Insider knowledge
Coming soon to this section: useful advice on choosing furniture, such as
How to tell the difference between solid and veneer.
What to expect from solid wood.
What is veneer?
How to measure up for a dining set.
Dining tables: round, oval, rectangular or square?
Why is good furniture so expensive?
Why does furniture take so long to arrive?
What is a Martindale rub test?
This is a universally accepted test to define the wear characteristics of fabrics. The test consists of a small metal disc (about the size of a 2p piece) which is rubbed backwards and forwards across the surface of a sample of fabric, at an angle of about 45 degrees. The figure given is the number of cycles (forward and back being 1 cycle) achieved without significant fibre loss. Anything in excess of 20,000 cycles is good quality, though some fabrics can achieve upwards of 60,000.