Furniture Basics

1. Classification and characteristics of furniture

Characteristics of solid wood furniture: generally a mortise and tenon structure, that is, a fixed structure.

Definition: Furniture that is made entirely of natural wood and only uses a small amount of plywood or other auxiliary materials is called solid wood furniture. So what is the main body of furniture? The doors and side panels of a cabinet, the top, side panels, and legs of a table, the backrest, side panels, and legs of a bed are all the main body of furniture. However, the bottom panels of some cabinets and drawer bottom panels do not belong to the main body.

Some misunderstandings about solid wood furniture: 1. Veneer furniture is called solid wood furniture. In fact, this type of furniture should be classified as panel furniture. The definition of solid wood furniture is natural wood. Furniture that has artificial synthetic treatment in the main body of the furniture is not solid wood furniture.

The common trick used by sales aunties is to tell you that there is a blockboard under the panel, and then say that the blockboard is solid wood, and then call this kind of furniture solid wood furniture. If you are not careful, you will be fooled. Blockboard is plywood, which does not belong to the category of solid wood. Although it is made of solid wood, the difference between the two is like you cannot call flour rice.

2. Some specially treated paper veneer furniture is called solid wood furniture. Some paper veneer furniture is almost the same as solid wood furniture, especially some classic brands in Wenzhou. It is almost impossible to tell the difference unless you are a furniture expert. The sales lady is confusing the fake with the real thing. If you buy it, the profit is hers, and the loss is yours. To identify this kind of furniture, please read my later article: How to judge solid wood furniture

3. Some furniture that is partially made of solid wood is called solid wood furniture. Some furniture has door panels that are made of solid wood, but the side panels are not. However, the saleswoman calls them all solid wood. In fact, this type of furniture should be between panel furniture and solid wood furniture. It is more appropriate to call it semi-solid wood furniture, just like a mermaid that looks like a human but cannot be called a human.

Panel furniture

Definition: The main parts of the furniture are all made of surface-decorated artificial boards, plywood, particleboard, blockboard, medium-density fiberboard, etc.

Characteristics of panel furniture: All the panels and columns are connected by various metal connectors. They are horizontal and vertical, lacking in level changes. According to the different veneers on the surface of the furniture, they are divided into wood veneer, paper veneer, melamine veneer, and painted furniture. Its service life is 5 to 10 years, suitable for young people, and is also the most popular furniture now.

2. How to choose solid wood furniture

1. Determine whether the furniture is really made of solid wood

Mainly look at the door panels and side panels

Techniques: Knots, Grain, and Cross-Sections

Scarring: Look at the location of the scarred side, and then look for a corresponding pattern on the other side.

Wood grain: It looks like a pattern on the outside, so look at the corresponding pattern on the back of the cabinet door at the position where the pattern changes. If it corresponds very well, it is pure solid wood.

Section: The color of the section is darker than the panel, and it can be seen that it is made of a whole piece of wood.

2. Look at the tree species

What kind of tree the solid wood is made of directly affects the price and quality. From the cheapest pine and oak to the expensive mahogany, the price varies by dozens of times. Therefore, don't ignore the tree species just because it is solid wood. After all, solid wood like pine, in addition to being environmentally friendly, has much worse performance than artificial boards.

3. Determine the origin of the solid wood manufacturer

Pay special attention to the origin of the wood manufacturer of solid wood furniture. There is an old saying that "solid wood cannot cross the Yangtze River", which means that solid wood furniture produced in the south will be affected by the climate when it arrives in the north, and it will be prone to cracking, deformation and other problems. So when purchasing, you must check the origin clearly.

4. Observe the wood for defects.

The major defects of solid wood: cracking, scarring, insect holes, and mildew.

Check every detail carefully when purchasing.

Cracked: Naturally you can’t buy it.

Scar: If there is a scar on the front, there will also be a scar in the same position on the back. This scar is basically a dead knot and will fall off over time. Therefore, furniture with this defect should never be purchased.

