Millennials and Gen Zers might not be familiar with the name, but to shoppers of a certain age, Thomasville furniture is the zenith. If you’re not among them, but you’re curious to know what makes Thomasville furniture so different from other brands, we’re here to help. Read on for a breakdown of one of America’s most beloved makers!
Hardwood
Hardwood construction isn’t unique to Thomasville by any means. However, was a staple of mid 20th century furniture production — a time when Thomasville was dominating the scene. When you hear people musing about Thomasville being the gold-standard in quality, what they’re likely referencing is its all-wood construction and made-in-America pedigree. That said, the lion’s share of the mass-market Mid-Century brands, including Broyhill, Lane Furniture, Henredon, and Baker Furniture, were all about all-wood assembly as well.
Boundaryless Style
While many 20th century brands had robust style catalogs, few topped Thomasville’s. Thomasville produced furniture lines in virtually every popular style of the day. Their catalog includes Chinoiserie styles, European revival styles, and Early American reproduction styles. While Thomasville didn’t specialize in Mid-Century Modernism the way some other brands like Lane Furniture or American of Martinsville did, they did produce a few lines inspired by Danish Modernism. For those who wanted to shop all of the era’s trends in one place, Thomasville offered a robust line-up that few other brands could compete with.
Widely Accessible
According to vintage enthusiasts, during the height of its popularity, Thomasville had more than 30 stores dedicated solely to Thomasville product. Another 400 stores carried Thomasville product. Paired with accessible price points, it’s no surprise the brand became one of the mid 20th century’s most ubiquitous. Today, Ethan Allen or Basset Furniture could draw similar comparisons to Thomasville’s mid 20th century availability and market share dominance.
Is Today’s Thomasville the Same Quality as Vintage?
In 1995, the Thomasville name was sold to a new manufacturing group known as Furniture Brands Inc. Since then, the brand name has been sold and purchased two additional times. With every sale, Thomasville furniture has undergone new production techniques with a new manufacturer. For these reasons, it’s fair to say that the Thomasville pieces of yesteryear are not the same as today’s. Since its original sale, Thomasville furniture has reportedly become more prone to quality issues and inconsistent construction materials.
Which is all to say, if you’re interested in owning a piece possessing the sort of caliber that led to you googling “What makes Thomasville furniture from different brands,” make it a vintage Thomasville piece!
Lead image design by Graci Interiors / Photo by Sara Essex Bradley
