Pull out your list of who’s been naughty and nice–it’s time to get some gifts! Need a little shopping inspiration? Here are 10 great finds (all made in America and under $100) that we’re getting for our favorite people this year:
Copeland Furniture: A Visit to Their Vermont Factory
Copeland Furniture’s factory is nestled in a small town called Bradford, Vermont, near the New Hampshire border in an area called the Upper Valley. It’s as lovely as it sounds: covered bridges, lakes, nature, and a lot of homemade ice cream and craft beer. And it’s where Copeland makes all of their solid wood bedroom, dining, office, and living room furniture. We were lucky enough to visit the factory this past August, and we couldn’t have been more impressed. So obviously we had to share what we saw with you guys. (more…)
Quality Wood Furniture: How to Spot It
It’s almost impossible to take a quick glance at a piece of wood furniture (aka casegoods) and figure out if it’s quality or not. But if you take a few minutes to check out how it’s constructed, you’ll be able to get a pretty good idea of whether the piece was built to last or built for the landfill.
We covered the specifics of wood material, wood species, joinery, veneers, and finishes, which are all important, but they can be difficult to determine if you’re just out in a store browsing the selections. Luckily, there are certain features that you can spot pretty easily, giving you a clue to a piece’s quality. (more…)
Wood Defects: What’s Normal and What’s a Problem?
Part of what makes wood so beautiful is it’s unique grain and the character that comes from it being a natural, living material. But because it spent decades growing in a forest, real wood–and the furniture made from it–will never be perfect. For example, solid wood furniture will have some color variation and marks and it will grow and shrink slightly with changes in the environment. But that doesn’t mean every imperfection is acceptable. Sometimes there are flaws that just aren’t okay. So what’s considered normal and what’s considered a defect? Let us break it down for you.
Eco-Friendly Furniture: The Truth About Logging
If you’ve spent any time at all on our site, you already know what we think about the quality of imported furniture (they cut corners in wood material, wood type, veneers, joinery, and finishes). American-made furniture is great because not only does it last a lot longer, but it doesn’t contribute to illegal logging–a practice that accounts for approximately 10 to 30 percent of all lumber used in furniture and flooring and that has tragic consequences: (more…)
Wood Furniture Manufacturers in America
Looking for companies that manufacture wood furniture here in America? You’re in luck! There are actually a lot of these companies around. That’s the good news. The bad news is that finding them isn’t always the easiest. You can always shop at The Stated Home, which only sells pieces made by American manufacturers, or use the retailer locator on the individual company websites.
When it comes to American wood furniture manufacturers, you have three main categories: companies that make a large selection of mid-priced furniture for every room, smaller companies that typically focus on a specific style or type of furniture, and fine furniture – higher priced pieces with exceptional design and/or labor-intensive manufacturing.
It’s impossible to list every single one of the manufacturers out there, and for the purposes of this list we won’t mention the really small companies that only make a few items. That said, if you know of a company that we missed, please let us know! (more…)