Pottery Barn quality?

[E B]

(Inspired by Class n Sass''s post...)

Does anyone here in diamond-land own Pottery Barn furniture? Specifically something that''s used daily, like a bed?

FH and I are moving in two weeks and are ditching our "teeny queen" (FH is 6''7''''!) for a California King. We''re in the market for a bed, and are very close to ordering the one pictured below.

It isn''t cheap, and before we order it, I was hoping someone could testify to the general quality of Pottery Barn''s products. I absolutely love PB (we''re registered there), but before we drop the money, I want to make sure we''re getting a bed that will last for, oh, 20 years.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[E B]

Bueller?

 

[rockzilla]

I dont own any major PB pieces, but i just want to say to make SURE you know how big that bed is. Their beds (ESPECIALLY with a canopy) take up a lot of space, and you''ll have a cal king! You dont want it to overpower the room...and you have to think of where you might live in the future, not just where you live now. I think that bed would be best in a room with really high/ vaulted ceilings...

(should be good quality though...)

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Sorry I don''t own any furniture from there. It is a beautiful bed though. Do you have a PB by you? They probably won''t have that bed but they have sample pieces for you to look at (table, chairs, side table, a few beds).

 

[E B]

That''s a good point, rockzilla- thank you. I hadn''t even considered its size. We''re moving out of state and have only seen the house once, so we''re not sure what the exact size of the room is.

Tacori- Thank you! I''ll probably go to PB this week (we have one very close) and see if they have it (or a Cal King) on display.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 7/4/2007 12:03:15 AM
Author: EBree
That''s a good point, rockzilla- thank you. I hadn''t even considered its size. We''re moving out of state and have only seen the house once, so we''re not sure what the exact size of the room is.


Tacori- Thank you! I''ll probably go to PB this week (we have one very close) and see if they have it (or a Cal King) on display.

Yeah...a Cal king is HUUUUUUGE. And so is that bed. I would measure measure measure before you order something like that.

 

[monarch64]

I''d call the company and ask to speak to someone regarding the quality of the wood used for this bed. I''ve had my original bedroom furniture from when I was 3 years old all this time...my grandmother bought it for me, it''s solid walnut, and has held up for 27 years now and counting. Most of the furniture chain stores manufacture today consists of particle board and veneers, it''s hard to find solid wood that is substantial enough to go through moves or a lot of wear and tear.

When we moved into our little house that was built in 1948 a few years ago, we didn''t realize that a queen size box spring wouldn''t fit up our staircase. So we had to rush out and buy a kind bedroom suite on the cheap with boxsprings that were two twin size. I found a headboard, dresser, and lingerie chest I could live with at Pier One, and it seems ok so far, but we are only three years into having the set. We went ahead and bought the two nightstands that go with the suite knowing we''d probably end up putting the whole suite in a guest bedroom within the next few years when we find our dream home or build one.

I did just buy all new bedding for our BR from PB, and am pretty pleased with the quality, for what it''s worth.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Our bedding is from PB too Monnie and I love it as well. Very well made.

The won''t have a cal king on display (too big!) I believe they use full size beds. I don''t believe PB uses solid wood. I could be wrong though. Make sure you have high ceilings too.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 7/4/2007 12:09:39 AM
Author: monarch64
I''d call the company and ask to speak to someone regarding the quality of the wood used for this bed. I''ve had my original bedroom furniture from when I was 3 years old all this time...my grandmother bought it for me, it''s solid walnut, and has held up for 27 years now and counting. Most of the furniture chain stores manufacture today consists of particle board and veneers, it''s hard to find solid wood that is substantial enough to go through moves or a lot of wear and tear.

When we moved into our little house that was built in 1948 a few years ago, we didn''t realize that a queen size box spring wouldn''t fit up our staircase. So we had to rush out and buy a kind bedroom suite on the cheap with boxsprings that were two twin size. I found a headboard, dresser, and lingerie chest I could live with at Pier One, and it seems ok so far, but we are only three years into having the set. We went ahead and bought the two nightstands that go with the suite knowing we''d probably end up putting the whole suite in a guest bedroom within the next few years when we find our dream home or build one.

I did just buy all new bedding for our BR from PB, and am pretty pleased with the quality, for what it''s worth.

Ditto what monarch said about the quality of wood. I just watched a special the other day where a guy was going around to popular furniture stores to see if people were getting what they paid for. PB failed...they used particle board, even though the cabinet was advertised as cherry and the people working there confirmed it. If you''re going to spend the money, make sure it''s the real thing and not junk!

p.s. Don''t mean to offend anyone with the "junk" comment.....my house is full of hand me downs and ikea products. haha. But I get what I''m paying for, ya know?

 

[Mara]

we have pottery barn furniture in our office, a big desk and a matching hutch and file cabinet. they are both made very well...they don't get a ton of use but are heavy and not lightweight at all. the one thing is that i did notice right away that when the chair arm hits the keyboard tray, that some piece of the furniture started lifting, a particle board piece starting lifting off the keyboard tray. that happened within the first month. but it was where the chair was constantly hitting that area of the tray...so maybe not 'normal' use. and just that area of the tray used particle board. it wasn't a huge deal but i remember going gee it's only been a month. but other than that we have had absolutely no issues and the pieces look as beautiful and new today as they did 4 years ago when we bought them (i think it was like the ari desk and matching hutch/file cabinet, or something like that). their stuff is not cheap so i would hope it's made well. oh and random other note but we also have a PB EC unit, we've had it for 1.5 years and love it...and it has definitely held up. thick glass for the shelves and the wood itself is a dark beautiful stain. i would def buy PB again...but i'd like to see it in person before spending. have fun shopping!