Wormholes: Although many furniture claim to have been dried and degreased, think about how big China is, how many furniture factories there are, and how weak the government's management is. The credibility should be discounted by at least 50%. Except for those Western-style solid wood furniture that have been specially carved with wormholes, don't buy any other furniture.

Moldy: Do not buy wood that is green or has water marks. Although the saleswoman will tell you that it has been dried and is fine, think about it, would you still eat moldy bread after it has been processed? The performance of moldy wood is no longer the same as before.

5. Check the connections between the various parts of the furniture

Good solid wood furniture is connected by mortise and tenon, and in places where the load is relatively large, it is reinforced by screws and protective blocks. If the solid wood furniture you see is all fixed by screws, then the firmness of this type of furniture is not high. To judge the firmness of furniture, you can shake the furniture to feel its stability.

6. Check the paint quality on the furniture surface

Solid wood furniture is most afraid of water and fire. Fire is not to be mentioned. As for the fear of water, there is an old saying: dry for a thousand years, wet for a thousand years, dry and wet for a year. It is about the fear of water of solid wood. The surface of furniture is the most effective way to prevent moisture from invading furniture. Therefore, carefully check whether there are places on the furniture that have not been painted. The key points are: the top and bottom of the cabinet door panel, and the inside of the cupboard.

Touch the painted surface with your hand to check for burrs, bubbles, etc.

7. Look at the details of the furniture drawers.

The drawer should be solid and secure, and the screws should be tightened inside. Pull out the drawer, movable table, cabinet door and other parts to ensure that they can be used freely and are properly connected. The drawer bottom plate has a certain thickness and is connected to the drawer bottom plate by grooves instead of nails.

3. How to choose panel furniture

1. Smell

Because panel furniture is made of artificial boards, it is inevitable that there will be a smell of formaldehyde or paint. Therefore, you can make a preliminary judgment on whether the furniture is worth buying by just using your nose.

If you can smell a pungent odor when you walk into a furniture store, then you don't even need to look at the furniture. If even the sample furniture cannot be guaranteed to be environmentally friendly, the furniture that is delivered to your home in the future will definitely have more problems.

Open the cupboard, pull open the drawer, observe the details of the furniture, and give full play to the function of the nose. If there is a peculiar smell (usually there is a little, but if it is pungent or tearful, it is furniture that cannot be purchased, no matter how attractive the style is or how favorable the price is).

2. Look at the furniture details

For melamine furniture, the main thing to look at is the edge banding. If there is obvious cracking at the interface between the edge banding and the board, it means that the furniture factory's processing technology is obviously not up to standard.

For furniture with veneer, the main thing to look at is the grain, color and edges of the veneer. If the grain is not deep and delicate enough, it means that the veneer used is not thick enough. If the color is unnatural and has different shades, it means that the paint process is not up to standard. If there is peeling or warping at the corners, it means that the processing technology is not up to standard, and such furniture should not be purchased.

The quality of furniture can also be seen by looking at the connections between drawers and hardware. Panel furniture is connected by hardware. If the hardware in a piece of furniture is not of good quality, or is simply fixed with nails, it means that the furniture manufacturer is not strong enough and has a poor grasp of details.

3. Touch

Is the surface of the furniture smooth and burr-free? Does it feel good?

4. Measure: Use a box ruler to measure the main functional dimensions of the furniture.

(1) The depth of the hanging space in bedroom cabinets should be ≥530mm.

(2) The table top height is 680, 700, 720, 740, and 760 mm.

(3) The center clearance height of the desk is ≥580mm, and the center clearance width is ≥520mm.

(4) The hanging space of bedroom cabinets should be high, with a length of ≥1400mm for long coats and ≥900mm for short coats.

(5) Chair and stool seat heights: 400, 420, 440 mm.

(6) The clothes rail should be centered at the front and back and kept level.

5. Listen

Open the cabinet door with a smooth feel and without any sound.

