Room & Board

What is Room and Board Furniture?

Room & Board was founded by John Gabbert in 1980. Although originally called, Gabberts, the early version of Room & Board was just as focused on sustainable practices and timeless design as today’s brand. From the get-go, Gabbert entrusted Room & Board furniture construction to small family businesses that specialized in woodworking and other furniture crafts. For Gabbert, this decision wasn’t a financial move so much as a way to obtain the highest quality furniture possible. Since its founding, Room & Board has employed over 15,000 American craftsmen. Yes, really. Go ahead and take a moment to let that sink in.

Among the main reasons that Room and Board furniture never goes out of style is that it adheres to a clean, modern aesthetic. Room & Board sofas and Room & Board chairs are not what you’d call stark, however. The brand uses warm-tone metals, leathers, and other textiles to give its designs a cozy edge. It’s less common to find Room & Board tables and Room & Board dressers in white than taupe, gray, or black.

Does Room and Board Furniture made Mid-Century Modern Furniture?

While modernism is at the base of virtually every Room & Board bed or Room & Board dining table, the brand has no fear about integrating other styles with it. Like the early functionalists (i.e. Danish Modernists and Bauhaus followers), Room & Board believes that every piece of furniture should promote function first. Once function is present, style can follow. For this reason, it’s common to find Room & Board coffee tables and Room & Board desks with details borrowed from Shaker style, Danish Modernism, and even Bauhaus.

Among the most important principles to Room & Board is that a Room & Board bed or Room & Board coffee should be able to ebbs and flow with trends over time. The thought being: the more timeless a piece of furniture the less likely it is to be turned over quickly. Hence the sustainability factor. See, it’s all coming full circle, isn’t it?

Why is Room & Board Such an Admired Company?

Gorgeous furniture aside, it’s likely on your radar that Room & Board is one incredibly admired company. The reasons for it are plentiful (like novel-status, no joke), but here’s a handful of reasons why they maintain consumer and critics’ love alike. For one, 90% of Room & Board furniture is made in America. As stated above, when it comes to furniture production alone, that means they’ve employed over 15,000 Americans since 1980. Room & Board has also earned high marks for consistently offering their full-time employees a better-than-average minimum wage. They extend this courtesy to everyone in their company, from the cleaners to the delivery truck drivers. And last but not least (and perhaps most obvious), people love Room & Board because their furniture is literally instant heirloom status. From it’s never-go-out-of-style styling to its near indestructible craftsmanship, Room & Board Furniture is in a league of its own.