Looking for quality wood furniture

Shofer's Furniture features a plethora of high quality wood furniture. The difference between  quality products found at Shofer's and the lower-quality products at other stores are apparent, but you need to know what you are looking for.  So what are these characteristics of quality, wood furniture you should be looking for? Well, we're here to help.

Wood source — What type of your furniture is made of makes a huge difference on how long your new furniture will last. There is hardwood, softwood and engineered wood.  Most quality furniture, such as the kinds you'll find at Shofer's Furniture is manufactured using hardwoods. Look for wood coming from trees such as oak, maple, mahogany, teak, walnut, cherry and birch.

You will also find that some quality, modern furniture will use "manufactured" wood. It helps provide strength while preventing splitting or warping.

Construction — The construction of furniture adds not only to its beauty, but also how long it can last. Items of importance to look for include making sure that drawers fit well, and easily slide in and out of its station. Also pay careful attention that the doors close neatly and flush against the front of the cabinet.  A good way to test for overall sturdiness is to gently jostle the piece, listening closely for squeaks, twisting or wobbling.

Finish — A quality finish involves sanding, staining and finishing. There are several tell tale signs of a poor finishing process. Look for a rough surface, a very glossy/cloudy surface that hides the wood grain or splintered edges. In addition, other problem areas to look for include scratches, dull spots or "tear-drops" around edges and on vertical surfaces.

Keep in mind that many pieces of furniture you will find at Shofer's are purposely "distressed." This distressed surface features beaten, battered and nicked wood, designed to enhance the "rustic" or "aged" look of the surface.

^{Lauren Ralph Lauren furniture by Schnadig is available at Shofer's Furniture. Pictured here is the "Langholm Bed."}

Questions/Comments? Contact us at info@shofers.com or @shofers on twitter.

Article Source: about.furniture.com