Thread: What is Fine Furniture?

For me it's all timber components, pleasing proportions, integrating the timber's appearance with the proportions, well designed ( allowing for timber movement ) and well executed , whether hand cut or machined joints.

You might be interested in some of this thread.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f11/fi...g-what-142120/
not quite the same question but some of the issues arise.

I would rather hear about my furniture, " Wow! What a piece of furniture! ", than " Ooh! Look at those dovetails! ". I've heard both comments.
Musical instruments have to look good AND sound good.

Originally Posted by jimbur

You might be interested in some of this thread.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f11/fi...g-what-142120/
not quite the same question but some of the issues arise.

Thanks for pointing me to the thread.

Originally Posted by Ball Peen

I would rather hear about my furniture, " Wow! What a piece of furniture! ", than " Ooh! Look at those dovetails! ". I've heard both comments.
Musical instruments have to look good AND sound good.

I suppose that's what matters eventually.

Originally Posted by Indranil

I have seen some wonderful And how fine furniture is distinguished from ordinary furniture?

If the nails from the nail gun are hidden it's fine furniture,else it's ordinary.


Peter.

It is one of those things impossible to define but, I would say it is fine furniture when after examining close and far you still can't say, "pity it's not ........"

It's part of my URL!

(see below)

If it doesn't have finely crafted thin hand cut dovetails in it somewhere it is not fine furniture. IMO

If it has nails it is not fine furniture

For me, it started with a love of old furniture, and "Country" is my big go there. I've never bee attracted to the very formal antique furniture, although I would categorize that as "fine" and that's where you'll the best craftsmanship used on the best timbers. I wouldn't categorize "Country", "Rustic" or similar as fine, or necessarily even beautiful, but they exude character. Dings, stress marks, carved initials are all part of the magnificent patina of "Country". Scratches or dings in a burl Walnut Side Table, or Bookcase, would not be desirable, and carved initials are just "not on".

Skip a few years and am currently more interested in (but not really making) recently made furniture of numerous styles - i.e. the antiques of the future. Again, there seem to be two categories for my way of thinking - the rustic, chunkier stuff with natural edges etc where character is the key (and initial carving is almost invited), and the more precisely made pieces (from as perfect as possible timber). Sheer beauty is the key here.

I've had my current dining table for about 15 years, and it's a rustic natural edge type jobbie. When I first purchased it (new) I did indeed invite guests to carve their initials in it. I knew I was having a bet each way though, because it's bloody Ironbark, and nobody ever managed to get further than the varnish, and that's been replaced by wax. Prolly just as well though, coz there were more females names (I was single) which may not go down so well these days.

FF my old school desk should be pretty collectible by now having carved on it, set fire to it and generally given it lots of character.
ps forget the ink used to put out the fire.

If you can get someone to pay for it, it's fine furniture.

Originally Posted by China

If it has nails it is not fine furniture

What if the nails are angled in like a dovetail