Often in some of the high end brands of furniture showrooms, you can see a lot of furniture with high price tags. These things look luxurious, but does it necessarily mean high-end? Or it just has a lot of hidden costs in it. Think about what you want first.
Three common misconceptions: high prices, famous brands, and new styles.
If the price is high, it must be a high end furniture; the big brands are the best, and the latest design must be better.
These three are one of the consumer misconceptions you may be walking into. Expensive may be paying for marketing, middlemen, and flashy packaging. Big brands offer consistency, but boutique manufacturers can often push craftsmanship to a higher level.
So how should you tell real luxury furniture from among the clever artifacts? In the next five chapters, I’ll introduce you to five criteria for authenticity.
Table of Contents
Genuine Material
1.1 How to Choose the Leather: Full Grain, First Layer Leather, Second Layer Leather
Full-grain Leather
This is the top cowhide, only slight treatment to retain the natural texture, delicate feel, good breathability, durability. Made out of furniture with a natural texture, very senior sense, the price is also very expensive.
First Layer Leather
Also from the epidermal layer of cattle, but will be lightly sanded to remove some surface imperfections. It will look more perfect, but relatively less original touch. Most of the mid-range and high-end furniture brands will choose it as the balance of cost-effective.
Second Layer Leather
From the lower fiber structure of cowhide, usually to emboss and laminate, looks like leather, but the breathability and durability is far less than the above two. The price is also relatively cheap, mostly the choice of low-end furniture brands.
1.2 Wood or Lumber? Comparison of Materials Used in Different Parts
Not all solid wood furniture is really solid wood all over. High-quality furniture will usually be based on different parts, a reasonable mix of materials, not just expensive on the right.
City Structure (Such as Table Legs, Frame)
High-quality furniture will use strong solid wood to do load-bearing parts, such as oak, ash, walnut. These hardwood materials are resistant to pressure, not easy to deform, is the key to the “skeleton”.
Appearance Panel and Decoration
Many furniture will be affixed with a layer of high-grade wood veneer (such as walnut veneer, cherry veneer), the surface is still beautiful and elegant, but the core may be multi-layer board or density board. This way of matching better stability, the price is more reasonable.
Drawer Floor, Backboard
These non-load-bearing areas usually use E0 grade environmental protection plate, moisture-proof and durable, will not affect the overall life of the furniture.
1.3 FSC, E0 Labeling
When you see furniture labels that say FSC certified and E0 rated lumber, your first thought may be that it looks environmentally friendly, but the two are pretty significant.
This is an international forest certification, meaning that the wood you buy comes from sustainably managed forests and is not illegally logged. By choosing FSC-certified furniture, you are also doing your part for the Earth’s forests.
E0 Grade (Formaldehyde Emission Level)
The most afraid of formaldehyde in panel furniture. E0 is currently the highest international environmental standards, formaldehyde emission is very low (≤ 0.5mg / L), suitable for families with high air quality requirements, especially the environment of the elderly, children.
Internal Structure Determines the Service Life
2.1 Interior and Understructure
Let’s say, high-end fabric sofa usually use solid wood (such as birch, oak) or metal frame, solid structure, not easy to deformation, can steadily support more than ten years.
At the bottom of the structure is also very careful, common is the serpentine spring + elastic bandage cross structure, sitting feeling more uniform and not easy to collapse.
2.2 Frame + Foam Density
It’s not as if soft is comfortable, and it’s not as if hard is durable. Many people buy a sofa when the habit of directly do down, and then “Well, this soft”. But the real sitting feeling is not only rely on soft and hard to judge, but behind the two important elements:
Frame
High-grade sofas generally use solid wood or metal frame, solid and not deformed, can support the body for many years. The poorer the frame, after a long time will collapse, the center to sit down like sinking into the same.
Sponge Density
This determines the resilience of the sofa.
A more common understanding is:
low density sponge, sit down soft, but soon collapsed
high density sponge, the first sit down slightly hard, but the more you use the more comfortable, and not easy to deform.
2.3 Polishing, Sealing, Alignment
Real comfortable furniture, from every inch of the corners, open and close each drawer, and even the bottom of the line more than, details are never vague.
Polishing Treatment
Advanced furniture surface will not sting, feel warm and delicate, that grinding in place, long-term use is not easy to scrape or paint.
Edge Sealing Technology
See whether the edges of the plate sealed tightly, there is no bulging, cracked veneer, the more detailed the more durable, but also more moisture-proof.
Wires / Lights with Wires (Especially in Furniture with Lights)
Senior brands will hide the wires very skillfully, not exposed, not winding, so that the overall aesthetics is higher and safer.
Design Proportions
3.1 Why do you Feel Superior at First Glance?
The proportions of good furniture just look right.
The handrails are not too thick, the legs are not bulky, the backrests are just the right height – all of this has been precisely calculated by the designer. It is ergonomic and visually pleasing. Smooth lines, is the key to durable .
High-end furniture often abandon the complex shape, choose simple but powerful lines. The more you look at that kind of seamless design, the better it looks.
Especially wooden furniture, edges, corners, structural lines are very clean and sharp, do not steal the show, but very imposing.
