vintage

We recently found an issue of Better Homes & Gardens from 1963, and it has some amazing content! The photos are quintessentially 1960s and the issue has plenty of helpful tips to instruct the 1963 furniture buyer.

We wanted to share some of the wealth of information that maintains relevance today for the modern furniture enthusiast.

An excerpt from “The Beauty of Fine Woods” section:

   “An understanding of the terms solid, genuine and veneer will also

 help you buy wisely. When a piece of furniture is marked ‘solid,’ it

indicates that it is made from solid hardwood. The label ‘genuine’

shows that the furniture is made of a single hardwood, veneered on

flat surfaces, and solid in structural parts, such as the legs.

   Much fine furniture today is no longer made from solid wood, but

from veneers. Many people still believe that veneers are not as 

strong as solid pieces. However, quite the contrary is true; the

finished product is much stronger and more resistant to warping.

A veneered plywood panel is actually a wood “sandwich,” usually

made of five, seven, or more layers. The center is solid lumber, and

on both sides of this core thin sheets of strong hardwood are placed

at cross grain to fit for strength and to prevent warping or splitting.

Finally, a ‘face’ veneer of fine cabinet wood is placed over the layers,

again at cross grain. A backing sheet of the same hardwood on the

reverse side completes the panel.”