How to Spot Quality Furniture

Does every piece of furniture need to be of the highest quality? Does quality always equal expensive? No, and no. We sat down with Jim Gavriel of CF Interiors to chat about quality furniture construction, how to spot it, and how to select pieces appropriate for the people and usage in your home.

This is an adaptation from a podcast. If you’d prefer to listen, click the buttons below.

TYPES OF FURNITURE SHOPPING EXPERIENCES

Trade Only

When you embark on a shopping escapade with a designer, you may enter a trade-only store like CF Interiors. “Trade only” means clients must come alongside their designer. The client is guided by both their designer and the highly educated representative to make the correct selection for the end users.

Before CF went trade only, they felt that clients were overwhelmed by the hundreds of options and decisions at their fingertips. So much time was spent on discovery that they weren’t able to investigate all the solutions that were best for the client before they were exhausted.

By going trade only, the designer has already completed this discovery with the client. They’ve narrowed down the options to what might suit the client, and the client gets to make the final selections. It’s a more relaxing shopping experience.

Retail

Retail stores range in quality and cost. You don’t need a designer to visit these stores, but it helps.

Some high-end retail stores have trained designers on staff. They can assist you with your selections and explain the construction of their products. Not all retail stores are created equally and some will be more interested in finding you what will make the sale, and not what will make sense for your usage. It’s important to understand your needs before entering a retail store. In the below sections, we’ll give you some things to look for.

WHAT IS LIFETIME FURNITURE?

Simply put, lifetime means the lifecycle of your furniture. Most people don’t keep their furniture long-term like they would have in previous generations.

High-quality pieces might outlast your use, but most quality upholstery pieces are built to last 15-to-20 years. The average sofa from a retail store might last three to five years. The fill and frame are not made to last, so they will begin to sag quickly.

Warranties

Not all warranties are created equal. Ask your representative what the warranty covers on your piece and for how long. Is the warranty for materials only or does it cover service? Is it a manufacturer warranty or does your dealer have a service warranty?

When something goes wrong with quality furniture, you want to have a professional furniture technician service it. That can cost you $500 or $600 per visit. Ask a lot of questions and be sure what is covered under warranty.

Along these lines, a high-end furniture store will have a quality furniture technician who checks the furniture when it comes into the warehouse. They’ll be sure it’s not defective and repair any minimal damage before it gets sent off to you.

MARKERS OF QUALITY UPHOLSTERY CONSTRUCTION

You’ll want to look at these markers of quality:

Wood frames with mortise and tenon joints.
Double dowelling.
Eight-way hand-tied coil springs with steel strapping for extra support.
Soy-based or natural fill like down or feather.
Fabric with high double rubs.
Tight stitching.

TYPES OF FILLS

Fill is the material or batting that goes into upholstery fabrics to create a cushion. Fill materials can be polyurethane/ petroleum, soy or down/ feather.

Petroleum Foam

Petroleum produces a lot of off-gassing. It is not a green selection nor is it the best option for anyone with sensitivities. This fill is typically used in lower-quality furniture.

It degrades quickly. If the foam has been sitting in a warehouse for some time before being installed in furniture, it may have already begun the process of degradation. This may result in less time with your furniture. It is impossible to know how long your furniture will last before needing to be refilled.

Soy-based Foam

Soy-based foams are the industry’s solution to the negative aspects of petroleum. They can be mixed with petroleum products, so confirm that the foam is 100% soy-based.

This is a more natural option and is found in many mid-grade quality and high-quality pieces. It’s a long-lasting material, but it will also degrade over time.

Down or Feather Fills

Down and feather fills (see the difference between the two here) are high-end natural materials that many people love. BUT they come with additional maintenance requirements.

You can’t get the fill wet.
Spot clean with care and use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum to clean.
Don’t forget to beat it to fluff it back to its original shape.

They will last forever. Check for allergies in the home with this option as the feathers can sometimes peek out.

FABRIC SELECTIONS

We go into fabric selection details in this podcast, and here it is in blog form.

The main things to look for in upholstery fabrics are:

High double rubs.
Built-in stain protection.
Select fabrics with a maintenance schedule that suits your lifestyle.
Low pile/ no weaves for pet-friendly homes.

COM Fabrics

COM Fabrics are the “Customer’s Own Material” Fabrics. Choosing to use COM fabrics is a great way to make custom furniture without the expense of going fully custom.

The client selects their upholstery frame and fill from the furniture manufacturer. If they are not happy with the fabric selections that the manufacturer offers, they can purchase their own materials from their preferred fabric dealer. They then send the fabric to the furniture manufacturer, and the manufacturer installs the fabric on the frame. Adding this to the customizations already available with the manufacturer means you’re not likely to have the same furniture as anyone else you know.

BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET

It’s always one of the first things we ask. A furniture retailer is no different. They’ll ask you for your budget upfront as well as the requirements for the furniture. We’re not looking to max out your budget, we’re trying to meet your most important needs at a comfortable price point for you.

By getting the budget out in the open right away, your furniture representative can show you things that will match your price point and hopefully tick all your boxes.

If the options won’t tick all your boxes, they can explain that you might have to increase your budget or compromise on some requirements. Maybe you don’t need a piece that will last you 20 years if you’re planning to move across the country in five.

If your requirements are minimal, they’ll be able to meet your budget and could offer you exceptional value for your money.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON QUALITY FURNITURE

There are quite a few things to consider when selecting quality furniture pieces. Each person is unique and when selecting mid-to-high-end pieces, your furniture can be as unique as you.

We’re here to help with larger furniture projects. If you need assistance, let’s talk!