Grand Rapids Furniture: Is it Always Grand? (2/1/12)
Common wisdom in the furniture trade says that anything made in Grand Rapids is “good stuff.” Is that true? Perhaps, … More >>

Great Depression Legacy: Enduring Furniture & Terms Still in Use Today (1/16/12)
Most Americans alive today did not live through the Great Depression of the late 1920s and 1930s, and for that … More >>

Golden Oak: America’s Golden Age of Furniture (1/3/12)
America has had several periods that might be called the “Golden Age” where furniture was concerned. The 18th century saw … More >>

The Stranger Below: Silent Chairs and How to Get Them to Open Up (12/20/11)
Some pieces of furniture are like an open book. A casual familiarity with the trade allows you to readily identify … More >>

That’s My Story – Shaky Family Histories no Guarantee of Provenance (12/12/11)
The life story of an antique—where it’s been, who owned it and how it came to be where it is—is … More >>

Passing the Smell Test – Telling Good Advice from the Bad (11/14/11)
Need some advice about furniture? Want to know how to repair that chair or fix that ugly spot on the … More >>

Good Reproductions: Baker Furniture Solves the Colonial Revival Riddle (10/31/11)
After the American Revolution ended in 1783, the fledgling country struggled to establish its new identity in a number of … More >>

Murphy’s Law: Not All That Folds is a Murphy (10/17/11)
Furniture can be quite cumbersome, especially in small quarters. Or even in big ones. In medieval times, the great room … More >>

Victorian Specialty Furniture: Wait in the Hall (10/3/11)
The 19th century in the United States started out as period of major political strife with little attention to the … More >>

Detecting Furniture’s Cheap Tricks & Fake Finishes (9/19/11)
Throughout most of the history of wooden furniture, there have been many attempts to disguise the true nature of the … More >>