The Real Wood Furniture Store

This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Real Wood Furniture Store!  Opened in 1981 as The Unfinished Furniture Store by Peter E. Zaharis, the store is still family owned and operated.  Pete had originally intended to lease the building, but, as he could not find a tenant, he then decided to open a furniture store.  On the site of the former Robinson – Carpenter lumber yard, it’s fitting that furniture made of real wood is now sold there.

Pete opened the store with two truckloads of Mastercraft pine furniture, and you can view it here.  It wasn’t long before he added Sawdust Shops (which later became London Grove Industries), and other unfinished furniture manufacturers and handyman.  Pete ran the store by himself for the first 16 years; son Peter joined him in 1997; son Mark and daughter-in-law Adrienne in 2002.  The store was predominantly a bookcase store in the early years; bookcases are still a major offering from a simple inexpensive pine book shelf to a complete custom home library.  While Mastercraft Furniture and London Grove Industries have since gone out of business, The Real Wood Furniture Store continues to specialize in both unfinished and custom finished furniture.   The store offers ready-to-finish furniture made from a variety of wood species such as alder, maple, oak, pine, parawood, and cherry, and, has a large selection of wood stains and finishes.  They also carry a line of natural furniture care products that are Earth Friendly, Kid Safe, and Pet Safe!

So, why the name change?  A couple of years ago the family decided it was time to leave behind the unfounded “reputation” of unfinished furniture as being “cheap” furniture.  While it is true that unfinished furniture generally costs less than furniture of similar quality that is already finished, unfinished furniture is anything but “cheap”!  The Real Wood Furniture Store certifies that all of their furniture is made with solid wood and wood veneers on plywood.  Some of the quality construction features you can find at The Real Wood Furniture Store are:

• Solid wood tops.
• Solid wood face frames.
• Sold wood drawer fronts and drawer parts.
• Mortise and tenon joinery.
• Concealed adjustable hinges.
• English dovetail drawer construction.
• European-style drawer glides.
• Full extension metal ball bearing drawer slides.
• Solid wood and veneered wood panels.
• Fitted backs for structural strength.
• Custom finishing options.
• Solid wood crown and base moldings.

Ready-to-finish furniture has come a long way!  Each piece is an original, the result of nature’s handiwork.  Quality wood furniture purchased today can be used for a lifetime.