In this video, we discuss the ins and outs of Century Furniture company. We briefly discuss the history of Century Furniture and look at some of the collections and styles the company is known for.
Watch our Century Furniture Video.
Is Century Furniture High End?
Century Furniture is considered a High End or luxury furniture brand. Of course, Century Manufacturing Furniture centers employ fine furniture-making techniques. Also, they use incredibly high end raw materials.
The company started in the 1940s, and built a name for high end upholstered furniture, as well as case-goods. With a commitment to high end processes and materials, Century Furniture offers an incredible product.
Likewise, you can purchase Century Furniture made in any decade and expect superior quality. After all, vintage Century Furniture also demonstrates excellent construction and materials.
Is Century Furniture Still in Business?
Yes, thankfully, Century Furniture is still in business. Additionally, Century Furniture still manufacturers their products in North Carolina. So, if you are looking for high end luxury furniture that comes from the USA, consider Century Furniture Company.
Like Ethan Allen Furniture, Century currently offers many direct to consumer products. Obviously, with so many changes to the retail environment, Century has pivoted to create a great customer-friendly website. On the website, you can find the catalog of stylish dining tables, living room furniture and bedroom pieces.
Today, if you wish to purchase from the company directly, you can do so by finding their “Quick Ship” Catalogue. These off the shelf items, like bar stools, dining chairs and accent furniture can be purchased directly with the company. Of course, the catalog reflects the current stock and can change daily.
That said, you must expect a somewhat significant investment into Century Fine Furniture. In other words, Century Furniture is far from cheap. Bar stools from this Quick Ship catalog typically range from $1000-$1500 a piece.
However, the Quick Ship inventory is just one aspect of the current Century offerings. Most of the beautiful models of Century Furniture features customizable options. In fact, you have many choices regarding the fabric and finishes you choose with Century.
Discontinued Century Furniture
Because a furniture company must keep up with design trends, many lines of discontinued Century pieces of Furniture have hit the pages of eBay.
Some of the most beloved discontinued Century Furniture lines were:
- The Chin Hua Century Collection, which was a Mid Century Modern Asian inspired collection.
- Chardeau Line by Century, which featured French Country styles.
Of course, Century also made some lovely rustic Tuscan style furniture, other European inspired designs and some regency style furniture. Also, they made quite a bit of Modern furniture during the Mid Century Modern period.
As you may have noticed, Century Fine Furniture has had a history of collaborating with incredible designers in the past. Many of their lines of furniture featured the designs of interior designer heavy-hitters, like Raymond K. Sobota.
Today designers like Bunny Williams collaborate with the company to create stylish, unique pieces. So, you can bet you will receive stylish high end furniture.
Vintage Century Company Furniture
Beautiful vintage Century Furniture still has quite a following. Many people chose to scour the listings on Etsy, eBay and Chairish to find high quality used Chairish pieces. After all, good furniture lasts decades.
So, if you would like to find vintage Century Furniture, you could end up saving money. Also, you could get some incredible styles that are no longer in production. Finally, you can often decorate a home with a conscience with American made furniture by Century.
Tips for Buying Century Pieces
We do have a few tips if you wish to purchase second hand Century furniture.
Firstly, do your research. Take time to find appealing designs by Century. Then, determine the name of the collection. Of course, sometimes the furniture seller will know the name of the collection. However, if they do not, you can also order old Century Furniture catalogs.
These precious documents can showcase the styles of vintage Century pieces. Also, they give you great decorating ideas. Of course, the marketing and design department of Century worked to place their items in the best light and make every picture in those catalogs count!
You can also pick up tiny details that help pull a room together. So, you no doubt will get tons of design inspiration as well!
Secondly, once you have the collection name, or the idea of the style that suits your room, start your search!
We recommend using as many websites as it may take. Bottom line, finding the exact pieces you need will take time. Of course, you now have the important info to find vintage Century pieces.
Thirdly, be willing to negotiate. As fine furniture cannot be shipped through UPS or other shipping companies, you likely will have to pay for private shippers. Likely, this costs more than you might expect. With large two piece china cabinets, dining tables or even vintage sofas, this requires two strong shippers in nearly all cases.
So, with this extra cost, you really need to carefully select your items. Sometimes, if the vintage seller has more than one piece to offer, you can get a small reduction on shipping.
Furniture Retailers to Shopping Online
As many large furniture brands get subsumed by large corporate entities, it is nice to know that Century is still a vibrant company. Furthermore, they still manufacture their products in the United States.
However, in order to compete in the new world, Century seems to have become an online retailer. It seems, furniture stores are on the decline. Of course, with such overhead involved in a bricks and mortar environment, online websites seem to be the solution.
Nowadays, the manufacturer aims to work directly with the consumer. In doing so, they avoid the middleman. And, they can still find a profit.
That said, the customer has to trust online reviews. And, they cannot go to a store and touch and feel the furniture they wish to purchase. So, while there are plenty of upsides, the online business model still leaves something to be desired.
However, with brands like Century, consumers can trust the product they will receive will meet their expectations!