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♦ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2006
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With a basic
understanding of woody
you ’ll find buying easier.
Have you been furniture shopping
lately? The experience may leave your
mind swirling with new terminology:
Solid wood, veneered wood, engineered
wood, “engraved” wood-look, stained,
washed, natural finishes and any number
of other descriptive phrases for wood,
wannabe wood or wood finishes.
When it comes to decorating your home
or apartment, furniture can be a major
expense with longstanding impact. It
pays to think about what you need, what
you want, and what your budget will
allow.
Getting Started
Start with a list of your needs room by
room. Perhaps you already have some
pieces to coordinate with, or maybe you
are starting from scratch. Or, are you
replacing long-outdated, wom-out
furniture? Evaluate What your needs
truly are. Basic seating? A place to
sleep? A large kitchen table for your
family to gather around? Or do you
have stacks of books and nowhere to put
them?
Take an honest look at what your needs
are and make a list. It is much easier to
prioritize from that written list than to
wander aimlessly into a furniture store
and have no earthly idea what you are
looking for.
After you’ve itemized your needs,
browse through decorating magazines,
catalogs and web sites. Hone in on the
styles you like. Again, advance consider
ation of the styles that appeal to you will
greatly narrow your choices and aid you
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in finding the right styles for your home.
Furniture Jargon
So, now you know what piece or pieces
you want and have pinpointed some
basic styles that feel “right” to you. It
is time to target a budget and begin to
furniture shop. As you can imagine,
prices vary widely, and are often tied to
the quality of the piece. Finding good
furniture that works for you involves
understanding how pieces are made and
then deciding if the quality of the piece
will bear up in day-to-day use.
Familiarize yourself with these terms
that are used to describe case goods -
- furniture that is not upholstered, like
bedrooms and dining rooms:
• Solid Hardwood: Furniture described
this way should be entirely crafted of
hardwood, such as oak, maple or cherry.
Hardwood furniture should last for
generations, and can be repaired and/or
refinished, if needed.
• Solid Wood: This term refers to any
wood, soft or hard, used throughout the
piece. Like hardwood, solid wood can be
repaired or refinished and should have a
very long life.
• Wood Veneer over Solid Wood:
Veneers are thin slices of decorative
woods, such as mahogany and burled
maple. Applied over a solid wood frame,
veneers add a beautiful surface not pos
sible with regular, solid wood alone.
New technology in veneers lets you have
the beauty of natural wood grain veneer
without the lifting and crazing problems
of the past.
• Wood Veneer over Particle Board or
Medium Density Fiber Board (MDF):
Instead of a wood framework, the under
lying piece is constructed of fiber board
or particle board. This is sometimes also
referred to as engineered wood. The
veneer in this case should be a natural
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wood, not man-made.
• Engraved Wood Finish: This is not
wood at all, though by the sound of it
you might think so. This term refers
to essentially a paper-like photograph
of wood grain that is used to give the
appearance of wood. Engraved wood is
often used in inconspicuous spots, such
as the back of an entertainment unit or
bookcase, or can be applied to more
obvious area. This type of surface is not
repairable if it gets damaged, and the
surface can also get rubbed off if you
use the wrong kind of cleaner.
• Laminate: A laminate is a man-made
surface which can appear to look like
wood, or is available in many other
colors. It is applied over a framework,
usually particle board. Laminate is more
durable than an “engraved finish.”
How it is Made
Well-made furniture will not be glued
together exclusively, though glue can be
used to help reinforce joints. Take a look
at a drawer, for instance. A sign of good
craftsmanship would include dovetailed
front and side pieces, and the use of
wood throughout the drawer. On a table
the comers are usually reinforced with a
comer block. Pieces should feel heavy,
solid and not wobbly.
Particle board framework is commonly
used today as a means to control costs.
Particle board is also very strong, in
some cases stronger than certain woods.
For some uses, it is a budget-saving
means to furnish a space.
When a piece is described as hav
ing an oak finish, fruitwood finish, or
specifies any other “finish” term, make
sure you find out if the item is actually
constructed of wood. Clever catalog and
fui niture store descriptions often make it
sojind as if the “finish” is actually refer
ring to a type of wood used in the piece,
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which may or may not be the case. Be
certain to ask exactly what the furniture
is constructed from before you make any
assumptions.
Furniture Sources
The most obvious place to look is in
local furniture stores. However, don’t
forget estate sales, auctions and consign
ment stores.
Refinishing used furniture is also a way
to recycle a piece of furniture, giving
new life to what might otherwise get
thrown away.
When you are ready to start out on your
furniture hunt, remember to assess your
needs, set your priorities, narrow down
the styles you are looking for, target a
budget and then enjoy your search for
the “perfect” pieces to complement your
home.
The Top Five Things You
Should Know...
1. Get physical. Sit in it. Better furni
ture is usually more amply sized, more
substantial and contains more raw mate
rial such as springs, frame, and cushion,
and will be heavier than a lower quality
piece.
2. Examine the finish. If the finish is
translucent, it should be even and the
grain should show through. Wicker and
rattan pieces should be smooth without
splinters and weaves should be tight.
3. Check the cushions. Neat well-de
fined comers or curves, securely at
tached buttons and unobtrusive seams
are the marks of a quality cushion.
4. Look beneath the surface. See how
the piece is constructed, looking for
loose screws, padding not sewn cor
rectly, or unprotected springs.
5. Consider the conditions. Choose the
piece based on where it will be placed
and how it will be used.
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