| Something that should give us all pause is the ongoing | | | | their signature! Construction features the strength of |
| flight of skilled manufacturing jobs from America. | | | | 3/4 inch plywood backs, countersunk screws and |
| It’s been happening for decades now, but the | | | | Northern Red Oak. With this “no-flex” |
| pace has accelerated dramatically during the past few | | | | construction and bench made attention to detail, you |
| years. It isn’t just the auto manufacturers who | | | | can remove the drawers from a dresser, put them |
| are closing plants either. If you check the labels, | | | | on their side and stand on them without doing any |
| everything from the toys your children play with to | | | | damage. |
| the sink in your kitchen, Armoires in your bedrooms | | | | It’s not just the strength of construction that |
| and the shoes on your feet are likely made in China. | | | | makes American-built heirloom quality furniture stand |
| There’s reason to think about this situation, not | | | | out from the mass produced offerings from |
| just because of the jobs that are at stake or the | | | | overseas. Take Armoires from Furniture Traditions |
| skills that are disappearing offshore, but also because | | | | and a discount furniture retailer and put them side by |
| of the increasing rarity of high quality, heirloom grade | | | | side. You’ll immediately notice the difference. |
| products. | | | | Doors open and shut more smoothly and with less |
| Consider a company like Furniture Traditions. An | | | | gaps, there’s no paper, plastic or fake veneer on |
| American manufacturer of home furnishings, this | | | | the heirloom piece and while you can likely lift the |
| firm’s artisans use traditional techniques that | | | | discount version yourself (thanks to pressboard |
| used to be commonplace but are becoming rare as | | | | backing and use of pine), there’s no way that |
| furniture manufacturers continually move toward | | | | Oak Armoire’s moving without help. You could |
| higher volume production and cheaper products. | | | | do the same thing with Wall beds, except it’s |
| Whether it’s a spindle bed, nightstand or Wall | | | | difficult to even find a product like this from the |
| beds, heirloom quality furniture is built to be a | | | | lower end and self-assembly companies. Wall beds |
| functional showpiece that lasts; it’s an | | | | are complicated and with their structural |
| investment. Firms in this class produce bench made | | | | requirements, would be difficult to manufacture and |
| furniture, meaning that a highly skilled craftsman | | | | ship cheaply. You can certainly find some nice |
| individually works on each piece -you can actually | | | | examples made in America from Red Oak, though. |
| determine exactly who built the furniture by locating | | | | |