John Richards Furniture: Luxury Pieces Reviewed

I first came across John Richards furniture about ten years ago at a showroom in High Point. Was not there to buy anything – just killing time while my wife shopped next door. But man, I ended up spending two hours just looking at their pieces, talking to the salesperson about how they are made.

What struck me was the joinery. I actually got down on my hands and knees to look under a dining table (the salesman probably thought I was nuts). But the dovetails, the mortise and tenon work – it reminded me of pieces my grandfather used to make in his shop.

Who Makes This Stuff Anyway?

John Richards is not a person – it is a company that has been around since the early 80s if I remember right. They are based out of High Point, North Carolina, which is basically the furniture capital of America. A lot of the big names manufacture there or at least have showrooms.

What sets them apart, at least in my experience, is that they still do things the old way. I have toured a few furniture factories over the years (occupational hazard when you are into woodworking) and most of them are highly automated now. John Richards still has craftspeople doing finish work by hand.

The Pieces I Have Actually Seen Up Close

Over the years I have gotten to examine a handful of their pieces more closely – some at showrooms, a couple at friends houses.

Their tables are solid. Not just looks solid – actually heavy, well-braced, with proper joinery. A dining table I saw had a three-inch thick top made from what looked like book-matched walnut planks. The grain pattern lined up perfectly across the whole surface. That is not easy to do.

The chairs are hit or miss in my opinion. Some of their upholstered chairs feel great, good lumbar support, comfortable for long dinners. But their more decorative pieces – the ones with carved backs and all that – can be a bit stiff. Form over function, if you know what I mean.

Case goods (dressers, armoires, that sort of thing) are where they really shine. The drawer slides are usually solid wood rails, not those cheap metal tracks that fall apart after a few years. The backs are actually finished, not just raw plywood. Little details like that tell you a lot about a manufacturer.

What This Level of Quality Actually Costs

Here is where I have to be honest: John Richards is expensive. We are talking 3,000 to 5,000 dollars for a dining table, 800 to 1,500 for chairs, and upward from there for larger pieces. Is it worth it? Depends on how you look at it.

I have bought cheap furniture that fell apart in five years. I have also inherited pieces from my grandparents that are 80 years old and still going strong. If you plan to keep something forever, the cost-per-year math starts looking different.

That said, I would not recommend anyone stretch their budget for furniture. If you can not afford it comfortably, there are other options. More on that in a bit.

Things I Would Change If I Were Them

No furniture maker is perfect, and I have got a few gripes with John Richards:

Their finishing can be too glossy for my taste. Everything looks a bit too polished, too perfect. I prefer furniture that shows the wood natural character – knots, color variations, that sort of thing. Their stuff can feel a bit sterile.

Lead times are long. Custom orders can take 16-20 weeks or more. In today world where everyone expects Amazon-speed delivery, that is a hard sell. Understandable given the handwork involved, but still frustrating if you need something soon.

The styling leans traditional. If you want something modern or minimalist, you might need to look elsewhere. Their wheelhouse is classic American and European styles – Chippendale influences, Queen Anne legs, ornate carvings.

Comparing to What I Can Build Myself

As someone who builds furniture in my own shop, I am always comparing commercial pieces to what I could make myself. With John Richards, I have to admit they are doing things I probably could not match.

Their veneering work, for instance. I have tried book-matching veneers and it is incredibly difficult to get right. They clearly have people who have been doing it for decades.

The carved elements are also beyond what most hobby woodworkers can achieve. I can do basic relief carving, but some of their table legs and chair backs have sculptural work that would take me months to learn.

Where I think a dedicated amateur could compete is in simpler designs. A shaker-style dining table? Yeah, I could build that to the same quality. But their more ornate pieces have craftsmanship that comes from years of specialized training.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If John Richards is out of your budget or not quite your style, here are some other manufacturers I have been impressed with:

Stickley does excellent mission and craftsman style furniture. Similar price range to John Richards, different aesthetic.

Copeland Furniture out of Vermont makes solid hardwood pieces at a slightly lower price point. More modern designs.

Local custom builders are often overlooked. Where I live there are at least a dozen small shops that do custom work at prices competitive with the big brands. You get exactly what you want and support local craftspeople.

My Takeaway After All These Years

John Richards makes genuinely good furniture. It is not hype or marketing – the quality is there if you look closely. Whether it is the right choice for you depends on your taste, budget, and what you plan to do with the piece.

For furniture that will become a family heirloom, something you will pass down to your kids? It is worth considering. For something that might get replaced in ten years when your tastes change? Maybe look at less expensive options.

Either way, I would encourage anyone interested to visit a showroom if you can. Seeing and touching the pieces tells you a lot more than any website or article ever could. Even someone like me who builds furniture for fun learned things by examining their work up close.