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By Joel Walsh
You don't want to break the bank buying bedroom furniture. But
you don't want to break the bed because you bought cheap. You
don't have to sacrifice quality for affordability, or
affordability for quality. But you do have to keep your eyes
open and your expectations realistic. There are plenty of
furniture manufacturers that will be more than happy to part a
furniture fool from his money.
Why Bedroom Furniture Craftsmanship Is So Important
Why does bedroom furniture so often seem to give out before
the
rest of the room's furniture? Because it's usually used more
frequently and more heavily than any other furniture in the
house.
Guaranteed frequent use.
For many people, bedroom furniture will get used more
consistently than any other room's furniture. Even if you
spend
all day at work and never turn on your TV, you'll still begin
and end the day in bed.
Heavy use.
No one is a gentle creature in the middle of the night or
first
thing in the morning.
Toss and turn in bed? Better hope your bed joints can take it.
Who remembers to use a coaster for a glass of water in the
middle of the night? If your nightstand's finish is just
sprayed on rather than a genuine varnish, you can expect that
water glass to leave some pretty nasty scars.
Your nightstand will get a good rattle when you hit the
"snooze" button. If the pieces are just loosely bolted
together, there'll be some damage within a few years.
Your bureau drawers will be yanked open and slammed shut. If
the drawers are sliding on metal rather than plastic runners,
you might just yank the drawer and pull it right out.
Of course, you could treat the furniture delicately. If that's
even possible to do when you're tired, it would be a great way
to bring a lot of stress into the room.
Considering that you may spend a third of your life in the
bedroom, why not make it nice?
Judging Quality Discount Bedroom Furniture
You can find both good and bad furniture at just about any
furniture store. Furniture stores tend to be a bit like car
dealerships that way. But some stores can be worse than
others.
In particular, be wary of any of the new bedroom furniture
lines being sold by discount department stores. Kmart and
Target, in particular, have moved into the furniture business
with mixed results. According to a recent New York Times
article, when a professional furniture craftsman checked out
the "designer" pieces at Target, he found a lot of reason to
believe the furniture wouldn't last. The biggest cause for
alarm: parts that were bolted together without also being
glued.
When parts are only bolted together, they will inevitably
start
wiggling just a bit. As time goes on, the wiggling will pull
the
bolts loose. Then one day when you slam the "snooze" button,
the
nightstand will go crashing down beneath it.
Materials are of course as important as workmanship--at least
when it comes to price. Everyone knows that hardwood costs
more
than particle board. But not everyone can spot particle board
right away. What does "oaken" mean? Just because something
looks like oak, doesn't mean it's oak.
If every inch of surface is covered in some kind of veneer,
check the materials label on the furniture's tag. Every piece
of furniture you buy should have some kind of label like this.
If you're buying online, the website's description of the
piece
should say what the materials are. If not, take your business
elsewhere.
Want a shortcut for finding well-made discount bedroom
furniture? Try looking for furniture from a respected design
company. An Ethan Allen table sold in one store should be
roughly as good as an Ethan Allen table sold in another. Of
course, these brands are expensive. You can cut down on cost
by
comparison shopping online just as you would for electronics
or
cars. You can even buy the furniture online and have it
delivered to your house, the same as from an offline furniture
store.
Wherever you buy your bedroom furniture, just make sure it's
quality. After all, you'll be spending a third of your life in
it.
About The Author: Joel Walsh is a freelance writer. Check out
this online store for:
www.bedroomfurnitureusa.com?%20discount%20bedroom%20fur
niture%20set
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