Quality furniture stores? (Raleigh, High Point, Dallas: sale, apartment, credit card)

[Caitlin]

We bought a lovely dining room set from Havertys two years ago. Shortly after we got it, my husband noticed a large "Made in China" black stamp on the back of the sideboard! We were surprised - had just assumed it was made here, in the U.S. But it is a truly beautiful set. We have since read articles that many U.S. furniture companies are "outsourcing" to China, etc. I don't think it's a big deal - as long as the furniture is well-made and of high quality, why should we care where it is made?! I would definitely buy more furniture from Havertys!

[saturnfan]

Very common now.

Unfortunately, Chinese goods tend to be trash and fall apart in ways never seen before. The Martha Stewart outdoor tables have exploding tops because the factory in China made cheap tempered glass.

If you want US stuff, don't trust name brands. Lane wooden furniture is now from China and its quality is zilch.

[Caitlin]

Originally Posted by saturnfan

Very common now.

Unfortunately, Chinese goods tend to be trash and fall apart in ways never seen before. The Martha Stewart outdoor tables have exploding tops because the factory in China made cheap tempered glass.

If you want US stuff, don't trust name brands. Lane wooden furniture is now from China and its quality is zilch.

Hi, saturnfan -

In my above post about our Havertys' dining room set coming from China I was making the point that, yes, we were surprised to discover after we bought it that it was not made in the U.S., but that it is very good quality, and beautifully made! I'm sure some furniture made in China is as you describe, but, luckily, ours is not. We've had it for two years and it is in perfect condition. Maybe a store like Havertys has very stringent quality control standards. (But, if I ever sit in one of the chairs and the legs suddenly break off, I'll remember your post!)

[saturnfan]

The Chinese factories can do good work as you described if the US distributor watches them like a hawk. Apparently yours did.

Now, let these overseas businesses do their own thing and you'll get a mess like the recent pet food tragedy.

Too many companies get cheaper and cheaper once they offshore their work. A recent example is Dualit toasters, a very high grade company in the UK. We have a Dualit toaster ($250) and it still looks and works great after years - commercial quality.

Now, they are offshoring some parts and products. You'll see refurbs and parts listed on ebay along with appliances not working right.

When you offshore and save money, you get tempted to go even deeper picking the cheapest subcontractor. Guess what happens then.

[KellyCrash]

We bought some furniture from the Basset store on Glenwood in Raleigh. I really liked the style of the furniture and found everything I was looking for there. I'm sure it's not the best quality, but it was nice for what we could afford.

[TriangleBlackCat]

Originally Posted by jenny2

I'm going to start looking for a dining room set soon, and I was wondering if anyone would recommend a furniture store? I'm looking for solid, quality furniture - no veneers, lol.

Where it is doesn't really matter - I don't mind travelling. We live in Willow Spring and I work in RTP so anwhere in the triangle area would work.

Thanks!

If you're looking for high quality American-made furniture, you really can't beat Stickley. I think there is a showroom in High Point. I am addicted to Stickley, much to DH's chagrin There is more info on the construction and also a catalog here:
Stickley - Collector Quality Furniture Since 1900
GL!

[Auntie Jo]

While we didn't shop for dining room furniture here, we've had an incredibly positive (and fun!) experience with Expressions Furniture in Raleigh (off of Glennwood). They really only deal with quality products and their products run the spectrum from traditional to transitional to contemporary. They've been fabulous about recommending products to us - even if we don't see what we want in their store. They're tapped in to all kinds of great product lines and will pull out the catalogs and work with you to find what you like.

We're more on the contemporary side of things when it comes to home furnishings (but we're not super modern) and we're very happy with the products and fabrics we've had to choose from. We've been working with Leslee - who we love, love, love! I've met a few of the people who work in the store (including the owners) and they are just so SO nice and so knowledgable. We're furnishing our living room through them, and while we're spending a bit more than we wanted, we are so thrilled with what we're getting...and we know what we're getting is going to last a very, very long time - and everything we're getting is so comfortable. (plus we got to pick out all the fabric so it was an exciting exercise in design.)

Leslee took our floor plan and helped us map out furniture placement and really "got" our style almost immediately. I can't tell you how many hours she has spent with us (and me in particular) helping me look through fabrics, styles, this and that - and now she's working with me to find lighting! She's just so much fun to work with...and going into the store is like a little holiday for me. It's just a beautiful store to experience.

Their website doesn't really do them justice and it doesn't showcase the more contempory things they've done or offer. I could go on and on about them. What can I say, I_heart_Expressions_Furniture. expressionsfurnitureraleigh.com

Seriously worth the trip even if you don't end up getting dining room furniture with them. You might consider them for other furniture purchases. They run some nice sales every now and again too.

[RDSLOTS]

One of my favorite furniture places in the Raleigh area is The Green Front on Yonkers (near Capital Blvd). They carry beautiful, high-quality like Maitland-Smith, at a discount -- but you cannot count on what you might find, and they are cash/carry for the most part.

I have found some lovely, heirloom-quality pieces for my home, as well as nice accessories and lamps.

The Green Front has a variety of stores in Farmville, NC -- maybe two hours from Raleigh, towards VA. It is best to go and plan to spend the night as there are too many stores to wander through in a day's time. The stores are also devoted to single items, for example, one store features only rugs, another only accessories.

[mcfamilyof4]

I second GREEN FRONT (both the Farmville store and the Raleigh outpost). I just bought a bunch of stuff there and will go back soon for more. They get random pieces that are just pick out and take home, but you can also order out of their catalogs and pick your own upholstrey. Good Luck!!

[omamia]

Has anyone gone to the Mitchell Gold Bob Williams outlet in Hickory? Was it worth the trip?