What characteristics define quality furniture?
The simplest approach to seeing the difference between high and low quality is to take a good look at an old piece of furniture and something newer. Even “junk” furniture until the mid-20th century often had machine dovetailed joints in drawers and were built of solid wood. Lesser pieces were often veneered over solid wood. (Veneer is not necessarily an indication of poor quality, however. It’s a wood crafting technique that has been around for centuries and allows craftsmen to create beautifully designed grain patterns or inlays not achievable any other way.) Finer pieces were carefully custom-built by master joiners and cabinet makers out of kiln-dried, hardwood boards. What survives today is a testament to craftsmanship and the longevity of straight, old-growth wood.
