Torn between Stickley, Henredon, and Century Bed

Hello all,

I'm in the market for a sleigh bed. I've seen three beds that I have fallen in love with. I will be purchasing the remaining bedroom pieces from whichever manufacturer's collection I chose on the sleigh bed.

Bed #1 - Stickley - 3038L Kensington Sleigh Bed (king)
http://www.stickley.com/OurProducts_...single&finish=

Bed #2 - Henredon - 9802-12 Ashton Court Sleigh Bed (king)
http://www.henredon.com/collectionde...=9802_12BR.jpg

Bed#3 - Century - 801-156 Castellen Panel Bed (king) (Not to sleigh bed, so maybe not a great comparison)
http://www.centuryfurniture.com/Gall...6&Section=TYPE

All three beds are available to me at very close prices to within a few hundred dollars, so taking price out of the equation, which of the three is the better built piece? I have heard great things about all three, but I just want to make sure I'm buying the highest quality of the three particular pieces I linked.

Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

There's not much rocket science in building beds, the key there is to make sure they are of solid hardwoods vs. veneers, and that the rails bolt into the posts or otherwise use hard attachment methods (the hooks over the dowels method is terrible). Assuming all are made in the proper manner, then I prefer the lines on the Stickley of the three from a design standpoint. Good luck!

I have no clue about the build quality but my favorites based simply on how they look are the Stickley & Henredon beds.

Mr Bean,

I have experience with all of these lines. I still sell Century and Henredon. Stickley is made right down the road from my house. They all three are going to give you the best that is to be offered for that particular style. If you need help with the Century or Henredon, e-mail me at JarrodMorton@FurniturelandSouth.com. Their sale ends tomorrow the 30th.

mrbean
I personally like the Stickley model the best. The style seems to be the most versatile and the finish is definitely the most attractive and high-end looking in my opinion. My sister who is extremely quality conscious and noise sensitive has a Stickley bed and she has never complained about her choice. The Henredon would be my second choice. THe Century bed has a lot going on there and appears to be quite a monstrosity, but it is a matter of personal opinion.

I also agree that from a pure looks standpoint, I like the Stickley the best

I just wanted to pop back in to thank you all for the helpful comments. I went ahead and ordered the Stickley. I was able to view a few of their pieces at a showroom yesterday and I was thoroughly impressed with what I saw. That, coupled with the positive comments Stickley received from you guys helped made the decision a lot easier.

I should also mention that both the Henredon and Century pieces I saw were also very nice quality. The Century bed was just maybe a little bit too traditional for my taste after seeing it in person, though still a beautiful bed. I also got a chance to see a few pieces made by Kincaid which were very nice, but were not as well constructed as the Stickley (at least to my untrained eye). Thier much lower price point reflected as much. Still very nice pieces, though.

Anyway, I sincerely thank all who contributed to this thread and all who contribute to this forum, and especially Duane for creating the forum.

mrbean... enjoy the Stickley bed and circle back to the forum after you receive your new bed. I have been to the Stickley headquarters and main facility in Manlius, N.Y. on many occasions. I have been extremely impressed with their quality and the pride they take in their heritage as a company. As you enter their main showroom about 5 miles away from the factory you are overwhelmed by their pride of quality construction. They have an entire area that displays the various types of joints and members used along with their construction techniques for various furniture pieces. I own an executive office desk in solid cherry i purchased in 1992. This is one of the finest pieces of furniture I have and I use it every day in my home office. Again congratulations on your decision.

Larry