Pull the drawer without any obstruction.

6. Questioning

Ask about the brand of furniture panels, quality grade, paint brand, and hardware brand.

Check the manufacturer

Check the wood furniture quality supervision and inspection station's artificial board inspection report and artificial board furniture inspection report.

Methods used:

(1) Ask the store clerk. However, the accuracy of the information provided may not be very high. After all, the clerk may not know more about furniture than you do.

(2) Use search engines.

There are many ways to identify solid wood, which you need to refer to and summarize. There is no so-called ultimate identification method.

The term solid wood furniture is quite common in the market. If the solid wood can reach more than 30%, it can be called a solid wood series. For example, density board, particle board, etc. can also be called solid wood furniture, but it cannot be called pure solid wood furniture. Therefore, when buying, you must make sure whether it is pure solid wood or partially solid wood. Pure solid wood is all solid wood, while the so-called solid wood is partially solid wood. Non-solid wood furniture is melamine board furniture, sticker furniture, PVC veneer furniture, which are not solid wood furniture.

Solid wood furniture is actually very easy to distinguish, but it is difficult to determine whether it is solid wood or pure solid wood. When purchasing, you must carefully inquire about the materials used for each part, and it is best to write it in the contract.

Common wood materials for solid wood furniture:

Solid wood furniture refers to furniture made of natural wood, and the real texture of the wood can generally be seen on the surface of the furniture. In fact, there are roughly two types of solid wood furniture on the market: one is pure solid wood furniture, all materials of the furniture are solid wood, including desktops, cabinet door panels, side panels, etc. are made of pure solid wood, without any other form of artificial board; the other is imitation solid wood furniture, that is, from the appearance, the natural texture, feel and color of the wood are exactly the same as those of solid wood furniture, but in fact it is a mixture of solid wood and artificial board. For example, the side panels and shelves use particleboard or medium-density fiberboard with veneer, and the table legs and chair backs are made of solid wood.

Original color, natural and healthy

From the color analysis, the reason why solid wood furniture is so popular is its original wood color. Original wood color furniture, original wood color wall, natural color decorative materials are very popular. They are natural and free of chemical pollution. This is really a healthy and fashionable choice, which meets the psychological needs of modern urban people who advocate nature.

　Secondly, in terms of material selection, taking domestic solid wood furniture as an example, the main types are: beech, teak, maple, oak, oak, ash, elm, poplar, pine, etc. Among them, beech, oak, and ash are the most precious. These materials come from nature and reflect the harmonious relationship between people and the environment. Designers love to use these materials. Adding the modern design concept of people-oriented and nature-oriented can narrow the distance between people and materials, people and nature, and give people a sense of intimacy.

Stylish and minimalist design

Nowadays, there are many styles of solid wood furniture available on the market. Even for Chinese solid wood furniture, you can choose traditional antique mahogany furniture or solid wood furniture that incorporates more fashionable elements. They focus on highlighting minimalism in design. In addition to the selection of materials and colors, even the shape has become "simple" to the point of "out of control".

　Putting aside the traditional European classical solid wood furniture, you will find that the main feature of modern solid wood furniture is that it has fewer edges and more soft curved shapes. The design is extremely simple, straight in the big shape, and retains the curved corners in the details, and the overall feeling is both modern and classical. For example, modern children's furniture launched by some Nordic brands mostly uses pine wood as the material. The beautiful patterns of wood can be seen on the surface of the furniture. The shape is simple and generous, and the lines are full and smooth. With its plain texture, lifelike texture, pure and bright color, it decorates the living environment with elegance and purity. There is a kind of versatile genius children's bed that has added the DIY that modern people like. Through the choice of different configurations, it realizes the innovative concept of accompanying children throughout their lives.

