After talking with several people about it, I found that a lot of people out there either have misconceptions about or do not understand the nature of wood at all when it comes to furniture. So this morning, I want to talk a little bit about bedroom furniture construction.
First of all, the wood:
Contrary to what you may think, there is nothing wrong with a veneer as long as it is the right veneer. A veneer is really just a very thin slice of something (in this case, wood). On furniture, there are a number of veneer types including lamenant and yes, photo veneers (where paper with a picture of wood grain is stuck onto either wood or particle board). Nearly every piece of wooden furniture you see will have a veneer on it. For the best quality, you will likely want to look for something that is solid wood with a wood veneer on it. This will give you durability and a good looking grain.
Though a breakdown of different types of wood is to come in the next few days, just keep in mind that a hard wood will be harder to scratch and chip than a soft wood. A soft wood, though, will still give you durability, you just might want to think about a distressed look so that the inevitable nicks and scrapes that come with a soft wood will blend in.
Secondly, the look:
Decide early on a couple of looks you want to limit yourself to. Do you like a contemporary look? Victorian or traditional bedroom furniture? Do you like something rustic? What you decide will not only help determine how much you can expect to spend, but also make your shopping process easier by limiting the sets you look at. The more refined the look, the more you will likely pay. That is, a traditional set of bedroom furniture will almost always cost more than a rustic set.
Finally, the way it is put together:
Modern technology has made furniture construction as good as ever for the cost. Glues are as strong as nails and nails are secured with adhesives and machine driving. I would suggest drawers that have two tracks of metal on plastic. Personally, and when I was selling bedroom furniture, I found that wood on wood tended to stick more. I also found that one track drawers came off track easier. These are little things that are largely personal preference, but it is something to be aware of.
As for dovetailing, when all furniture was hand made, this was important. However, with the glues and tacking technology available in factories today, I never found dovetail drawers to last significantly longer than those without it, however; if you like the idea of dovetailing for either the look or just your own construction beliefs, go for it. I just would not recommend making it a deal breaker on an otherwise good piece of wooden bedroom furniture.
KEEP IN MIND: If you have wood on wood drawers that are sticking, soap 'em up. Try rubbing bar soap on the track and the drawer to reduce the friction without causing the wood any damage.
KEEP IN MIND: Most consumers of furniture buy based on two things: look and price. While you certainly should consider both, don't be afraid to shop around to get those with the right level of quality.
