How to buy Bedroom Casegoods

Posted on by FurnitureTutor

When you go to buy bedroom casegoods you will find that they are made as a matching set.   A bedroom suite collection general consists of: nightstands, dresser, high chest, bachelor chest, wardrobe/armoire, lingerie chest, media chest (TV unit), and with some manufacturers, a make-up table and possibly a butler’s stand.  Each piece has its own individual purpose but ultimately each unit is made for storage in a bedroom environment.  We will talk about these individually to get a better idea of their primary use and the subtle differences between the units.

Knowing your room size ahead of time will be a tremendous advantage to planning out your bedroom furniture.  Having an accurate floorplan will make your selection process go much faster if you are aware of what you can fit into the desired space.

  • Nightstands – This item is discussed in the “How to Buy a Nightstand” article.
  • Dressers – They come in all different heights, widths and depths. Typically it is a set of pull-out drawers with many configurations available.
  • High chest/chest – Very similar to a dresser but is typically narrower in width and higher than a standard dresser.
  • Lingerie chest – They are a tall and narrow, usually 15” to 20” in width and are higher than a dresser or a high chest. Five to seven small compact drawers is typical.
  • Media chest – Generally they are about the same size as a standard chest however, they have an opening in the top drawer position so that the user can slot in their cable box and DVD player. Often the top position has a glass front so that the remote controls can connect with the TV without having the electronic units sit out in the open.  Some manufacturers make a drop-down drawer front so that the chest has a consistent finish throughout.  The TV then sits on top of the unit or gets wall mounted.
  • Wardrobe/Armoire – These two units are very similar in purpose. They are mostly over 66” tall and 36” to 48” wide and 18” to 24” deep.  They are a stand-alone unit, some on legs and some on a floor base, to store a variety of things in the bedroom.  A true wardrobe is for hanging clothing from a coat rod in the top of the cabinet with a hat shelf above.  An armoire usually has storage, drawers or doors, in the bottom of the unit and doors on the upper section with the option of coat rod and hat shelf or adjustable shelves.  They are many versions available, but you need to see if the collection you like has the correct configuration you require.
  • Bachelor’s chest – These are a set of pull-out drawers that are simply lower than a standard chest unit. Most often the top of the unit would be 30” high and all other dimensions the same.
  • Make-up table/Vanity – They are typically 42” to 66” wide and 30” high with varying depths, depending on the manufacturer and the shape of the unit. A bowed top unit would tend to be deeper than a standard unit because of the front-to-back measurement from edge-to-edge.  Most often drawers are down both sides of the unit (like a desk) with a centre drawer and a mirror.
  • Butler’s stand – There are two versions of the butler’s stand. One is a counter (sometimes with fold-up legs) about 16” to 24” that sits in a room for putting your suitcase on while unpacking it.  Another type is a unit that you can hang your slacks, shirt, tie, and jacket on and it looks like a guy made of wood, but with no head.  These are great if you want to keep creases out of clothes and to be prepared for the following work day.

Of course, there are always other versions of these units that different manufacturers have added their own little twist on to create something unique.  However, this list above will give a suitable overview of what most companies are offering today.

Check the construction of every aspect of your desired bedroom suite.  The units should feel heavy and strong right from Day One.  While in the showroom; lean, push and pull the units so you get a feel if it’s strong enough to last ten years, at least.  Check all the joinery to see if the connections are glued and screwed, wherever possible.  Check the underside of the units to see what, if any, reinforcing has been added.  Check the backside of the units to be sure that the backing material isn’t just 1/8” thick particle board.

Most importantly is the opening and closing of the drawers.  Do they pull all the way out so you can easily access your belongings?  Are the drawers deep enough to handle all of your items?  Are they easy to open and close?  Do you like the feel of the hardware/handle? Can you pull a drawer out of the unit and easily get it back into the unit?  You need to do this at the showroom to be sure that if you ever have to remove a drawer, you know to accomplish that task.  Are the drawers on pullout glides?  Are they sturdy?  What are the glides made of, plastic or metal?  Are the drawers loose and wiggly while they are in the out position?  Are they four-sided drawers with fronts or three-sided with finished fronts?  Are the drawers dovetail connection front and back, front only, or butt joints.  Are all the possible connections glued and screwed?  Remember that the reason you purchase these units for the bedroom is to store all of your belongings in, so make sure they function efficiently.

The same inspection should be applied to the doors of the unit, if applicable.  Check to see if there are adjustable hinges in case they need to be leveled in the future.  Are the doors easy to open and close?  Do the doors line up square?  Are the shelves thick enough to support the kind of weight you plan on adding?  Are the shelf pins plastic or metal?  Are they easy to pull out and change to a new height if required?  Make sure that if any adjustments can be made, that you are aware of how to do it.

