WHERE DOES FURNITURE COME FROM?

Judith Clark FIFDA, CID

Spring is the time to open the windows and let the sun shine in.  As we look around the house we find all sorts of furniture items that need replacing due to wear, or they just lost their usefulness.  So many of us look for ideas in magazines and try to copy the concept.  So many ideas that we see in magazines may be difficult and time consuming to try to match in our homes.   Shopping for furniture quality, let alone style is a real challenge since labeling is very unclear for furniture. 

Our clothing tags are labeled with the exact fiber content and where the item was made.  Our food also is fully labeled for ingredients.  Legislation has yet to be passed including furniture in this labeling process to protect the consumer.  When you purchase a piece of furniture there are no safeguards in place to let the consumer know what kind of wood is used…if any…and what chemicals are used in the construction of this furniture.

When you purchase a piece of furniture if it says “Mahogany Finish”, you know that it isn’t mahogany.  I hate to say it, but at times when it says mahogany, you still aren’t sure that it actually is mahogany!  Most furniture is some kind of particle board with a veneer of some kind of wood or photo finish.  It is truly amazing the technology that goes into making inferior quality furniture that in many cases sells for a high ticket price and the consumer has no clue until 6 months down the road when the furniture falls apart!  

90% of today’s furniture is made in one of many Asian countries including China, Indonesia, Viet Nam and more.  Actually much of the wood is cut from our forest.  This wood is shipped over to Asia to be made into furniture.  Since the advent of air conditioning, much of the furniture until the last few years was manufactured in North Carolina and other southern states.  Prior to that time much of our furniture was manufactured in the Chicago area.  Toward the end of the last century and the turn to this one, much of the popular furniture manufacturers in the south built state of the art factories in China and other countries instead of upgrading standards in U.S. factories.  The EPA standards for pollution control became so strict in this country that the furniture manufactures decided to make furniture where there were virtually no pollution standards and factory workers work for very little pay.  Now this is a huge political discussion that we won’t go into at this time, but let’s bring this closer to home.  What is the quality of furniture made offshore compared to most furniture made in the U.S?  Furniture created and manufactured in the United States is far superior to furniture made offshore.  Let is also be said that furniture made is Europe is also exceptional in quality. 

Do you ever wonder how styles are set for furniture?  Much is set for practical purposes and not for style.  The distressed look is in because it can be poorly made in other countries and no one is ever the wiser because it is already distressed.  The manufacturers love this.  The cleaner lined darker finishes are also popular now.  These were also made popular as inferior woods with imperfections can be used because the dark finish covers all of the sins that poor quality wood owns.

When shopping for wood furniture, stick your fingernail into the wood.  If it dents the wood or mars the finish, buyer beware.  That finish will not hold up in your home either!  These typically are finishes created offshore.  The consumer has no way of knowing where the furniture is manufactured, in the U.S. or off shore.  Ask the store owner prior to purchasing; they will be able to give you that information.  Some of our best furniture is created offshore these days, but much is quite poorly made.  The consumer isn’t aware of this for about 6 months.  Much of this furniture is throw away furniture. 

We must stop putting furniture into the land fill.  If you purchase furniture made in the U.S. you will be buying sustainable products with quality that will stand up for many years to come. 

UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE

Up until the past couple of years, most upholstered furniture was still made in this country.  We are still manufacturing much of it but we are starting to see upholstered items coming from these Asian countries.  When the sofa is brought in from so far away the fabric and styling choices are few.  In most cases the quality also leaves something to be desired.  Some pieces have been found to be filled with Chinese newspapers instead of fiber fill.  How long do you think this will hold up?  When purchasing a sofa, pick up one end and see if it torques.  If so don’t purchase it!  There also needs to be resilience in the cushions.  If you sink too far down, you only have one way to go and that is down further in a very short time.  Check out the welts on the back and seat cushions.  They should run straight and not curvy.  The filling should also fill the entire cushion.  Sometimes you will find the top of the back cushion lacks fill.  That will only turn to mush within a few months.  The wood frame should be real hard wood and not “wood products”.  Some manufacturers are also boasting that cardboard is used in construction of upholstered furniture.  Since when is that an application to boast about?  You may be surprised, but you don’t have to spend that much more for quality that will last for many years to come.