furniture-best & middle of the road

[judyh52]

I have located a Lexington dining room set on Craiglist. The set consists of a china cabinet, double pedestal table (44x66 with 3 leaves), 10 chairs (2 of which are captain chairs), and a Henkel Harris sideboard. Also included are pads. It is all solid mahogany and priced at $5,500. Is this a good price for used furniture? BTW, I have seen the set which is quite beautiful and in excellent condition. I believe it was purchased in '93. Th owner told me he paid over $2000 for the Henkel Harris piece.

Here's the link if you want to see the pics. [url=http://nashville.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=dining%20room%20set%205500&sort=rel]nashville all for sale / wanted classifieds "dining room set 5500" - craigslist[/url]

[Goode926]

Nobody mentioned Kindel of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Excellent quality, USA made, hardwoods, as Kittinger, heirloom quality. Chosen to do the line by line reproductions for Winterthur pieces. I have many Kindel pieces and attest to their quality. Or...Stratton case goods.

[furniturefanatiic]

Was searching and came across this forum. Sorry to be late to the dance. I have noticed a steady decline in furniture through the years. Someone made a list and I would add Kindel furniture to it and also De Angelis (NYC...very high end sofas and upholstered furniture.)

I will say that there is a huge difference in furniture from mediocre brands like Stanley from 30 years ago to today. I would never buy Broyhill or many other brands even 30 years ago. I got talked into a Stanley dining table that my daughter has and it has the most beautiful depth of finish on any piece I have seen and I am a fanatic.

Personally I am not a fan of Marge Carson but some think it is very good.

I had a Lexington table and wheat back chairs that were gorgeous. Used them in our kitchen nook and they were still in terrific condition when I sold them. They were really meant for a dining room. Very good quality but again, I think it has gone downhill.

I recently bought a Hancock and Moore sofa and have 2 others that are leather. This one is old and is in perfect condition. It was not cheap for a used piece but shows hardly any signs of wear. I'm thrilled with it because like a fool I sold a similar, older Baker sofa for way too cheap.

We also have 2 Hancock and Moore desk chairs and the first one we bought which is maybe 8 years older than the other is a much better piece of furniture as is an ottoman we bought at the same time as the first chair.

I am debating on getting rid of my Drexel Heritage (also mediocre, imo & it is older) rice carved 4 poster and trading it out for an upholstered headboard. I would not spend a fortune on one because I think it's a fad that will end. However, I live in an area of the country where modern & fad design is much more popular than repro 18th or 19th century. I like older American style furniture but I am also kind of tired of it. I would like to do a fresh, new, high end looking hotel style of MBR.

I laughed that someone said Design Within Reach. It sells Knoll and modern furniture mfg's. Again, the newer stuff is not as good as the original. I also had many pieces of DWR furniture that I purchased with my kids in mind. They took some but I don't think they are true modernists. They are learning their own tastes which is fine and best.

IMHO, buy the best you can and hold onto it or buy used and educate yourself beforehand. Otherwise be prepared to dump all those cheap sofas within a few years.

[celedorefinewallpapers]

Being an Interior Designer and having sold furniture you all are correct and incorrect. Most commercially sold casegoods (wood furniture) is made in Indonesia and China today. Exception being Mennonite made (often called Amish) There are some great Mennonite companies. (The aforementioned Smith Bros of Berne is one of them) There are still some pieces made in smaller boutique brands but the cost of labor makes it really hard to compete in the marketplace. Good mid priced brands like Stanley, Bernhardt, Universal, Hooker, and Bassett are often made overseas but hopefully in plants managed by the company for quality control. Higher end such as Hickory White, Century, Drexel-Heritage, Theodore Alexander, etc. may have select pieces made or at least finished in the U.S. but expect to pay more for them. Upholstered goods (sofas, chairs, etc.) are mostly still made in the U.S. if you by a better brand. The key is working with a reputable company and a knowledgeable sales person/designer. BE AWARE OF TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE PLACES. I visited a place north of Charlotte that was buying damaged goods and doing shoddy repairs on them and selling them just under first quality goods. It would be a real mistake to spend that kind of money to get duped. They did have some good bargains but buyer beware. I like the quality stores such as Good's Home Furnishings, Traditions, Ethan Allen, Thomasville, High Cotton, and the many Designer Boutique stores. And may I please add...if you see an item in a local store remember that the owner paid dearly for that piece to be available for you to see, touch, sit upon. They pay rent, electric, bought the piece upfront, pay taxes and salaries. Please do not use the local merchants as internet showrooms. It is stealing. If you want to buy furniture online then shop exclusively online....and good luck! Charlotte is a wonderful place to find great design and furniture.

[crazicanuck]

I am interested any info on Four Seasons Furniture Co. and its rep. as a sofa manufacturer. Can anyone help?

[carlaagnini]

I second the poster above that Brawley Furniture has some great quality, and while not always available in the showroom, they will gladly order at a fraction of the price...ask for Blain.
After that I highly recommend Ethan Allen. I was a merchandiser for them for years,and therefore most of my home is filled with Ethan Allen and the quality is top notch! They have a showroom in Pineville and a outlet only open on the weekends on Harris Blvd.

[R.Campbell]

Re. Cox Furniture Mfg., What is your opinion of Cox Furniture Mfg. Hickory, N.C. for a love seat?