High Quality Cherry Queen Poster Bed - where can I get one?

[TraderGregg]

Hi all,

Just joined. Been trying to find a top of the line cherry queen poster bed. I've never had a matching bedroom set and I am determined to buy one - and buy one that will last 30 years or more. I want a bedroom set that, when I wake up, I look around and think to myself "Wow! I must be rich!"

Seems like the current fashion in furniture is clean and simple, which does not line up with my taste. I found one cool bed from Henkel Harris. Rice carved. Thing is, it has these really complicated bed posts (which I like), then a giant headboard that connects them with nothing on it, just a blank chunk o' wood. It looks strange to me to see intricately carved posts, then a giant slab of wood with no trim, carvings or other details.

The bed I get doesn't have to be rice carved. But I don't really care for the really simple, clean stuff like pencil poster beds and such. I want (and am willing to pay for) some detail.

Also, are these four poster queen beds inherently wobbly? I had a couple cheap ones from Rooms2Go, they made great kindling. I had a more expensive one from Drexel (I think) and it wobbled. Do all beds of this nature inevitably start to wobble, regardless of the quality? If so, I will have to rethink my choice of style.

Any help would be appreciated. If it is useful, I live in Knoxville TN.

[drcollie]

A properly made bed is pricey, because to do it right you have to have mortise and tenon joints with through bolts and nuts. Built that way, the bed will not only last 30 years - it will go 300. Beds wobble when (in order to save money) a manufacturer builds them with 1-piece headboards and footboards, that are glue jointed together and may feature a hook-type of rail attachment to the HB / FB. In a properly made bed, there are no glue joints and no 1 piece HB / FB. FYI for the past 30 years, this is the only bed I sell in my store. Yes they cost more, but they don't wobble - ever.



here's the best bedmaker in the USA, everything is hand-made in Rhode Island. I have three of their beds on my showroom floor and all the beds in my own home are from them as well. These guys are also some of the finest wood-carvers around as well.

https://www.facebook.com/stephenplaud/

[TraderGregg]

Thank you Duane! Yes, the R2G stuff had hooks at the end of the rails and were my introduction into how much better good pieces can be. But (thanks to you) I see my other bed was put together wrong! There were slots in the rails with rounded ends. Instead of a round "nut" or whatever that is in the rails in your diagram, the crew used a regular nut and a washer on the end of the bolts from the headboard and foot board! Of course, the washer bent into place after a while but it was not as good as what is seen here.

Good furniture makers seem to stress a lot of stuff that I don't know anything about like mortise and tenon joints. Do you know of a good website that lists a lot of these terms? And/or any other place that describes things to look for in good stuff? This whole subject is fascinating to me.

[drcollie]

That's why this forum exists. Here is where you can learn about that sort of thing, what makes good construction and quality materials. If REALLY want to get into it, then forums that feature fine woodworking are the place to go. I'm 30 years in this business now, and have made hundreds of trips (literally) to shops where they make furniture and done the pickups myself. That's how I have learned. Properly made furniture costs more than that done with shortcuts and the vast majority of people are more concerned with the price tag than the quality, so store like mine are few and far between. If its not made right, it won't be in my store - that's always been my mantra. I set the bar pretty high, and I have heard people come in and say "This place is expensive", and yes - it will be. Value City and Ashley are right down the road...so is IKEA.

Well made furniture doesn't break down and doesn't fail. It can, and will, last for generations. Many will say "I don't need something that will last 100 years, I won't be around that long." True that - but the thing is when its well made, it gives you the same performance and reliability twenty years down the road as the day you brought it home.

Every bed I have in my store is full mortise and tenon, with a through bolt design. I won't carry beds that have hooks on the rails, or glued up headboard and footboard sections. They never last, and always start wiggling. With through-bolt beds, if they ever get loose you simply grab your wrench and with a few twists of the wrist they are tight again. Ever hear of the phrase "Sleep Tight!" That means tighten up your bolts so the bed doesn't wiggle....seriously!

[TraderGregg]

Stephen Plaud's site was down for a while, but it's back and I've talked to them. Sounds like they can build what I want. Thing is, they asked me to mail `em a check for over 5 grand to start - but there are no terms, no agreements, no contracts. I realize they are a manufacturer, not a retailer and are not really set up to sell to the public. If retailers get the same price from them that I am then add a 50% margin, buying this bed through a retailer is WAY out of my price range . I can afford to throw down 11 or 12 large for a bed that I really want, but I cannot pay 24k.

Surely a retailer wouldn't just cut them a check for 5 or 6 grand w/o terms, right? They also talked about going through a designer, still that person would want terms I would imagine.

[drcollie]

I am a dealer for Stephen Plaud and have been for over 20 years. When consumers try to bypass the dealer and call direct, they will typically get quotes at a price that is higher than the highest price dealer/designer that carries the line, this is to discourage direct calls like you have done. Stephen Plaud is not set up to sell to the public, they are to the trade only and jobbers.

Your best bet is to ask for a quote from either my store or another dealer for the bed you are interested in. You can do so here by filling out the quote form on the forum and put your details in on the bed and I will be glad to price it out for you.

[TraderGregg]

I am a dealer for Stephen Plaud and have been for over 20 years. When consumers try to bypass the dealer and call direct, they will typically get quotes at a price that is higher than the highest price dealer/designer that carries the line, this is to discourage direct calls like you have done. Stephen Plaud is not set up to sell to the public, they are to the trade only and jobbers.

Your best bet is to ask for a quote from either my store or another dealer for the bed you are interested in. You can do so here by filling out the quote form on the forum and put your details in on the bed and I will be glad to price it out for you.

I know, you mentioned them here and I thank you for that. But when I went to their website after you told me about them, it didn't work. It was down for days and I gave up. So I crossed them off my list - I mean, if they can't even run a website do I want to buy stuff from them? Then a couple days ago I was searching on the web and Google found their website and it worked. I appreciate that you run this forum and that you have a big ol' store to heat and AC and fill with stuff. But I was never there to look at any of it. I find it hard to pay for stuff I never needed, used, looked at or even walked by. I still have not seen anything made by them. I should not have to pay for a furniture store to display stuff if I never got to see the thing I want or anything like it or even anything by the manufacturer. I have read your posts and appreciate your frustration with people that wander the furniture stores, then order from the manufacturer direct, saving money but cutting out the guy who made it possible. Operating a store so folks can see furniture is a huge expense. It is not right that folks can wander around and use this expensive resource, then buy from somewhere else. But that is *not* what I am doing. I've never seen a single stick of furniture from this company at all from anywhere (other than their website). I've never been within miles of your store(s).

I am an honest guy and I pay well for value. What is the value that you provide to me that is worth your cut?

[drcollie]

"What is the value that you provide to me that is worth your cut?"

Seriously? Come onto my forum that I pay for to get FREE information. Then call my store to talk to me about other brands of beds to buy for 20 minutes for even more FREE information, and then finally bypass me to go direct to my supplier - whom I recommended - because you think you can get it cheaper?

One of the great things about having your own business is you can decline to deal with someone further when they think they have it all figured out, and then have the gall to challenge me to "prove myself worthy"? I don't think so. Buy from whomever you want but when you dis-respect me we are done.

This thread is now closed and TraderGregg has made his last post on this forum.