How to Pick Out Quality Furniture

By Pinewood Furniture

When you’re looking to buy new furniture, you want a quality piece that will last for generations.

How do you know that it is good quality?

One thing to look at is the exposed surface. You want it to be reasonably scratch-resistant. You can test this easily enough by attempting to draw a thin line with your fingernail across the wood. If it makes a visible dent, you know it won’t stand up to much use.

You’ll also want to check the wood for knots, even on unexposed pieces. All knots are susceptible to cracks. Some woods are ‘knottier’ than others, and therefore less desirable. Avoid particleboard, pressed wood, or fiberboard.

When it comes to the construction, joint construction is the main determinant of quality furniture. Anything held together with staples or nails isn’t good. The same for if it’s glued and you can see the glue. Dowels are good, as are screws. 

The best joints are either dovetail or mortise-and-tenon. Corners should have a reinforcing block attached at an angle.

You’ll also want to look for thin sheets of wood between drawers in a chest of drawers or desk. While not necessary, these ‘dust panels’ improve structural strength as well as protect drawer contents. Drawers should run smoothly on glides and have stops to prevent accidentally pulling them all the way out. 

The best drawers have bottoms that are not affixed to the sides but ‘float’ in a groove, allowing for minor expansion and contraction caused by changes in humidity and providing extra strength.

Another test you can do is to lift the piece at one corner. It should not twist or squeak. Check that all legs are touching the floor and press on various corners to see if the piece rocks or wobbles.

Our Amish-made furniture has all of these above qualities and the rest of the furniture has most of those qualities. In my store, you will only find real wood - never any particleboard.

Want to know what quality furniture looks like? Stop in and see us and we'll show you around!