How to Select High Quality Furnishings that Will Last

Think about the difference between those pieces of furniture you know you'll have forever, versus the furniture you bought in a hurry because you needed a temporary fix. Great design and high quality construction and materials makes the difference between heirloom furniture and quick fix furniture. The most cherished pieces of furniture I have are the ones that I acquired over time and found uses for them no matter where I lived. Great design and high quality seem to fit in no matter what the architecture or interior style.  My advice is to always spend more for quality materials and construction as it will last you a lifetime.

Choose Quality Materials & Construction

Pay attention to the types of materials that are going into the furniture you are considering.  Your heirloom furniture will be solid wood built with highly skilled techniques. These pieces are delivered and installed complete and usually take a few strong people to put into place. (See a previous blog about sofa construction differences.) Don't be afraid to shake it and investigate the inner workings of the piece. A well built case good will be heavy and should endure the use as it was intended for without feeling wobbly or unbalanced. Great upholstery will also have the same grounding effect, with heavy cushions, a solid frame and eight way hand tied foundations for seating support.  Lift cushions, open zippers, ask about the construction. Purchasing furniture should feel like an investment decision.

Select Timeless Furniture Styles

Timeless designs are the ones that you love!  I am a fan of classic designs.  There are some traditional styles I absolutely hate. Very often I find unique and funky pieces that just make a room without being trendy. Any piece can be updated if its foundations are solid. I will often tell clients a chair or sofa should be reupholstered rather than purchasing new because the quality of the construction makes it worth keeping. It's not necessarily a budget saving move, but there's no reason to dismiss a piece of furniture because the fabric is worn or the cushions have lost their structure, those are easy fixes and fun updates. So buy what you love, aim for high quality, and you can live with different iterations through the decades.

Ask for Superior Finishes & Accents

Custom finishes and accent choices are what make a piece extremely unique and stylish. The style of leg or the accent pull may be part of the piece's historical design. These are also parts that could be changed up on a custom piece to make it fit the current interior design of the room. Updating a solid wood piece by painting it a high lacquer paint color could be a bold and on point design decision. The same could be said about simply changing out metal accents such as hinges or pulls for updated hardware. These are updates that make an heirloom piece of furniture current through generations.

Make Sure the Furniture is Easy to Maintain

Superior construction and materials create the foundation of the furniture.  If you have a great foundation, pieces can always be refinished and restored. Talk to the maker of the piece about the finishes they offer. They should be able to match the appropriate finish to your lifestyle. Consider the use of the piece and how much care you are going to take with the piece. If you are looking for a dining table for a busy family, you want a durable finish that is easy to clean. I have a dining table from the 1940s with a waxed finish and I use it every day for meals and general activity for the past 23 years. I've used it for kids birthday parties and art projects. I'm not one to use a tablecloth or coasters, nor do I want to feel the table is overly precious. The finish wipes clean and has worn well to a nice patina. The point is, know yourself and go with the finish that works best for your lifestyle and mentality.

Consider The Warranty, But Be Realistic

When you are purchasing new high quality furniture you should always consider the warranty. Even when a piece is made with solid wood, there may be an unseen flaw in that piece of wood and it may not reveal itself until it's settled and adjusted to the climate of its new home. It sounds crazy, but there are rare instances where a crack develops or splitting happens, and a well respected furniture maker will have a warranty that covers such instances for a given period of time. Check with the manufacturer and make sure you are comfortable with the warranty. Obviously life happens, so if you know your kids are going to play island jump with your furniture, no warranty should cover that abuse, but that kind of fun is priceless.

If you need more help than just selecting furnishings, I do that too. Contact me to discuss your next design and furnishings project.

All the best, Molly