Lane Furniture: Why These Vintage Pieces Still Hold Up

Lane Furniture: Why These Vintage Pieces Still Hold Up has gotten complicated with all the conflicting advice flying around. As someone who researched and evaluated dozens of options in this space, I learned everything there is to know about what actually matters versus what’s just marketing. Today, I’ll share the real insights.

I picked up my first Lane cedar chest at an estate sale about twelve years ago. Paid maybe sixty bucks for it. The thing was from 1958 and still smelled like cedar when I opened it. Thats when I started paying attention to this brand.

How Lane Got Started

The company kicked off in 1912 in Altavista, Virginia. John Lane saw an opportunity with cedar chests and ran with it. What made Lane different from the start was they werent just making storage boxes. They were building pieces meant to last generations.

Ive opened up a few of these old chests to see how theyre built. The joinery is solid. Were talking proper dovetails, not the cheap stuff you see in modern big-box furniture. The aromatic cedar they used was the real deal too – not some cedar-scented plywood.

When Lane Branched Out

After World War II, Lane expanded beyond chests. They started making coffee tables, end tables, and living room furniture. Ive got a Lane coffee table from the early 1960s in my own living room. Solid walnut, beautiful grain, and the finish has held up surprisingly well despite my kids using it as a footrest for years.

That’s what makes this endearing to us furniture makers — understanding these details helps make better decisions.

The big move came in the 1950s when they bought Action Industries and got into recliners. Honestly, their recliner mechanisms were pretty innovative for the time. Ive repaired a few older Lane recliners and the engineering still impresses me. They built those mechanisms to take a beating.

What Made Lane Different

Heres what I appreciate about Lane furniture from a makers perspective. They actually invested in research and development. They filed patents on their recliner mechanisms. They tested their stuff. This wasnt just slapping wood together and calling it furniture.

When TVs became the center of American living rooms, Lane adjusted. Their chairs and sofas from that era were designed for actual comfort during long viewing sessions. You can tell because the lumbar support actually works – something a lot of modern furniture still gets wrong.

Probably should have led with this section, honestly.

The Tough Years

Lane had to compete with cheap imports starting in the 1970s and 80s. Foreign manufacturers could undercut them on price, even if the quality wasnt there. Lane leaned into their Made in USA identity. Some folks cared about that, others just wanted cheap furniture.

In 1987, Lane merged with Furniture Brands International. These corporate marriages always change things. Some product lines stayed true to the original quality standards. Others… well, not so much. If youre hunting for Lane pieces, pre-merger stuff tends to be the better find.

What Lane Made

Their catalog was pretty broad:

• Living room furniture: Sectionals, sofas, entertainment centers. The recliners were probably their best-known items by the 1980s.
• Bedroom sets: Dressers, beds, nightstands. Ive refinished a couple Lane dressers – the drawer construction is consistently good.
• Dining room: Tables and chairs. Not as common as their other stuff, but well-built when you find them.
• Cedar chests: Still their signature item. These things are practically indestructible.

Sustainability Before It Was Trendy

Lane eventually started sourcing wood from managed forests. They werent doing it to be fashionable – it just made business sense to ensure theyd have materials for the future. Their focus on durability was inherently sustainable though. Furniture that lasts 50+ years doesnt end up in landfills.

Hunting for Vintage Lane Pieces

If you want to find good Lane furniture, estate sales and thrift stores are your friends. Look for the stamped signature inside drawers or on the back of pieces. Check the joinery – real Lane stuff has solid construction. Be skeptical of anything that feels flimsy or uses particle board.

The cedar chests are still everywhere and usually reasonably priced. Just make sure the hinges work and theres no musty smell (that indicates moisture damage). A good cedar chest should still smell like cedar.

Why I Still Recommend Lane

Modern Lane furniture exists but its not the same company it was. For my money, tracking down vintage pieces is the way to go. That 1958 cedar chest I bought for sixty bucks? My daughters using it now. Itll probably outlast all of us.

Theres something satisfying about furniture built when durability actually mattered. Lane got a lot of things right during their peak years, and those pieces are still proving it every day.