Up until the 1990s furniture manufacturers (in particular wood furniture manufacturers) were highly inefficient and frequently produced too much of some products. These “closeouts” and “overstocks” were sold at deep discounts to small and mid-size…
Beginning in the 1950s, IKEA created a new lifestyle emphasizing low cost furniture and home furnishings. Although “cheap” furniture was nothing new, IKEA was the first to transform low cost individual products into a unified…
Leather furniture has been around for hundreds of years. Until fairly recently, leather seating was built to be extremely durable and comfortable. It was expensive, but built to last a lifetime. Vinyl sofas first became…
PU Leather is a synthetic faux leather material with a wide variety of product variations. Fabric industry professionals use the term PU Leather to refer to Polyurethane, Polyether and Polyester resin-based materials. These PU leathers…
IKEA revolutionized the home furnishings industry. Before IKEA the furniture and home furnishings industry had always been composed exclusively of small and mid-size manufacturers and retailers. IKEA was the first company to unify manufacturing, distribution…
“How do I clean my sofa?” is one of the most common questions asked by furniture customers. Many years ago a cleaning code system was developed as a guide. In this code W stood for water-based…
Most furniture retailers now offer an added fabric protection option to their customers. These sprays can add some temporary additional protection for natural fibers such as cotton and linen that have little natural resistance to…
IKEA’s furniture is so accepted today that most people do not remember the challenges faced by the company during its earliest days. I first encountered IKEA during the 1970s when it was just beginning to…
Faux leather is a synthetic material that mimics the look and feel of genuine leather at far lower prices. The most common faux leathers currently are polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride (better known as vinyl.) Polyester…
The best sofas will last 20 years or more, but you can expect to pay $3000 or more. Most articles written about sofa quality and lifespan recommend features that are only available in expensive sofas…
The simple answer is the quality of construction and the quality of the materials. For example: Fabric is available at $2 per yard or $200 per yard. Fine leathers can cost even more. Low density…
The quick and simple answer is the cost of the materials, quality of construction and the skill of the person/people making the furniture. Here are just a few examples: Fabrics are available at $2 per…
All articles & reviews published in this blog are based on the experience & opinions of Jeff Frank, a 45 year furniture industry veteran..
If you feel that any of the information or opinions are outdated, incorrect, or misleading, please notify Jeff for a prompt correction.
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