A lot of “wooden” furniture sold today are actually made out of particle boards covered with veneer. While you can still find some really good hardwood furniture, there’s still a chance that you might be getting some with shoddy workmanship. Weed out the posers from the real thing with these few pointers.

Here are a quick checklist to guide you in choosing a quality and well-built piece of furniture:

• The piece is made using good wood (hardwood is your best bet)
• The piece doesn’t give easily when pushed down on the top corner doesn’t give easily
• The back panel is attached with screws and not nailed on
• The drawers side smoothly and their corners are joined using dovetails
• The doors open and close flush with the hinges well-secured and made from tough hardware
• The lengthy shelves have braces and supports