Simple American solid wood furniture

In terms of furniture design, American furniture strives to be in close contact with nature. The overall feeling of American solid wood furniture is very grand, with luxurious style, noble and elegant with simplicity and ruggedness, and strong decorativeness. The main materials are walnut and cherry wood, which are suitable for general decoration styles, durable and not easy to go out of date, reflecting the pursuit of a free life. American solid wood furniture likes to deliberately make it old, so that its young life has a sense of vicissitudes and history, giving people a sense of cultural precipitation, coupled with some multifunctional designs that cater to modern people, it is very popular among people who pursue fashion and taste.

Luxury European solid wood furniture

Even in the original solid wood furniture, European furniture designers have to retain the luxurious and noble Baroque style they admire. They don't seem to like to use only simple wood to express natural life. In order to reflect identity and value, they must use pure and beautiful lines, appropriate proportions, even spiral carvings, delicate inlays, exaggerated gilding or colorful decorations, and Italian classical solid wood furniture is the best representative.

Traditional Chinese solid wood furniture

Traditional Chinese solid wood furniture is mostly made of mahogany and rosewood. Although the classical furniture made from them is of great collection value, its appearance is too traditional and simple, which is not easy for modern people to like. Therefore, smart designers have integrated the simple lines of modern design concepts into simple materials and traditional Chinese culture, thus creating a group of distinctive modern solid wood furniture.

Let's take a look at some wood:

1. Redwood

The so-called "rosewood" has never been furniture made from a specific tree species, but a general term for high-quality furniture made from rare hardwood since the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Red sandalwood: Produced in subtropical areas, such as India and other Southeast Asian regions. Yunnan, Guangdong and Guangxi and other places have a small amount of production. The wood is shiny and has a fragrance. After being exposed to the air for a long time, it turns purple-red brown. The texture is interlaced, the structure is dense, corrosion-resistant, durable, and the material is hard, heavy and delicate.

Huanghuali: It is a rare and unique tree species. The wood is shiny and spicy. The texture is oblique and staggered, the structure is fine and uniform, and it is resistant to corrosion. It is durable, hard and strong.

Rosewood: tropical and subtropical regions, mainly produced in Southeast Asian countries. The wood color is uneven, the heartwood is orange, light reddish brown to dark brown, and the dark stripes are obvious. The wood is shiny, with a sour taste or sour aroma, the texture is oblique and staggered, high density, greasy, hard and wear-resistant.

Rosewood: Distributed in tropical areas around the world, mainly in Southeast Asia, South America and Africa. Hainan, Yunnan and Guangdong and Guangxi have introduced and cultivated it. The wood color is relatively uniform, ranging from light yellow to dark reddish brown, with dark stripes visible, shiny, with a slight or significant light aroma, interlaced texture, fine and uniform structure (slightly coarse in South America and Africa), wear-resistant, durable, hard and heavy, high strength, usually floats on water. Among the rosewoods produced in Southeast Asia, Thailand is the best, followed by Myanmar.

Chicken wing wood: Distributed in subtropical regions around the world, mainly produced in Southeast Asia and South America, it is named because of its texture similar to "chicken wings". The texture is staggered and unclear, the color is abrupt, the wood has no fragrance, and the growth rings are not obvious.

To sum up, the characteristics of "rosewood" furniture are:

advantage:

1) The color is darker, mostly reflecting an antique style, and is used in traditional furniture.

2) The wood is heavy, giving the impression of good quality.

3) Generally, wood has its own fragrance, especially sandalwood.

4) The material is hard, high in strength, wear-resistant and durable.

shortcoming:

1) Due to the low yield, it is difficult to find high-quality tree species and the quality varies greatly.

2) The texture and growth rings are not clear, and the visual effect is not fresh enough.

3) The material is heavy and difficult to carry.

4) The material is hard, difficult to process, and prone to cracking.

5) The material is relatively greasy and tends to return oil at high temperatures.

