Custom Furniture and Cabinetry From a Minnesota Cabinetmaker
You don’t have to be a cabinetmaker to appreciate well made cabinets and furniture, but it is helpful to know a little about cabinet and furniture construction. Features such as joints, drawers and finish tell a lot about the quality of casegoods (furniture designed to provide storage space, including bedroom and dining room furniture, desks, bookcases and chests). When looking at furniture, open the drawers, look beneath chairs and table tops and jiggle the furniture a bit to assure yourself of its stability.
Construction Features
Surfaces:
The surface of wood furniture is its first quality indicator. Finishes and veneers should be smooth and well applied, with no blemishes other than those intentionally added for interest. Edges should be smooth; there should be no splinters, cracks or checks in the wood.
Joints:
A joint is the critical area where two pieces of wood are joined together. The strength of a joint determines the stability and durability of furniture. The best joinery (such as dowels, dovetails or mortise-and-tenon joints) is also glued, locking the pieces together and increasing glued surface areas. Corner blocks glued into corners add even more stability.
Double Dowels
Dovetail Joints
Mortise and Tenon
Tables:
Dining and occasional tables should be balanced and stable, sitting solidly on the floor. Look for bracing at stress points and corners; table leaves should fit properly and match the table top.
Dining Chairs:
Chairs should also be well-balanced and stable, and constructed well enough to stand up to the stress of movement and weight. Joints are especially important, not just under the seat but at the points where stretchers connect to the legs.
Chests and Bureaus:
Sides and backs should be sturdy and well made. Pay special attention to doors and drawers, which should be well aligned and non-wobbly.
Dresser
Drawers
Drawers:
Drawers should fit well, glide easily and remain level. They should be smooth inside with dust panels between drawers blocking dust and other material. Drawer fronts should be attached to the sides with concealed dovetails; backs may be joined to the sides by dovetailing or a simpler form of joinery. Corner blocks are often used for extra stability.
Hardware:
Hinges should be adequate to support their doors—the longer and/or heavier the door, the sturdier the hinge. All hardware should be strong, firmly attached and lacking rough edges.
Care:
The better care you take of wood furniture, the more beautiful it will grow over time. Never use soap and water or window/countertop sprays on wood. Be careful of surrounding wood when cleaning mirrors on wood pieces. If you do use a damp cloth with wax or another cleaning product, be sure to dry immediately with a soft, clean cloth.
Discover Quality Cabinetry and Furniture
Before you go out to your local department store and pick out furniture that has been created, shipped, and sold within a week, take a moment to consider your investment. Wouldn’t it be much better to purchase real hand crafted piece of heirloom quality furniture that will last a lifetime?
Call In The Experts – Talk To A Minnesota Cabinet Maker
An often undervalued part of getting custom furniture or cabinetry is the installation. A proper installation assures that the cabinetry you purchase will look and perform the best for many years. It is disheartening to see a customer select and purchase beautiful cabinetry and then choose to have them installed by someone without the necessary carpentry skills and knowledge.
Review your floor plan and budget with Minnesota’s Most Respected Custom Cabinet Maker who can help you design the perfect piece of custom furniture today!