Furniture designed to provide storage space, or for display, is called case goods. Usually made of wood or metal, case goods comprise bedroom and dining room furniture - excluding upholstered pieces - as well as desks, bookcases and chests.

There are several factors that determine the overall quality of case goods:
Wood pieces should usually be joined in either a mortise and tenon (one piece fits into a pocket on the other) or a dovetail (the pieces fit together like meshing gears). The best joinery is also glued, locking the pieces together. Blocks glued and screwed into corners create extra stability.

Drawers should fit well, glide easily on heavy-duty glide rails; they shouldn't creak or wobble excessively from side to side.

The insides of drawers should be smoothly sanded with panels between drawers blocking dust and other material.

Solid woods, including rosewood, cherry, mahogany and walnut, offer stability to furniture and can be easily refinished especially if finished with natural materials such as shellac or wax.

By definition, a veneer is a thin layer of wood, chosen for beauty and character, then glued or bonded to another wood surface. It's not a substitute for solid wood; instead, veneers add to the beauty of the finished piece.

Veneering makes it possible to match fine grain patterns and insert beautiful inlay designs that are not available in solid wood. Veneering is a fine craft that has been practiced for centuries, and can be seen on intricately designed antique pieces. However, there is no better sight to see a piece of furniture made form solid wood with exceptional grain configurations - this is the prize, and you should be lucky if you come across such pieces!

Better-quality furniture, such as that offered by Dukewood &Co. mostly comes in solid wood with great grain patterns. Solid wood gives frames, legs and other supporting components durability.