"foggytown" wrote in message
oups.com...
I know there's no hard and fast rules on this subject but I think
common sense should have some bearing. The other week Norm built an
absolutely gorgeous highboy from tiger maple. One look at the
wonderfuly figured wood, gleaming brass fittings, elegant shape said it
all: heirloom piece for sure - greatgrandkiddies will still be
displaying this one.

Then Norm pulled out a drawer and you got a good look inside. It could
have passed as a crude example from a pallet factory's seconds pile!
How can anything so lovely have such an ugly and utilitarian interior?

IMHO an heirloom is a piece that is functional and built well enough to last
generations. Appearance has nothing to do with it.
There are many people that do not appreciate the inner workings of
furniture, they simply care about how it looks on the outside. Have you
been in to the common furniture store lately? Open a dresser drawer and see
if is even 2/3's as deep as the dresser caucus. If it has DT's, were they
sanded smooth?