We’ve all had those moments -- you see a piece of furniture on the curb or at a second-hand store that looks like it could be a good find, but you can’t tell for sure if its worth saving and rehabilitating. Maybe you make the decision to leave it behind while the not-knowing haunts you; or on the other hand, you decide to take it only to regret your decision when you realize its cheaply made and unsalvageable. Follow along with our “How to Find a Good Piece in the Wild” series and don’t let this happen to you again.
Part 2: Good Bones vs. Faulty Frames
The wood used to form the frame of a piece of furniture can tell you a lot about when the piece may have been made, its relative value, and how well the piece will stand up to the test of time. While frames may also be made out of metal, plastics, and other materials, I am focusing on wood frames as the majority of the pieces I see are made with some type of wood or wood-composite.
There are two different types of wood on a piece of furniture -- the “show wood” such as legs or arms which will be seen on the finished piece, and the frame which will be covered by upholstery on the finished piece.
Show Wood:
This period chair has a lot of show wood. In more modern pieces, often the only show wood will be the legs.
The show wood may not necessarily be the same type of wood or material as the frame: often it may be hard or soft wood or a man-made material such as a plastic.
Examine the show wood and keep an eye out for cracks, scratches, or peeling veneer. Scratches or dents can be filled in and covered up, but cracks are harder to mend -- if the show wood on a piece is cracked in many places, or if the cracks are relatively large, it may be best to pass up.
Note how the finish on the wood, i.e. stain and varnish, is holding up. If there are a few trouble spots, likely these can be re-stained without too much hassle. If there seems to be a significant amount of wear and damage however, this can add significantly to the time and cost needed to refurbish the piece depending on how much show wood a piece has.
The Frame:
This ottoman frame is made of particle board. Note that the joints of the frame are simply stapled together.
Examine the frame of the piece; if its all covered in upholstery you may have to look on the underside or try to pull or push back some of the upholstery.
Pieces made with solid hard or soft wood generally indicate an older piece that was built to last with some love along the way. These types of pieces will likely be more valuable than those made in the more modern, mass-produced fashion. Look for solid wood with few knots, and no cracks. Watch out for parts of the frame that have been nailed together as this will often precipitate cracks in the wood which may begin small, but get larger with time.
Frames made with plywood or particleboard may indicate a mass-produced piece made in the last few decades. Particleboard and plywood are quite strong; if the piece is made of plywood however, be sure that it has at least nine layers of thickness. These pieces can be reupholstered to fit your tastes and can hold up well with care. However, keep in mind that this type of furniture is often built to be cost-effective and ultimately disposable -- the materials and methods used in making the piece will break down and need to be replaced or repaired in time and you may find that this type of furniture is ultimately not worth a large investment.
Furniture with any type of frame, regardless of the material used, can be restored and re-upholstered into a beautiful and valuable piece. Knowing what materials the bones of a piece are made of can help you determine how much time and resources you want to put into it.