The best wood furniture around is high quality, using the very best woods and assembled by skilled craftsman who know the ins and outs of creating furniture that lasts for years to come.
Even though all furniture may look like it's well made on the surface, you need to look under the hood, so to speak, to see the real quality. A lesser quality piece doesn't mean that it's bad, but it may mean it won't last as long as a piece of higher quality furniture.
The best wood furniture around uses hardwoods. This can include oak, birch, maple, mahogany, teak, alder and cherry. Some are harder than others, and even some hardwoods are softer than the so-called softwoods. Confused yet? Not to worry. Most woods will be fine for use inside your home. So if you love pine, it's OK. It will hold up well, assuming that the actual piece of furniture is well designed and constructed.
If your wood has knots in it, don't fear. Some of the best wood furniture around has knots. For instance, pine has a lot of knots. While this may weaken the wood slightly, it will also add beauty. And all knots are not the same. A pine knot will stay in place forever. If you have a knot in oak, however, it may pop out unexpectedly.
Any furniture made of solid woods will give you longer performance than plywood or composite materials, which are sometimes called particleboard. This is typically used on less expensive pieces of furniture, which is then covered with a veneer to mask its sawdust-like appearance. Plywood isn't all bad. It can serve admirably for the sides of the drawers because its laminated layers are often stronger that traditional wood and less prone to warp.
Veneer isn't a sign of cheap furniture necessarily. It is actually a great alternative for furniture pieces that don't get much use. In fact, you're likely to find veneer on highly collectible antique furnishings, since it was originally developed to provide a high quality look on pieces of lesser quality in the 1920s and 1930s.
Often, veneer is composed of exotic woods, cut into precise shapes and glued in place to create decorative designs on otherwise solid wood pieces. These veneers can add beauty and value to any piece of furniture and the work is performed by highly skilled artisans.
In the old days, furniture that had to be assembled was supposed to be a sign of inferior quality. This is no longer the case. Furniture is often shipped partially assembled, simply to reduce shipping costs. In fact, many of the pieces you'd see in a traditional furniture store - dining room chairs and tables, for example - may have been shipped from the point of manufacture and assembled at the store. You just never saw them being put together in the stockroom.
That's one of the reasons why it's a smart idea to visit online furniture retailers, to see what they have available. Because their showrooms are virtual, they can often carry a broader selection of furnishings. Shipping is often free, too, so you don't have to factor in the delivery cost. Even a lot of neighborhood furniture stores charge for delivery these days.
When selecting the best wood furniture around, think about how it will be used in the home. If it's not going to be used daily, you may be able to go with a slightly lesser quality piece of furniture. But if it's going to be used regularly, you really want to invest in a quality piece from a reputable company that stands behind its products.
Higher quality pieces are easy to identify. They are even and square in appearance and have tight joints. They have good hinges and if they use any lesser woods, they are in out of the way places, such as support beams or the back of an entertainment center or desk. Quality furniture should have a heft to it, it should be stable and the drawers should pull out smoothly and not jam or scrape when opened and closed. Ideally, they are mounted on ball bearings, though a well made smaller drawer can work fine without them. Screws should be countersunk and covered. The upholstery on wood furniture (dining room chair seats, for example) should be evenly tucked and securely fastened. Doors should fit tightly and close securely.
These are just a few of the many features you'll find in higher end wood furniture and are the usual marks of quality.
If you're not sure about any of these issues when shopping at a furniture store - either online or in your neighborhood - don't hesitate to ask. Reputable companies are very forthcoming about the furniture they sell and will gladly answer your questions before you make a purchase. That is the true sign of the best wood furniture around after all - a furniture manufacturer or retailer who stands behind the products they sell.
