Frequently Asked Questions
About Our Furniture
How do you ensure a quality product?
Our team spends months, even years, working closely with our partners to develop our furniture from the inside out—from selecting every component to extensively sampling and testing pieces in our own homes.
When your piece is completed, it goes through a rigorous inspection process to guarantee precise workmanship. Every piece isn't shipped until it's perfect.
What should I know about buying custom furniture?
Each of our pieces is individually handcrafted, with all elements from wood finishes to upholstery details hand-done by our skilled craftsmen. This process results in natural variations from piece to piece, which are expected and contribute to the unique beauty of our furniture. Here are the types of variations you can expect to see in handcrafted, custom furniture:
Fabric dyelots may vary: Slight differences in texture, color or appearance among fabrics (and leathers) may be found, for example between swatches and furniture pieces.
Wood finishes may vary: Our finishes are applied by hand to exposed legs and bases made from 100% hardwood. Slight color variations are expected between swatches and furniture pieces, as well as between furniture pieces in the same finish, due to the natural wood grains.
Natural hides may vary (leather and cowhide): inherent variations in the hide's natural texture, coloring, and hair length make each hide unique and your piece one-of-a-kind.
Shearling hides may vary: we work with all-natural Shearling hides hand-sourced in small batches, so each one will be unique in color and curl. This means that you may see some subtle variations from your original piece or between your pieces, and we feel the uniqueness of each hide adds to the beauty of each finished piece.
Size tolerances are expected: All pieces will be made within a tolerance of 1" of specified dimensions.
We work with our partners to ensure each piece falls within our approved variance range, and this is verified before shipment through our inspection process.
Is your furniture made using toxic chemicals?
We are proud to build our furniture without flame retardants, formaldehyde, or other harmful chemicals.
Ozone depleters
PBDEs, TDCPP, or TCEP flame retardants
Mercury, lead, and other heavy metals
Formaldehyde
Phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
All of our fabrics are made without flame retardants or anti-fungal additives. Our Performance fabrics are free of PFOS and PFOA. Additionally, our Performance fabrics featuring Crypton® Home and Sunbrella include completely non-toxic.
How do I maintain my furniture?
Our pieces are handcrafted to withstand years of wear, especially when treated with care. If you have any questions about how to care for yours, please contact sales@theruralart.com We've also compiled a helpful list of tips to keep your piece looking its best for years to come.
For upholstered furniture:
Vacuum monthly to remove dirt, dust, and pet hair as these can cause fabric to wear faster.
For pieces designed with removable, fully upholstered cushions, we recommend flipping and rotating each cushion twice monthly for even wear. When flipping, give them a good shake-down (beat them together from either end) to move fibers and feathers around and ensure even distribution.
Avoid contact with items that may transfer color (newspaper, brand-new jeans).
For wood furniture:
To clean wood pieces, wipe the surface with a dampened cloth using a non-wax polish or mild detergent solution. Avoid the use of ammonia based products or silicone oils as they may cause damage if used over a long period of time.
Avoid excessive prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, high temperatures, and high humidity as these environments can cause damage to both the wood and wood finish.
To extend the life of your natural wood piece, we recommend to always use a beverage coaster; otherwise, enjoy the added character and aging process that happens over time.
Can my furniture be used both indoors and outdoors?
As our wood and fabric assortment can react to drastic changes in humidity and temperature, none of our pieces are rated for outdoor use.
What are the elastic ties that connect your sofa seat cushions to frame?
We've designed hidden elastic ties that secure the seat cushions of our sofas in place, so that they don't shift underneath you with use. The elastic ties are clipped to the frame on both sides of each seat cushion.
Can I order just the headboard for my bed?
No, our beds are only available to order as a complete bed with the side rails and footboard.
Are the beds available in a Twin or Full size?
Our beds are only available standard in Queen, King, and California King sizes.