Quality Furniture v. Low Quality Furniture

September 14, 2016 2 min read

Post Date: 9/14/2016

James and Veronica went to a well known department store a few weeks ago during that store’s special promotional offer for discounted furniture. They went excited to pick out a new dresser from among the cheap offerings. They ate lunch, looked for the cheapest dresser they could find, and purchased their very new dresser. Of course, it came in a cardboard box and the pieces were disassembled.

James and Veronica decided to make it a team effort to build their new dresser. They tore the clearance sticker off of the cardboard box and started fashioning together the drawers. Eventually, those were finished. Then came the fun part –assembling the base.

The couple had a feeling that the dresser was a little flimsy. But it wasn’t until they realized that the bottom and most integral piece was made wrong. It wasn’t finished.

It took a few phone calls and piling the furniture, now spare parts, into the back of their car and driving it down to the department store to get their money back before they had a realization –furniture you get off the rack for cheap is just that. It’s cheap.

Quality Furniture and the alternative

There’s a reason serious homemakers choose professionals to build their furniture. James and Veronica are just an example of the experience people have everyday when they choose department store furniture that comes from a box.

So how can you tell the difference between quality furniture and the not so desirable alternative?

What wood is your furniture made from?

Believe it or not, the kind of wood that goes into your furniture will have a huge impact on its integrity. Tables, desks, or drawers made from low quality wood will not stand the test of time. If your furniture is prone to dents, scratches, nicks or damage, it’s time to rethink the kind of furniture that is going into your home.

Solid Walnut Wood

So we know “softwood” and “hardwood” aren’t terms that should be taken literally (some hardwoods are harder than softwoods and vice-a-versa). The important thing to keep in mind is that different woods react in unique ways to humidity and temperature. While the furniture made at Gingko is fashioned from the finest walnut wood to ensure longevity durability, not all furniture is created equal.

Furniture made from particle board, pressed wood, or plywood are less desirable alternatives and won’t deliver the same quality that solid walnut wood and other hardwoods provide.

Bottom line?

Gingko designs and builds custom furniture here in the Bay Area. Building quality furniture is what we do, and have been doing for years. You won’t find anything in a box for you to put together with nails and glue at home. What you will find, however, are unique pieces of handmade furniture that will last.