Journal · Collector's Guide
How to Choose Quality Furniture: A Collector's Guide
The difference between a piece of furniture that lasts five years and one that gets handed down lies in details you can learn to spot. These are the criteria we apply in every curation.
Honest materials
Solid wood rather than veneer over chipboard, natural stone, well-welded steel, vegetable-tanned leather. Honest materials age well: they gain a patina instead of deteriorating.
- —Solid wood: oak, walnut, ash — continuous grain, genuine weight
- —Upholstery: high-density foams and naturally composed fabrics
- —Frames: visible mechanical joints, not just glue and staples
Construction and manufacturer
A good manufacturer documents its production, offers spare parts and stands behind its pieces decades later. Vitra, Knoll and Cassina all maintain repair programmes for models made 50 years ago: that's verifiable quality.
Investment furniture vs. trends
A design classic holds or increases its value on the secondary market; a trend piece loses half its value the moment it leaves the shop. When in doubt, ask: will this piece still sell well in 15 years? If the answer is yes, you're buying heritage.