I dedicate this article to people who are looking to redecorate their rooms with some new pieces of furniture like a new and stylish coffee table including some uniquely designed seating furniture items (from upholstered armchairs and sofa beds to different styles of wooden chairs), a contemporary TV unit and many other small yet eye-catching details plus I want them to be able to distinguish the difference between the superior and shoddy furniture items. My suggestion is: get yourself well informed and pay attention to where your money is going, because, after all, you want to purchase something that you are going to use for many years from now. That's why, stick to the following tips and you won't get disappointed, I promise you.
Wooden Furniture Items
When it comes to wooden furniture (whether it's seating furniture or tables) what you have to know first is the difference between hardwood and softwood. Hardwood it does not mean literally that the wood is hard but that comes from deciduous trees such as Elm, Balsa, Oak, Beech, and softwood, on the other hand, stands for coniferous trees(which have needles instead of leaves) such as Pine, Spruce, Juniper and many others. Another thing to arm yourself with when purchasing wooden furniture is its surface that has to be a scratch resistant. So, how come you know which surface is and which is not scratch resistant? Well, here is what you can do, you can draw a very thin line across the item you are planning to buy with the help of your fingernail and if you could see a visible dent, then know that this item won't stand up to much use.
And in terms of structure, I advise you to look for furniture items made of solid wood and never forget to check for knots because they are susceptible to cracks.
You must know that the quality-made furniture item is always well constructed and if you notice that the item has staples, nails or signs of glue it means that you are looking at a shoddy piece.
Upholstered Furniture Pieces
If upholstered sofa beds or seating furniture pieces are what you are looking for, then I suggest you unzip the cover of the cushions (if they come with a removable one) and carefully look what's inside. What you want to see is a block of foam which is wrapped with dacron or cotton, or in some cases, with a protective inner cover usually made of muslin. If the cushions come unwrapped and are made of foam only, then keep in mind that these types won't last long, plus are less comfortable when seating for a longer period of time. If the item has a label or a tag I suggest you to always look for a cleaning code to make sure how to clean it when it gets dirty.
And when the time to test the construction of upholstered item comes, then my advice is to sit in various places and see if the item you are planning to purchase is first stable and then supportive. If you feel the construction frame through the padding on the arms or back or if you feel uncomfortable seating on it then this furniture item is definitely a shoddy one.
When it comes to wooden furniture (whether it's seating furniture or tables) what you have to know first is the difference between hardwood and softwood. Hardwood it does not mean literally that the wood is hard but that comes from deciduous trees such as Elm, Balsa, Oak, Beech, and softwood, on the other hand, stands for coniferous trees(which have needles instead of leaves) such as Pine, Spruce, Juniper and many others. Another thing to arm yourself with when purchasing wooden furniture is its surface that has to be a scratch resistant. So, how come you know which surface is and which is not scratch resistant? Well, here is what you can do, you can draw a very thin line across the item you are planning to buy with the help of your fingernail and if you could see a visible dent, then know that this item won't stand up to much use.
And in terms of structure, I advise you to look for furniture items made of solid wood and never forget to check for knots because they are susceptible to cracks.
You must know that the quality-made furniture item is always well constructed and if you notice that the item has staples, nails or signs of glue it means that you are looking at a shoddy piece.
Upholstered Furniture Pieces
If upholstered sofa beds or seating furniture pieces are what you are looking for, then I suggest you unzip the cover of the cushions (if they come with a removable one) and carefully look what's inside. What you want to see is a block of foam which is wrapped with dacron or cotton, or in some cases, with a protective inner cover usually made of muslin. If the cushions come unwrapped and are made of foam only, then keep in mind that these types won't last long, plus are less comfortable when seating for a longer period of time. If the item has a label or a tag I suggest you to always look for a cleaning code to make sure how to clean it when it gets dirty.
And when the time to test the construction of upholstered item comes, then my advice is to sit in various places and see if the item you are planning to purchase is first stable and then supportive. If you feel the construction frame through the padding on the arms or back or if you feel uncomfortable seating on it then this furniture item is definitely a shoddy one.