Quality Furniture Imports vs Made in America
Find out which is better – quality furniture imports versus made in America.
These beautiful custom chairs that are made in the USA have fabric sides and quilted leather seats. It is hard to find this kind of option in an imported chair. I used these chairs for a wine lounge in this client’s home.
Which is a better way to go? Imports or made in America? This is one of the questions people wrestle with. I have over 40 years of experience in the furniture business and I have seen a big shift from most furniture being made in the USA to most furniture being made overseas. This blog is not to get into why this happened but to give you my opinion of the pros and cons of each.
I have always worked with quality furniture, so that is what I will discuss in this blog.
Quality Upholstered Furniture (sofas, chairs, sectionals, benches ….)
This is an area where the United States still comes out on top. Additionally, most quality upholstered furniture is specially ordered in custom fabrics or leather and it is not economical to send one or two pieces from overseas. Many quality manufacturers are making beautiful sofas and chairs in the USA. Most of these manufacturers still construct these pieces with hardwood frames and 8-way hand-tied construction.
From what I have seen in upholstered furniture there is a huge quality difference between imports and made in the USA. Consequently, I suggest you buy your sofas and chairs from a quality United States manufacturer.
Wood Furniture (Case goods)
Imports
In in the wood or case goods category, most of the furniture is made overseas in many different countries including; China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Brazil, Italy, Canada, and many more. This gives you many more styles to pick from, but you have to be careful with quality. I think the quality is better in Italy, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Canada. Italy is famous for beautiful inlays of exotic woods and hand carving. Italy makes expensive beautiful traditional and contemporary furniture. The people of Vietnam and the Philippines are very good at making beautiful furniture at less expensive prices. There is also a good supply of native woods like mahogany.
This company is in the USA with factories in Italy and other European countries. They make high-end furniture handcrafted by highly talented select artisans.
This well-priced turquoise contemporary chest makes a statement in this client’s foyer. I used this chest in a client’s home.
Made in the USA
There is not as much furniture made in the United States as there used to be, but some of the factories that are left are offering custom options that you might not get overseas. Many of the best manufacturers might have 20 different finish options or more. Some of you can change hardware or add accent striping. Some of the companies will make custom sizes. Most of the manufacturers I am talking about are small factories making bench-crafted pieces with centuries-old woodworking techniques. These pieces will of course be more expensive than their import counterparts.
This quality sofa is made in the USA.
I used this custom red-painted coffee table in this client’s family room. They wanted a large striking coffee table, so I ordered this table in a custom 50″ x 50″ size. This table is made in the United States by a great company that makes custom bench-made furniture. Each piece they make is a treasure. The company that makes this table makes only expensive furniture, but there are other good companies making custom USA bench-made furniture that are less expensive.
I used this Transitional coffee table in a client’s home and it was custom finished in the USA
This table is made in the USA and has a hand planed top with a custom finish. It also features a hand-forged iron base. The imported chairs are made of mahogany and have leather seats.
High-end leather sofa made in the USA with imported tables.
Pros and Cons of Wood Furniture
Pros of Imports
Selection of styles
Many pieces to pick from
Lower pricing on most products
Cons of Imports
Quality is not good in some countries
Delivery can sometimes be a problem
Not as many custom options
Pros of Made in the USA
Beautiful hand-crafted furniture
Many custom options
Made in the USA
Cons of Made in the USA
Not as many styles to pick from
Higher prices on most products
Not as many pieces to pick from
In conclusion, imports and furniture made in the USA can be expensive, but there are a lot of well-priced import options. When a designer is given a budget from a client they must give them the look they want and still stay within the budget. Lastly, by mixing in imports and furniture made here, you can get a great look and still stay within your budget.
