Select Furniture Honest To Heritage Of Design, Wood

Point 1: American-style furniture is so dead that you can’t give it away at a garage sale.

Point 2: Everything in a room has got to match. If it doesn’t, you are deader than dog food.

Point 3: If you can’t tell a good piece of furniture from trailer-trash chic at 50 feet, you shouldn’t be shopping for furniture in the first place.

If you believe any of the above three points, you need some kindly help, and Chris Bergelin, a designer with Tell City Chair Co., one of the country’s oldest solid wood furniture makers, and Steve Slack of Sampler Publications, which offers a wide range of decorating magazines, are just the gentlemen to deliver it.

“The trouble (with shopping for furniture today) is, unless you’re an expert, there are plenty of myths out there (including the ones just mentioned) that can steer you in the wrong direction,” Bergelin said. “You want to look for pieces that are honest to their heritage and to the woods used to produce them.”

Now, for all the prattle about American-style furniture being among the dead ducks.

“That’s true only if you’re thinking of the old ‘Colonial’ style of the ‘50s,” Slack said.

And about all that matching stuff?

Phooey. It went out with pet rocks.

People already are accustomed to a mix of styles in a room, Bergelin said.

That same principle now applies to materials and finishes, such as age-worn paint looks (as in country cottage), mixed with warm wood stains, leather, natural fibers, iron or copper.

A good example of what Bergelin is talking about is a soft leather Mission chair with a dark painted, solid knotty cherry frame paired with a warm wood-finish timber frame end table.

If you can’t tell a good piece of furniture by giving it a casual eyeball, you are traveling in good company. Just looking at the finish doesn’t tell the whole story, Bergelin said.

If you’re interested in a chest or armoire, check out the back.

“The finish on the back of the piece is a good indication of the overall quality,” Bergelin said. “It should never be just rough, unfinished wood.”

Another place to check for quality is drawers. Pull them out. See how they glide, and feel the finish.

If you’re selecting a cabinet to display collectibles, crystal or fine china, look for halogen lighting and mirrored interior backs.

Halogen lighting, according to Bergelin, brilliantly highlights special items such as crystal. A mirrored back reflects all that beauty.