 

[rockzilla]

Also, so much of the catalog drawing you in is the beautiful room they set it in...since you don't know yet what your place is going to look like, try imagining the bed like this:

(Not knocking the bed, it is a beautiful piece, but I remember doing tours of "model" apartments where they put a big canopy bed in a normal-sized bedroom with regular height ceilings - it just took up the WHOLE space and there was barely room for anything else. I think it is really important to think about where the bed is going)

Also, this is the description of the bed's construction:

"Headboard, footboard and canopy are solid kiln-dried mahogany. Side rails are mahogany and mahogany veneer over MDF. MDF, a man-made fiberboard consisting of wood fibers and resin binders, is known for its strength and stability, and is commonly used as a base for veneers. It features uniform consistency with no knots, and while it has about the same density as medium-weight hardwood, it is structurally more stable. It won't crack, and finishes adhere well to it, which results in a smooth end coat. Kiln drying is a process that removes moisture from wood and ensures that it will not split, warp, crack or mildew. Platform-support slats are solid hardwood. Finished on all sides with multi-step hand-applied Espresso stain with lacquer finish."

Not sure if solid wood is important to you but this has some fiberboard pieces (probably better quality than Ikea fiberboard but still MDF)

I would suggest getting a feel for your space before making such a big investment....you can't exactly ship it back easily!


PS...hmmm, wonder if you can take the canopy off? Hard to tell.

 

[Joolskie]

We have furniture from PB in our office and bedroom including the bed. We are very happy with all the pieces. My take on PB is that the furniture is priced in the mid-range. Much like Old Navy, The Gap and Banana Republic... the PB company has tiers. West Elm, PB and Restoration Hardware are all the same company. Restoration is the top line with all solid wood, PB is the mid line with solid wood usually veneering MDF and West Elm is the most affordable.

If you are not in the market to spend thousands, it is my feeling that PB can deliver quality with a fair price tag. And it is definitely a step up from IKEA as PB is usually wood over particle board.

The customer service is good as well. One of our pieces arrived damaged. I called and they arranged to send a replacement. No questions asked. There is a Pottery Barn outlet not too far from me so the damaged one probably ended up over there!

We have the Valencia Sleigh Bed in the queen size...

 

[Joolskie]

Here is a small photo of the Valencia in my bedroom (with PB side tables!) so you can see a real life example. My bedroom is large and has a cathedral ceiling. I am kind of with Rockzilla regarding the canopy. In a normal sized room with regular height ceilings, a canopy could take up the entire space. Just something to consider as you might need room for dressers or a chair.

 

[E B]

Thank you all so much- I think I'm okay with the fact that the rails are MDF, as long as the bed itself is solid wood.

For those asking if the canopy can be taken off, if the room is just too small, we'd go with the non-canopy Farmhouse model (which I also love!). The ceilings in our new place are high downstairs, I'm just not sure about upstairs. The rooms are all very nicely sized, but I guess we're just going to either have to wait to see, or we're going to need to ask the landlord for measurements.

 

[justjulia]

We have two dining tables and they are above avg in quality, if that helps.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/4/2007 1:05:47 AM
Author: luckystar112

Ditto what monarch said about the quality of wood. I just watched a special the other day where a guy was going around to popular furniture stores to see if people were getting what they paid for. PB failed...they used particle board, even though the cabinet was advertised as cherry and the people working there confirmed it. If you''re going to spend the money, make sure it''s the real thing and not junk!

p.s. Don''t mean to offend anyone with the ''junk'' comment.....my house is full of hand me downs and ikea products. haha. But I get what I''m paying for, ya know?

Yep, a family member of mine was telling me of a family she knew who furnished their whole house in PB and w/in a year the veneer had chipped all over and especially where the vaccum cleaner had bummed up against it and the furniture hadn''t held up well at all in general with the kids using the coffee table, etc. I think PB is too expensive for what you get. I love the fun little items they have, but I''ve found even better quality at World Market/Cost Plus for basic items, like little decorative tables.

 

[eks6426]

My best friend has a pottery barn table and chairs for her dining room. It gets daily use. My friend has had it since 2002. She has been super unhappy with the durability of the set. The dining table scratched right away and definitely chips easily. The veneer over mdf did not hold up for her at all. She''s really mad she spent so much money on it.

Honestly, I''d look into having a bed made with real wood. The side rails that are veneer over mdf are the part of the bed that will get the most abuse as you get in and out on a daily basis.

It''s beautiful though.

 

[sumbride]

I have an iron bed from PB, the "whitney" I think. I''ve had it for about 6 years and it''s still in great condition, though some of the finish has rubbed off the tops of the end posts. But it''s not wood... I do have 2 PB nightstands and the finish has chipped in numerous places and I''m currently looking to replace them. They were not particularly expensive at the time, but that bed is, so I''d be careful. Also, side rails get a LOT of abuse, especially on a higher bed. I don''t know if that bed is high off the floor or not, but it tends to be where you sort of "kick-off" and I would stay away from veneer on that part. You can always sand down a wooden rail, but not with veneer.

Another thing to know... delivery times! I ordered my bed in JANUARY and it was delivered in JUNE. They only make so many at a time, and sometimes you have to wait for them to make it.

 

[hazeleyes]

We have the entire Farmhouse set (wide dresser, tall dresser, nightstands, king bed without the canopy). We''ve been quite pleased with the quality. The drawer joints are dovetailed, and it all seems quite sturdy. One knob has come loose on a drawer, however, I don''t consider that a major defect. We even painted the walls the same color blue that is shown in the catalog with the bed. Sad, I know....