The main domestic redwood "brands" are: Jingtuo, Lingyun, Yulong, Gaojun (Xiamen)

2. Oak 

Oak belongs to the Quercus acutissima family, Fagaceae. The heartwood is yellowish brown to reddish brown, with obvious and slightly wavy growth rings. It is heavy and hard. It is distributed from Jilin and Liaoning in the north to Hainan and Yunnan in the south, but high-quality wood is rare. Superior oak still needs to be imported from abroad. The price of high-quality wood is nearly 10,000 yuan per cubic meter, which is also an important reason for the high price of oak furniture.

Characteristics of oak furniture:

advantage:

1) It has a relatively distinct mountain-shaped wood grain and the touch surface has a good texture

2) High quality, suitable for making European style furniture

shortcoming:

1) There are relatively few high-quality tree species, and if they are imported, the price will be higher.

2) As oak is hard and heavy, it is difficult to remove all the moisture from it. Furniture made without removing all the moisture will start to deform after a year or two.

3) The phenomenon of replacing oak with rubber wood is common in the market. If customers lack professional knowledge, it will directly affect the interests of consumers.

3. Rubber Wood

Rubber wood is native to Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. It is produced in Yunnan, Hainan and coastal areas in China, and is the raw material of latex. Rubber wood is light yellow-brown in color, with obvious annual rings, dark-colored ring boundaries, and few pores. The wood structure is coarse and uniform. The texture is oblique and the wood is hard.

Advantages: Smooth cut surface, easy to glue, good paint coating performance.

Disadvantages: Rubber wood has a peculiar smell and is prone to discoloration, decay and insect infestation due to its high sugar content. It is not easy to dry, is not wear-resistant, is easy to crack, and is easy to bend and deform. Wood processing is easy, while board processing is easy to deform.

4. Manchurian ash

Manchurian ash is mainly produced in Northeast China and North China. It is yellowish white (sapwood) or brownish yellow (heartwood). The annual rings are obvious but uneven, the wood structure is coarse, the texture is straight, the pattern is beautiful, shiny, and the hardness is relatively high. Manchurian ash has the characteristics of good elasticity, toughness, wear resistance, and moisture resistance. But it is difficult to dry and easy to warp. It has good processing performance, but tearing should be prevented. The cut surface is smooth, paintable, and has good adhesive properties.

5. Oak

Commonly known as oak. Heavy, hard, slow-growing, with distinct heartwood and sapwood. Straight or oblique texture, strong water and corrosion resistance, difficult to process, but smooth cut surface, wear resistance, high gluing requirements, good paint coloring and finishing performance. Domestic furniture manufacturers mostly use oak as raw material. Domestic manufacturers mostly use oak as furniture material: Hua Ri, Hua Feng, Hui Feng, Shuang Ye.

Disadvantages of oak:

1) Slow growth, long growth cycle (hundreds of years), and few high-quality tree species.

2) The bonding requirements are very high and it is easy to crack at the joints.

3) The processing is difficult and there are many processing defects.

6. Walnut

A high-quality type of walnut wood, mainly produced in North America and Europe. Domestic walnut is lighter in color. Black walnut is light brown with purple, and the tangential section is a beautiful large parabola pattern (mountain pattern). Black walnut is very expensive, and furniture is usually made of veneer, and solid wood is rarely used.

7. Cherry

Imported cherry wood is mainly produced in Europe and North America. The wood is light yellow-brown, with elegant texture. The tangential section is a medium parabolic pattern with small circles. Cherry wood is also a high-grade wood. Furniture is usually made of veneer, and solid wood is rarely used.

8. Maple

Maple is divided into two types: soft maple and hard maple. It is a temperate wood and is produced in the south of the Yangtze River Basin to Taiwan. It is produced in the eastern United States. The wood is gray-brown to gray-red, with unclear annual rings, many small pores, and evenly distributed. Maple has staggered grain, fine and even structure, light and hard, and excellent patterns. It is easy to process, but the cut surface is not smooth and it is easy to warp when drying. It has good paint coating performance and strong gluing properties. It is mainly used for thin surface veneer of board materials.