With hundreds of styles, shapes, colours and materials to select from you shouldn’t have a problem finding a set to your liking.  No matter what construction material you chose, the most important determining factor is the product’s strength.  Is it built like a tank so that it’s solid and rigid, or is it somewhat suspect?  Always keep in mind that furniture will not get tougher the longer you have it in your home.   If it’s wiggly, keep looking.

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How to buy a Home Office Desk

Posted on by FurnitureTutor

Planning a great home office starts with knowing your measurements.  Before heading out to find the perfect set of furniture, do your due diligence and measure the space with this in mind:Office Desk & Credenza Diagram B

  • Locate all light switches
  • Locate all receptacles, (plug-ins)
  • Locate TV cable
  • Locate computer attachment
  • How high is the window sill?
  • How high is the ceiling?
  • Where is your main light source for the room?
  • Do you want a stand-alone desk set-up?
  • Do you want an “L” shaped desk?
  • Do you want a “U” shaped desk?
  • Do you require storage? (Hutch, wall mounted storage, bookcase, filing, credenza storage, shelving)
  • What equipment will you be using? (Computer, printer, telephone, fax, TV)
  • Closed or open chassis?
  • Full, ¾, or ½ modesty panels

Confirmation of these questions will allow you to move forward in your process.  By starting with an accurate floorplan of your space, this task will go far smoother and will help you greatly when it comes to picking your required pieces.  Knowing that you have 400 hundred books means you will need a lot of bookcases or shelving units. Do some math at home and figure out approximately how many inches you will need to store your books.  The same goes for electrical equipment or for filing cabinets, you need to have some idea of how much stuff you want to store.  Do you want your books sitting where you can see them or behind closed doors?   For determining your file storage space, think of how many bankers boxes you could fill with your paperwork or file folders.  Each file drawer in a pedestal can hold approximately one bankers box.  Draw everything that you are wanting in the office onto the floorplan and try to judge how many of anything you require.  Once you have completed your floorplan you can safely move ahead with your shopping.

Most office furniture is made of plastic laminate, melamine, wood veneer or solid wood.  Many plastic laminate and melamine desks have PVC trim on work surfaces, gables and back panels to save money and keep the look consistent.  Plastic laminate desks are available with wood veneer trims, but typically at an upcharge.  Wood veneer desks are commonly made with wood veneer edges on work surfaces, gables and back panels but again, for an upcharge you can get solid wood trim for the work surface edging, which allows the manufacturers to add in extra edge details (called profiles) to create different looks.  It is rare, if ever, that companies will make solid wood desks because of the cost of the product and the potential of warping in the future.

The connecting hardware comes in a variety of ways.  If a manufacturer is doing KD (knock down) furniture they generally use some type of cam lock, which is the metal fitment that goes into the wood pieces, with pins added to the adjoining pieces so you simply turn the cam lock with a screw driver to complete the connection.  The nice part with this construction is that you have the option of being able to completely disassemble the furniture if you wish to move it to another space.  When a manufacturer makes a completely assembled desk, generally all of the connections have been glued and screwed to make a solid and rigid piece of furniture that can take all of the weight that you want to add to the top and into the drawers.

Most companies create a series of units that are available in a line of furniture.  They start with a specific look or edge detail and then have a set of units available in a variety of sizes.  The desks will come as a 30” x 60” or 30” x 66” or 30” x 72” and so on.  This is normal for the collection to have four desk sizes, four hutch sizes, and six different bookcase sizes and so on.  As the consumer you need to decide what series you like the look of and does it come in the predetermined sizes you are looking to acquire.  Many companies who offer the series are also willing to customize other pieces to help get the sizes you require, for an upcharge.  More often than not you will be able to find some beautiful furniture collections with the ability of getting any other pieces you need to complete your look.

Another option is custom.  This is easy.  You call a company to your home office, let them measure the room, tell them what you are looking for and they go off and plan out your entire office.  Then they bring back the drawings and pricing for your approval with colour samples in hand or even a custom colour, if so desired.  The only thing you have to do is pay for it.  Custom doesn’t always mean more money but it is a pretty safe bet that once you decide on a custom-built desk arrangement, it will be more expensive than the price of a prebuilt one.  The best part of custom is that you get exactly what you want, in the material you want, and in the colour that you want.  No compromises.

Whether you purchase prebuilt or custom, the product will take on average six weeks to arrive to your door.  A manufacturer has to get the order, enter it into their system, make the units, stain the units, finish the units, package the unit, and then ship the units.  All of this takes time, so don’t be looking out the front window of the house waiting for the furniture to arrive quickly.  Even once it arrives in your city, it still has to be off loaded to a warehouse, then picked up by the delivery team and brought to its final destination for installation, which all takes time.  When it comes to case goods furniture, patience is a virtue.

