Furniture Shopping Tips: Case Goods Terminology

Here are a few important furniture buying “buzz words” you should know.

• Case Goods: Originally “case goods” referred primarily to wood to furniture designed for storage, such as cabinets, dressers, desks, and bookcases or it refereed to entire collections of bedroom and or dining room furniture.  These definitions still apply- however these days the term case goods may also include any pieces of furniture that are not upholstered, may not necessarily be made of wood, but typically have a functional aspect (like a bed or table).  Also, good to know that some manufacturers/retailers categorize smaller non upholstered pieces as accent furniture as opposed to case goods- while some do not.

• Combination:  Just like it sounds, this means that there is more than one type of material used in the exposed parts

• All Wood Construction: All exposed parts are wood

• Solid: All exposed surfaces are made of solid wood— ie no vaneer.

• Genuine: Typically used with a “named wood” like oak or mahogany… which indicates that all exposed surfaces are made from that “named” material.

• Hardwood: Furniture made from trees that loose their leaves each year such as oak, maple, cherry, or mahogany (just to name a few).

• Veneer: Thin layers bonded to the surface with an adhesive.

Category : Blog &Interior Design Ideas