9. Birch

Birch has slightly obvious growth rings, straight and obvious texture, delicate and soft and smooth material structure, and soft or moderate texture. Birch is elastic, easy to crack and warp when dry, and not wear-resistant. It has good processing performance, smooth cut surface, good painting and gluing performance. It is often used for carved parts, but is less used now. The easy-to-divid feature is the many "water lines" (black lines). Birch is a mid-range wood, and both solid wood and veneer are common.

10. Beech

Heavy, strong, impact-resistant, easy to bend under steam, can be shaped, good nail performance, but easy to crack. It is a unique wood in Jiangnan, with clear texture, uniform wood texture, soft and smooth color. It is heavier than most hardwoods and is prone to cracking during kiln drying and processing.

11. Pine

Pine wood is a coniferous plant (common coniferous plants include pine, fir, and cypress). It has the characteristics of pine scent, light yellow color, many boils and scars, quick response to atmospheric temperature, easy swelling, and extremely difficult to dry naturally. Therefore, it needs to be artificially processed, such as drying and degreasing to remove organic compounds, bleaching to unify the tree color, neutralizing the tree properties, and making it less likely to deform.

New Zealand pine (Chile): light yellow in color, straight texture, easy to dry, small deformation, medium mechanical strength, good processing performance, suitable for making furniture and various wooden products.

Argentine pine: yellowish in color, relatively high density, easy to crack, and with obvious color difference.

Brazilian pine (Uruguay): light yellow in color, clear texture, medium mechanical strength, suitable for making furniture and various wooden products.

Russian pine: It is the same product as Northeast pine, but it is different because of the national border. So if you are using Russian pine, there is no need to import it. There are many types of Northeast pine, including red pine (longer growing years, finer texture, reddish color) and white pine (shorter growing years, coarser texture). White pine includes many types, including Scotch pine, fish scale pine, and cold sand pine. Scotch pine is easy to change color, and cold sand is the worst quality pine, which is not very useful.

Finally, some tips on purchasing solid wood furniture:

Solid wood furniture is difficult to make and identify. It is difficult for ordinary people to identify it correctly. Even professionals cannot identify it correctly. Usually, destructive sampling is required to make the final determination. Therefore, we cannot give you any truly valuable identification methods here. Moreover, there may be many after-sales problems. Therefore, the only suggestion for everyone is to buy larger brands with guaranteed brands.

At present, the solid wood furniture sold in many relatively poor stores are usually counterfeit products. Most of them attract customers through low prices or lies told by the salespersons, and the turnover of store manufacturers is also very large, so the chance of being deceived is very high.

Solid wood furniture is relatively expensive. Since you have to spend this money, it is recommended that you choose a trustworthy store and a trustworthy brand. Although it is more expensive, the quality is reliable.

When buying solid wood furniture, you need to check the following points:

1. Determine whether the furniture is really made of solid wood, or mark where the solid wood is and where the artificial board is. Get a glimpse of the secrets of solid wood: wood grain and knots. This is the method revealed by industry insiders to identify whether it is a whole piece of solid wood. For example, if a cabinet door looks like a pattern on the outside, then look for the corresponding pattern on the back of the cabinet door at the position where the pattern changes. If it matches well, it is a pure solid wood cabinet door. In addition, looking at knots is also a good way to identify pure wood: look at the location of the scarred side, and then look for the corresponding pattern on the other side.

2. What kind of tree is the solid wood made of? This directly affects the price and quality. In the north, ordinary solid wood furniture usually uses beech, white oak, ash, elm, catalpa, rubber wood, and oak, while precious mahogany furniture mainly uses walnut.

"Rosewood, wenge, red sandalwood". The market for solid wood furniture is quite chaotic, with inferior goods often being sold as good ones and tree species being mixed up. It is best to buy branded products. At the same time, please note that the price of wood can only go up. If it is too cheap, it is definitely a fraud.

