the wood?
4.  What is the finish treatment being used?
5.  What is the application of the piece of furniture?

Let's examine each of these items in order to help you make your best choice.  Here are the domestic species of hardwoods that we offer in descending order of hardness:  Hickory, Red Oak, Hard Maple, Walnut, White Elm, Cherry, Brown Maple.  The hardness of the wood could matter when you have a surface that might get a repeated amount of physical abuse - like a table or desk top that is exposed to lots of dropped or dragged items that would otherwise dent a softer wood more easily.

But the reality is that almost all woods can be dinged, dented and scratched so we feel it's even more important to consider the grain texture of the wood you are choosing because the texture is what will determine how well the wood can camouflage the inevitable ding, dent or scratch.  Coarse grained woods like Oak and Hickory will do a much better job of hiding damage than finer grained woods like Brown Maple or Cherry.  Oak and Hickory also tend to have a lot of "movement" or pattern in the wood that can also serve to hide scratches.  Many of the fine grained woods can be very glass-like and reflective, especially when placed underneath a pendant light or in front of a bay window as you would with a kitchen table, and while these are certainly beautiful woods they will typically reveal more of the daily wear.

Also contributing to how well scratches and dings can be concealed is the stain color that is chosen for your furniture.  Dark colors have been trendy and popular for some time now, but dark stains such as Onyx, Espresso, Rich Brown and Java as well as black paint are  bound to show scratches and dings more easily.  Think of the analogy that a dark or black colored car is harder to keep clean than a lighter colored car.  These colors will also require more frequent dusting and cleaning.

Considering the proper finish treatment is also important when choosing your furniture options.  We are not necessarily talking about the type of finish here, as all of our furniture is already finished with a catalyzed conversion varnish which is a very durable finish.  More information on this finish can be found in this short video: Conversion Varnish Video.   What we really mean by treatment is whether the piece is finished "pristine" or "distressed".  Pristine is when a piece is stained or painted and then simply top-coated and left in a more or less flawless or unblemished state. Distressing occurs when we add tooling detail (dings, dents, faux powder-post beetle holes, edge sanding, etc.) that give the furniture the appearance of having some age and use.  Distressing can take the anxiety out of the first ding you might inflict upon your furniture yourself and make the piece a more livable and relaxed addition to your home.  We also have the option on many of our species to use a "rustic" or "character" grading of the lumber that will allow for more knots, mineral inclusions and imperfections in the wood than a select grade of the same species might allow.  In addition, we can also use roughsawn or planking effects to further add to the character of a piece and to make it look like a well-loved part of the household.

Finally, consider the application of your furniture.  Just because an interior designer on a television show said that you need a dark pedestal table with a high-gloss finish in your kitchen does not mean your four year old will respect that decision!  Oily hand prints and fork marks will win in the end.   Know that furniture is fashion, yes, but furniture is also where your family gathers, eats, sleeps, works and relaxes.  Considering all of the above factors when making your purchases of hardwood furniture will help to ensure you enjoy your furniture for many years to come.

As always, the staff at Geitgey's Amish Country Furnishings in Dublin is glad to help with questions related to this article or any other matter.  Just call, email or stop in anytime.