3.2 Three Longtime Favorite styles: Minimalist, American, and Italian
Minimalist Style
Suitable for modern homes and urban apartments with clean colors, minimalist shapes, and a strong sense of spatial respiration. There are no unnecessary decorations, relying on materials, proportions and lines to win.
American Style
Suitable for mansions or villas with a strong family atmosphere. More solid wood, thick backrests, large armrests, appear calm and comfortable.
Italian Light Luxury
Commonly used in high-end apartments or design hotels. Pay attention to the material and craftsmanship, modeling smooth but not cold, with details to impress people.
Thoughtful Functionality
4.1 Removable Fabrics + Modules
For many people, the sofa at home is bought for three or five years. Then some problems will surface, the style is old, the color is not like, the fabric is worn out. Change the whole set and too much trouble.
At this time, some furniture brands will launch the concept of sustainable furniture.
Removable fabric cover design: dirty can be washed, can also be replaced after a long time, is a new direction of environmental protection.
Modular combination structure: sofas, TV cabinets and even bed frames can be freely combined and expanded.
4.2 Hidden Light Strips, Wireless Charging, Voice-Activated Drawers
Don’t think that intelligence only belongs to cell phones and home appliances, in fact, now high-end furniture has long been built-in brain.
Hidden Light Strip
Open the drawer automatically light up, bedside lamp mild and not blinding, not afraid to disturb the family rest at night.
Wireless Charging Panel
The surface of the coffee table and nightstand can be directly placed on the phone charging.
Sensor Drawer
No need to pull the drawer when you hold something in your hand, a light touch, the drawer will slide open for you silently.
4.3 Antibacterial Fabric, Zero Formaldehyde Board, Silent Hardware
In recent years, high-end furniture brands have gradually evolved from the pursuit of beauty to the pursuit of health. High-end furniture, not only need to be good, but also let you use the peace of mind.
Antibacterial Fabrics
Especially suitable for families with babies, or like pets, not easy to breed bacteria, wear-resistant and good care.
Zero Formaldehyde Environmental Protection Board
Achieve E0 or even ENF level, almost no odor, can be used with confidence on the day of moving in.
Mute track and damping hinges: drawers pull open and close silently, no clicking annoying daily.
These invisible details, is the high-end furniture is really more expensive than ordinary furniture brands worth the place.
Perfect Service
5.1 What Top Brands Do for Maintenance
Accessory Support
Even if the style is 10 years old, you can find replacement pieces in the same material to maintain style consistency.
In-home Inspections
You can keep an eye out for local furniture high-end brands that have teams to provide customized structural inspections or fabric care guidance for large pieces of furniture.
Unlimited Communication Channels
Customer service is always available, with video links. A true high-end brand dares to stand behind every piece of furniture it produces.
5.2 Full Disclosure of the Customization Process
Many people both expect and worry about customized furniture. Afraid that the process is not transparent, afraid that after the selection can not be modified, afraid of the finished product and the rendering of the difference is too large.
We understand this concern, so in the high-end customization process, we adhere to one principle: full process transparency + communication at any time.
Customization process is divided into several steps:
1. Provide reference drawings or floor plans (also a Pinterest photo you like)
2. Designer communicates details: confirm size, material, style, color, budget
3. 3D modeling rendering preview: see the final effect long before the start of the work
4. Sample proofing confirmation: some fabrics, finishes, hardware can provide physical sample confirmation
5. Order production, packaging and transportation, global distribution + installation guidance: the whole process is equipped with a project docking person, one-on-one follow up!
Quickly Identify Reliable Suppliers
6.1 Factory Inspection to See: Equipment, Proofing Room, Packaging
Production Equipment
The degree of automation, whether the operation process is standardized, the production area is clean and tidy, can reflect the basic management level of a brand.
Sample Room
High-end furniture is not a volume product, each item needs to be quickly sampled, re-sampled, and details confirmed.
Packing Workshop
Furniture from the factory to the customer’s home, to experience long-distance transportation and even cross-border shipping. Especially need to do a good job of protection, such as five-layer carton, customized wood frame, corner protection.
6.2 Inspection of Goods
Structural Solidity Test
Such as whether the seat has a wobbly feeling, drawers push and pull smoothly. Furniture of superior quality is more solid in terms of frame materials and craftsmanship, and you can feel it when you shake it.
Consistency of Materials and Workmanship
Check whether there is color difference, whether the stitching bit is reasonable. Edge sealing, cornering, fronting, and even bottom alignment, you can’t just look at the surface.
Hardware Accessories Experience
Drawer track is silent? Are the hinges damped? This is the most intuitive experience of daily use.
List and Packaging
Check whether the product size, quantity, color and the initial confirmation of the order is completely consistent. Whether the package is labeled, moisture-proof and impact-proof.
Conclusion
High-end furniture, not just high prices and expensive materials, but an expression of lifestyle. It is embodied in the visible design, with long-lasting structure. Not for showing off, but for companionship.
So, the next time you select furniture, you may wish to consider more: whether this furniture will stand the time, whether it is suitable for my family.
If the answer is yes, then it deserves to be high-end by you.
If you really need someone to offer you some advice, George intl is more than happy to be your partner.
All you need to do is provide pictures of the style of furniture you want and we’ll match you with high-end furniture for your entire house.
