Differentiating Commercial Furniture from Home Furniture
For many Americans, furniture is furniture. It is all the same. Commercial furniture is actually in a class all by itself. Commercial grade varies, but it is always designed to be durable, easily cleanable, and have longevity. Commercial furniture is used anywhere large numbers of people will use it daily, the surface needs to be easy to clean, where there may be large weight differences among users, and when a company cannot budget for new commercial furniture every few years.
Commercial grade furniture is often inconspicuously reinforced. Springs are a stronger grade than those used in residential and other furniture, building materials have proven track records for durability, and the longevity outweighs the higher prices for this commercial grade pieces.
One frequently mentioned category is restaurant commercial furniture. This is not necessarily so for high priced restaurants, but it is often the norm for less expensive establishments as well as fast food restaurants. When people are eating on the run, they often do not take the time to gently move restaurant furniture gracefully and carefully. Restaurant commercial furniture factors in the often rough movement, multiple uses, and accommodates this through the use of more durable materials such as scratch resistance, easy glide chairs, and easy to clean table tops. The price of restaurant commercial pieces is higher than most families would be willing to pay to have it in their homes during their child raising years.
Commercial dining furniture is generally seen in mid-level dining facilities. It is durable while appearing more dining room like. One element that sets commercial dining furniture apart from other categories is it is heartiness without bulk. Employees can easily move the commercial dining furniture to clean and care for the dining area, yet the elderly and children are not apt to topple the furniture when coming to or leaving the table.
Modern commercial furniture has most of the attributes already mentioned. One differentiation is the softening of the lines. Table edges are rounded; chair backs are oval rather than square. Manufacturers for this category aim at achieving a comfortable look and feel, while maintaining the sustainability of more traditional commercial pieces.
The concept and reality of commercial grade carries over to lobby furniture that is used by many, few of whom think nothing of banging it around, spilling on it and other unspeakable treatments.
There are many commercial furniture suppliers. Buyers beware of those whose work does not match their claims. Seeing, feeling, sitting in, at or on the furniture is essential in making a well informed purchase decision.
Yang Anderson is a specialist in wholesale furniture, restaurant furniture and commercial furniture.
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