Make sure that the furniture is installed correctly.  All the product should be leveled from front to back and side to side. If you are not certain that it is level, then ask the installer to show you with his leveling tool.  Make sure that your drawers don’t roll open by themselves because of inadequate leveling.  Make sure that any overhead storage units are attached to the walls (into the studs) safely and securely with no chance of falling off.  Are the bookcases or shelves securely attached to the wall with a bracket?  Make sure that all units are connected together and feel solid and rigid.  Once your desk configuration is in place you should be able to walk around on the counter tops without any feeling that it is going to collapse.

Trust me, you are going to appreciate your quality home office furniture every day that you use it!  It is well worth the investment.

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How to buy a Dining Room Table

Posted on by FurnitureTutor

You need to start by knowing how big of a Dining Room Table you can fit into the room it will reside in.  Over the years I have lived by a few rules of thumb:

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  • From the edge of your table measuring outward away from the table you a need a minimum of 24” on each side of the table to have enough room to pull out the chairs for a user can sit down at the table.
  • 30” is a little more comfortable but is still a squeeze for most people of ample proportions. At 30” guests can barely sneak by if they need to excuse themselves from the table, or for serving food.
  • 36” starts to be a far better space between the edge of table and the back of the chairs when they are pulled out. This space allows guests to rise from the table with ease and makes the space large enough that it is easy to serve food to all the guests at the table.
  • 42” is an ideal space from edge of table to back of chair. This space will allow ease of guest getting in and out from the table.  It makes serving food a breeze because there are no obstructions to contend with.
  • 48” and over is luxury living. There are no problems for guests to come and go, and serving becomes a dream with ample space for all of your dining requirements.  Most people do NOT have 8’-0” of excess space in the dining room on both sides of the table.  Remember that you have to add the chair space (8’- 0”) to the width and length of your table.  A 48” wide table with 48” + 48” chair space = 12’- 0”, which would be a wide dining room by today’s standards.  The same math works for the length of the table.  An 84” long table with 48” + 48” chair space would be a 15’- 0” long dining room.  This still doesn’t account for any other dining furniture such as a buffet and hutch or a server or other types of storage cabinets.

Start by measuring the room and use the attached chart, (CHART A), to help guide you to the size that would work best for you.  In most of the dining rooms that I have done over the years we have allowed for a 36” chair space per side and this seems to work well.  Anything more than that is just a bonus.

CHART A - Click for Printable Plan
CHART A – Click for Printable Plan

Another major factor – is there a leaf in the desired table.  If yes, you need to be sure your math is correct so that you don’t bring home a table that just won’t fit.

FACT:  Most families do not have the dining room table fully extended (leafs in) more than three times a year.  Be sure to ask yourself the question, “How many times a year do you entertain a large group?”  The bonus of a leaf table, even if it’s just once a year, is that you have it available to use.

The glide mechanism is a very important part of an extendable table.  When you are in the store try it 20 times minimum.  Open and close it repeatedly while adding and removing the leafs.  How heavy are the inserts?  Can you lift and install them alone?  Can you close the table alone?  Can you open the table alone?  Do you have space in the house to store the extra leafs?  If for one second that you feel there is a potential that this mechanism could fail down the road DO NOT buy the table…because it will fail.  Sometimes showroom furniture will not have carpenters wax on the glides so they can be a bit sticky at the store; ask the sales rep to wax them up.  If it still seems a bit sticky or tough to open and close, find another table.

Another thing to consider with wood leaf tables is that wood changes colour, no matter what, over the course of its life so when you have the one, two, or even three extra tables leafs that you are going to store in a closet or under your master bedroom bed that when you bring them out three times a year their colour will no longer match the rest of your table.  To help with the colour aging process put the extra leafs into the table a few times per year and leave it open to the light.  If space is an issue, it’s best to bring them out and lean them against a wall for a few days just to allow them to be exposed to natural light.

The next question is, which material do you wish to use?  Wood, wood veneer, metal, glass, or stone, or a combination of those materials.  Metal, glass and stone offer exceptional durability.  They are very tough to break or damage.  One of the setbacks of these materials is that they are always cold.  (Unless in a room with direct sunlight on them).  This can be a little uncomfortable for you and guests when every time you lean on the table your arms get that little chill until your body can bring it up to temperature.  Wood veneer is a nice option but you will never get the durability of a hardwood.  I personally do not use softwoods on anything that I am going to use on a daily basis.  They just cannot take the beating and they are usually porous which allows things like a spill of grape juice or red wine to seep into the surface, changing its look by staining the wood.

