Eames Executive Chair

Hardwood frames are kiln-dried and double-doweled with corner blocks glued and screwed at every joint — this is old-school frame construction that prevents the wobble and creak you get from staple-and-cardboard furniture. Eight-way hand-tied spring suspension distributes weight evenly and can be re-tied if springs ever sag. Made in Hickory, North Carolina. The cushion cores use high-density foam wrapped in polyester fiber that resists flattening better than standard furniture foam.

Solid hardwood construction — primarily quarter-sawn white oak and cherry — with mortise-and-tenon joinery. No particleboard, no veneers on their Mission/Craftsman lines. The hand-applied catalyzed lacquer finish is baked on and cured harder than standard furniture finishes. Stickley has been building furniture in Manlius, New York since 1900, and original Gustav Stickley pieces from the early 1900s sell for thousands at auction because they're still structurally perfect.

Pottery Barn's higher-end desks (Bedford, Livingston, Benchwright lines) use kiln-dried hardwood frames with dovetail drawer construction — a joint method that resists pulling apart under the weight of loaded drawers. The wood finishes are multi-step catalyzed lacquer that's more durable than typical furniture stain. The hardware (drawer pulls, hinges) is solid metal rather than plastic. While not heirloom-quality like Stickley, Pottery Barn occupies a reasonable middle ground between Ikea particleboard and custom furniture maker pricing.