3. Observe the quality of the wood. Open the doors and drawers of the furniture to see if the wood is dry and white, and if the texture is tight and fine. If the furniture is made of particleboard, density board or one-time molding board, there should be no irritating smell after opening the doors or drawers.

4. Observe whether the wood has defects. The main stress-bearing parts of the furniture, such as the columns and the load-bearing horizontal bars between the columns and close to the ground, should not have large knots, cracks or fissures. The structure should be firm, the frame should not be loose, and broken tenons and broken materials are not allowed. Do not buy "three-in-one furniture" that uses saws, nails, and paint to make particle boards; do not buy furniture made with "three-no" drawers with no grooves on the top, no tenons on the bottom, and no straps on the bottom. All parts of the artificial board used in the furniture should be edge-sealed, and various accessories should not be missing, nails should not be missed, or nails should not be penetrated.

5. Observe the strength of the board surface.

The board surface should be able to be pressed with fingers to feel the firmness of the board surface. One side of the material should be fixed with a well-shaped frame. If the frame is sparse, the surface will feel empty and unreal when pressed, and the panel will vibrate greatly. The bottom of the drawer should be pressed by hand to test the strength. Generally, the bottom of the partition is made of layered boards, and the partitions with large areas should be made of five-layer boards. The cabinet doors and drawers should be flexible. When the panel is covered with veneer and other materials, the color should be similar to the complete set of products, and the paint film on the surface of the product is not allowed to be wrinkled, sticky, or leaking.

6. Check if there are any drawers or door frames tilted, or if there are any slanted parts caused by poor workmanship, such as the mortise and tenon holes being twisted or the holes being too large or the mortise and tenon being loose. Wooden furniture should be safe and stable. When the two doors are opened 90 degrees, the cabinet should not automatically tip forward when gently pulled forward by hand. The glass of the bookcase door should be edge-grinded. The dressing mirror and dressing table should be equipped with a back panel, and the glass surface should be fixed by the pressure strip. The individual parts of the furniture (such as legs, drawers, doors or brackets, etc.) must have sufficient support. You should gently push the upper corner of the furniture or sit on one side to test whether the furniture is firm.

7. Are the joints on the sides, top, front and back of the furniture mortise and tenon, tongue and groove, or double dowel?

It is advisable to choose furniture with dovetail joints or butterfly joints. For heavier furniture, screws should be added with protective blocks at the corners and glued. As for the back panel, it is also necessary to check whether it is well inlaid and screwed.

8. Check the drawer slides and latches. The drawers should be solid and secure, and the screws should be tightened inside. Pull open the drawers, movable tabletops, cabinet doors, etc. to ensure that they can be used freely and are properly connected.

9. Run your hand over the surface of the furniture and carefully check whether the polished surface is smooth, especially avoiding roughness on the legs and other parts. Are there any streaks in the paint? Is the paint applied too thickly in the corners? Are there any cracks or bubbles?

10. Turn chairs and upholstered furniture upside down to see how they are made. For tables, check from the bottom. Are the joints reinforced with screws and wedges? Are the strips and crosspieces tightly connected? Is there any excess glue and filler in the seams?

11. Pay special attention to the moisture content and origin of solid wood furniture. The climate of various regions in the country has an impact on the moisture content of wood. The moisture content of wood must not be higher than 1% of the local equilibrium moisture content in the area of ​​use. Otherwise, the wood will easily cause the mortise and tenon joints to separate, the furniture to fall apart, and it will also cause warping due to large expansion and contraction. Therefore, it is necessary to purchase mahogany furniture produced by companies with good drying equipment and drying technology. It does not matter whether the mahogany furniture is produced locally or abroad. The key is whether its moisture content is consistent with the equilibrium moisture content of the area of ​​use. There is an old saying that "solid wood cannot cross the Yangtze River", which means that solid wood furniture produced in the south will be affected by the climate when it arrives in the north, and it will be prone to cracking, deformation and other problems. Therefore, you must check the origin when purchasing.