Why Fine Furniture Is An Investment In The Future
Have you ever come across a beautiful antique, or has someone ever passed an heirloom down to you, and you’ve thought about its history, all its many owners, and the craftsman who made it? It’s sad to think, but this day and age isn’t really producing heirlooms. More people are buying cheap, disposable furniture and accessories, meant to break down with a few years’ use. At Woodcraft we still believe in the value of fine furniture, the kind of furniture you can keep your whole life and pass down to your children. The kind of furniture that might one day wind up in an antique shop, praised by the coming generations as an example of good, 21st Century craftsmanship. It’s a funny thought, but it underscores the way we think about furniture – it isn’t just another purchase, it’s an investment in the future.
Let’s look at it as a short-term investment first. When you buy cheaply made furniture, you’re thinking about the immediate cost benefit, but what you don’t really take into account is that in a few years time you’ll have to spend that amount all over again, then again a few years after that, etc. A solid wood dining room table like our Turnbuckle Dining Table, which can be customized to feature maple, wormy maple, pine or oak, each with a salvaged, industrial look, is built to last. We don’t mess around – we pour our hearts and souls into these projects, and the construction we pass on to you is solid enough to withstand the wear and tear of family time (we know how tough a child can be on a table!). You buy a piece of furniture with us, and it will move with you wherever you go.
But why just think of your investment in the short-term? It’s been a human tradition dating back millennia to pass things down to our children or other loved ones, but what do we really own that we can pass down – a first generation iPhone? Products like our Ottawa Valley Armoire, on the other hand, are classic, expertly built and functional pieces that won’t go out of style, no matter how much time has elapsed. Check our desks and bookcases as well, which come in a variety of custom styles, woods and finishes; investing in a home office or study can greatly improve your work life, and if you pass the items on to your children or loved ones later on, they become a literal investment in the future.
But you’re not just investing in the future by saving money or giving the younger generation some finely built furniture. When you think about the amount of cheap furniture people throw away, there’s no denying that it has an impact on the environment. Our Canadian sourced lumber will last you a lifetime, whereas furniture from those big box stores (one of which was recently under fire for ancient tree logging) will deteriorate and need to be repurchased. We at Woodcraft have always subscribed to the “quality over quantity” adage, which is why we’ve been around for decades. With some sturdy entertainment units, or solid bedroom furniture you won’t need to buy, and rebuy a handful of times – your investment is a one-time thing (aside from giving your furniture a little TLC on occasion) that you’ll enjoy forever.
Wise investors know that you don’t want to sink money into something that’s just going to fall apart; after all, who would buy a house if they knew it was going to collapse in five years’ time, even if it was dirt cheap? Fine furniture is an investment in your wellbeing, your family’s wellbeing and the environment’s wellbeing – think of it, not just as a piece of furniture, but a future heirloom.