Pottery Barn Desk

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.

Die-cast aluminum frame with a polished finish that doesn't peel, chip, or corrode. The seat and back cushions are segmented leather pads that distribute weight independently — if one pad wears out, you replace that pad, not the whole chair. The tilt mechanism and gas cylinder are standard office-chair parts that any technician can swap. Herman Miller (the authorized manufacturer) offers a 12-year warranty covering everything. Original Eames Aluminum Group chairs from the 1960s are still in daily office use.