This is a guest post from Karawynn Long, who writes about personal finance at Pocketmint. Karawynn is a semi-regular contributor for Get Rich Slowly. She has been blogging since before “blogging” was a word. Here at the Koke-Long house we’re in the market for some furniture. Our living room is currently semi-furnished with a comfortable but deteriorating Ikea couch and some leftover dining chairs; we’d like a nice armchair or two and some tables. I’ve mostly gone for Ikea ‘cheap and new’ furniture in the past, but I’ve been disappointed by its (understatement alert!) lack of durability. This time I’d like to try buying used but higher-quality. As I began to look around, though, I realized that I knew very little about what makes for a strong, long-lasting piece of furniture. Anyone can identify a rip, scratch, or stain, or decide whether they like a certain color, without special knowledge.
But judging whether a piece is likely to last two years or twenty — just by looking at it — is harder stuff. Here’s an overview of what I learned, with a checklist at the end. Wood furniture — composition I used to think hardwoods were hard and softwoods were soft. Actually, hardwood just means ‘from a deciduous tree’ and softwood means ‘from a coniferous tree’, and some hardwoods (like aspen) are softer than some softwoods. What you want on exposed surfaces is a wood that’s 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 (use a flashlight here if necessary) you know it won’t stand up to much use. Structurally, any kind of solid wood or sturdy plywood will do the trick. If plywood, look for at least nine layers. Check the wood for knots, even on unexposed pieces; all knots are susceptible to cracks. Some woods, like pine, are ‘knottier’ than others, and therefore less desirable.
Avoid particleboard, pressed wood, or fiberboard. Veneers — a thin piece of premium wood covering a lower-quality piece of wood — are often used even in very high-quality furniture. As long as the base piece is solid wood or plywood, the only drawback to veneer is that it limits the number of times an item can be refinished. Wood furniture — construction Joint construction is the main determinant of quality furniture. Anything held together with staples or nails is shoddy construction. Ditto if it’s glued and you can see the glue. Dowels (wooden pegs slotted into two opposing holes) are good, as are screws. The best joints are either dovetail (interlocking squarish ‘teeth’ — see photo) or mortise-and-tenon (narrowed end of one piece inserted into a hole in the other). Corners should have a reinforcing block attached at an angle. 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. Lift the piece at one corner — it should not twist or squeak. Check that all legs are touching the floor. Press on various corners to see if the piece rocks or wobbles. Upholstered furniture — composition For a sofa or chair with removable cushions, unzip a seat cover and have a look inside. You should see a block of foam wrapped with dacron, cotton, or (for very high-end cushions) down, preferably with a protective inner cover (usually muslin). Foam-only cushions are both less durable and less comfortable. If you’re buying new furniture, inquire after the density rating of the seat foam: you’re looking for 1.8 pounds or higher. Removable back cushions may have foam as well but are more often loose fill.
In the latter case, multiple internal compartments are preferred as they prevent the fill from settling. If there’s a tag or label, look for a cleaning code: ‘W’ means water-based cleaners, ‘S’ means solvent-based cleaners (‘dry cleaning’), ‘X’ means no liquid (vacuum only). Upholstered furniture — construction According to Consumer Reports, the oft-touted “eight-way hand-tied coil springs” don’t have a corner on comfort; coil, cone, sinuous, and grid springs can all work well. Best just to test the feel of the specific piece by sitting in various spots to see whether you tip or sink. If the cushions are removable, lift and press down on the deck underneath: you should feel even spacing and resistance to pressure. Squeeze the arms and back: ideally you should not be able to feel the frame through the padding. Lined skirts and ones with weights will hold their shape better over the long run. Are the cushions reversible? You’ll get twice the wear if they are.
Flip them around and make sure any upholstery patterns match up both ways. Tip: Consumer Reports has a nice diagram to help you assess upholstered furniture construction. That’s a lot of information. If you’re like me, you might find it difficult to remember all of these factors while you’re actually shopping at the furniture store. To make things easier, I’ve created a basic furniture shopping checklist. You may download the 35kb PDF or simply print the list below: Armed with this information, I feel much more confident about approaching future furniture purchases, both new and used. I hope you find it helpful too. GRS is committed to helping our readers save and achieve their financial goals. Savings interest rates may be low, but that is all the more reason to shop for the best rate. Find the highest savings interest rates and CD rates from Synchrony Bank, Ally Bank, and more. This article is about House & Home Hints and Tips House and Home ShoppingHow do you decorate the great outdoor room?
Cast-metal furniture can be prohibitively heavy and costly, plastic can topple in heavy winds and teak and other woods are bulky, expensive and need to be oiled.For many consumers, the most portable, durable and easy-to-clean alfresco furniture for the money begins with a frame made of stainless steel or aluminum with a weather-resistant coating. As tables, they can be topped with glass, stone or wood. On seats, woven synthetics or solution-dyed acrylic fabric upholstery can add comfort when metal slats or mesh needs a softer touch. The appeal of outdoor living has spurred innovation from designers around the world. In Australia, the firm Luxxbox uses a continuous loop of aluminum tubing to create the frame for South SL chairs, $320 each, with metal slat seats and backs. Jean Claude Cardiet of 2222 Edition Design in Paris mixes tubular and laser-cut steel to create intricate cane-patterned and loop-backed chairs. The Dutch design duo Studio Job updates traditional cast-iron garden furniture with provocative decorative motifs of peace signs and gas masks for the Industry collection for Seletti, to be released in the U.S. in 2016.Italian manufacturer Moroso has teamed with designers, including Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck, to produce M'Afrique, a line of furniture wrapped in colorful patterns by artisans in West Africa.
In Milan, Italy, designer Paola Navone created the Ivy metal furniture collection for Emu to interact with nature. The large-scale metal mesh she uses allows grass and vines to grow through tables and chairs, and her Ivy Pouf, $719, available through Coalesse, cleverly incorporates a solar panel to illuminate the piece and the surrounding landscape at night. Other Italian manufacturers, such as Kartell's Battery and Paola Lenti's Agadir, shed a flattering light on outdoor spaces with portable rechargeable LED lanterns and lamps.The concept of mass-produced metal dining and lounging sets has deep roots in Southern California, dating to when aircraft production facilities were reengineered to pump out patio furniture after World War II. Now, however, those basic versions have gotten a colorful update. Brown Jordan, the 70-year-old outdoor furnishings company founded in Los Angeles, is offering its signature 1961 Tamiami design for chairs, from $295, with aluminum frame and vinyl cross-laced straps in 12 colors and has a website tool for designing your own color combinations from 144 possibilities.
The company has also teamed with local interior designer Michael Berman to produce the Luna Collection, which is newly offered in a vivid green. Another classic design, Richard Schultz's 1966 Leisure Collection, has been given a new look with boldly colored frames. Created from cast aluminum to withstand the salty air of Florida, the highly collectible pieces are more of an investment, however, with Armless Dining chairs, now available in six colors, starting at $1,299 each.Color is playing a larger part in enticing customers. U.S. retailers such as Crate & Barrel are going for bright reds and blues for the outdoor Kruger Turkish Tile chair and Union counter stool. Even Restoration Hardware — known for its neutral tones — has added a rainbow of brightly colored upholstered cushions in a linen-textured outdoor fabric to its metal-framed Aegean chaises. Los Angeles interior designer Heather Ashton has made bright hues a feature of her debut outdoor furniture collection. "This is a nod toward modernist 1960s design," she says of her Sunbrella-upholstered Fay chair, $595, which has powder-coated steel legs in vivid orange and turquoise and is sold at Empiric in Los Angeles.