Hardwoods such as maple, cherry, walnut and oak and many others are a very safe bet on dining room tables.  Solid stock top and legs/bases generally speaking will provide excellent wear and durability.  If you get a scratch or mark or stain on it most of the time can be refinished by a wood working professional.  I have watched many wood experts over the years take product that looked destroyed and hours later brought it back to life.  Sometimes they looked better after they were refinished because the customer had decided to change the colour and enhanced the grain of the wood.

Hardwood frames are a must.  Wood + glue + screws = a pretty tough table.  I have advised customers for years to take their tables home and to re-glue any spots that they don’t like until the joinery has been adequately dosed with glue.  All the glides, skirting and legs should all be hardwood.  Preferably the same wood as the table top but sometimes in order to save a little money the manufacturers may use some combinations.  Make sure there is sufficient hardware connecting the top of the table to the base.

Then of course give the table the ultimate test in the store.  Sit on it and wiggle around.  The sales reps won’t like this test but if it is a well-built table it should be able to handle your weight.  Remember, once you throw the turkey, gravy boat, mashed potatoes, etc. and a couple of bottles of wine onto the table you will start to add some serious weight to the product so it is better to find out at the store if it has some resiliency to it or if it is too wiggly.  And always remember, if it’s wiggly at the store…DO NOT BUY IT.

Table heights are all pretty well the same throughout the world between 29” – 31”.  If you wish to have a slightly lower table most furniture manufacturers will accommodate this request.  If they say they cannot make this adjustment you can always take the table to a local wood shop for the adjustment or if you are exceptionally handy you could cut them at home.  Making the legs a little longer has to be done at the manufacturers’ facility when the product is being made.  It has not happened much to me over the years but it is available most of the time to add a couple extra inches for a very tall family. And of course, it will cost a little extra money for this change.

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How to buy a Coffee Table

Posted on by FurnitureTutor

A coffee table may well be the toughest piece of furniture to purchase for a home because they come in thousands of styles, shapes, materials, colours and sizes.  So often you see one in a store and it calls out to you, “Take me home with you”.  Ten minutes after you place it in the desired space you stand back and think, “What the heck was I thinking?  It doesn’t look at all like I envisioned”.   What seems really crazy is that you can go to 20 furniture stores in one day, view hundreds of coffee tables and not like even one of them.  This happens often to many people who are trying to get just the right table to make a room perfect.  With so many options out there, this can make it an enormous task.  So, let’s start with the basics.

  • What size are you looking for? Sometimes taping off the size you wish on your floor can be a help.
  • What material do you want? Wood, metal, glass, plastic, leather, fabric etc.
  • Will you put your feet on it?
  • Does it need to be durable?
  • Is it in a show piece room?
  • Can you spill on it?
  • Does it need to be child friendly? No sharp edges or corners.
  • Can it be cleaned?
  • Is it easy to move around?
  • With or without legs?
  • Do want to be able to see under it?
  • What style are you looking for? Modern, country, classic, etc.
  • What level of quality are you looking for?
  • How much are you willing to spend?

PHEW!!   There are so many manufacturers representing so many levels of quality and price that you must have a budget in mind, or else when you come to a coffee table that fits all your needs but turns out to be the most expensive table in the store, you simply have to walk away.  Easier said than done!

A common size for coffee tables is 2’-0” x 4’-0”.  Obviously they are available in countless sizes but many of the manufacturers seem to use 24” x 48” as a standard.  It fits into many homes and doesn’t end up dominating the room and space.  This again is a reason that it is wise to have drawn your floorplan of the desired space, so that you can get a feel of how big of a table you wish to add.  I always suggest that you tape off on the floor of your room the approximate size you are hoping for and it will give you a much better idea about what will fit, so that you are prepared when you begin your shopping.

The construction of a coffee table should be rigid and able to support the load you are thinking of adding to it.  Is it wiggly?  A quality wood or metal coffee table should be able to support your weight effortlessly.  Glass and other materials could be another matter, but you still will require them to hold up a fair portion of weight every day without collapsing on the floor. Check to see that it is well built and up to the job ahead.  Are all of the connections strong and reinforced?  Have they used gussets on all of the corners?  Are the connections glued and screwed for stronger joinery?

One the most difficult parts is knowing what you’re after.  A big question is, do you want the ability to put your feet underneath the table.  Many coffee tables will have blocked bottoms or a low shelf or storage which will prevent you from putting your feet under there.  Cleaning under these types of tables means that you must move the unit in order to clean under it.  You’ll want to check the weight of the table to be sure that you are able to move it around the room.  The materials you end up selecting will have a lot to do the weight of the table.  A wrought iron base with a stone top will be strong, but it will also weigh over 50 lbs which is tough to maneuver alone.

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