When making a decision on a major purchase, one of the final steps that most consumers make is to compare. This style vs that style. These features vs those features. This one vs that one. Brand A vs Brand B. As it turns out, the furniture industry is no different.
Here at Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet, we see this buyer behavior on a daily basis with the shoppers in our own showroom. For this very reason, we’ve committed to putting out articles like this one. When our customers are trying to narrow things down, it’s our goal to provide them with all the relevant info so they can choose the piece of furniture that’s perfect for their homes. In all of these customer interactions, England Furniture vs Craftmaster is one of those brand comparisons that we see most frequently.
As a furniture retailer who has carried both of these established upholstery manufacturers for years and years, we are intimately familiar with both of these furniture brands and their product catalogs. Join us as we compare and contrast England Furniture and Craftmaster Furniture – and by the end you’ll have an even better feel for which one is right for you!
Why Do Shoppers Compare England Furniture vs Craftmaster Furniture?
Between these two brands, there are a number of good reasons why consumers compare them. As such, these brand comparisons occur organically.
Both England and Craftmaster specialize in upholstered furniture like sectionals, sofas, loveseats, armchairs, ottomans, accent chairs, recliners and more. Additionally, a decent amount of options in both companies’ catalogs fall into roughly the same price range. Both brands also have a considerable amount of custom upholstery materials to choose from, which is perfect for shoppers who have an eye for interior design and want a unique, tailored look. Lastly, did we mention that both brands exclusively craft their products in America, right here in the Southeast?
In other words, these two furniture brands have quite a bit in common. Let’s look at each brand separately and then close with a look at a few notable differences.
About England Furniture
Although the name might spark some curiosity, England Furniture is a proud American brand with deep roots in the historic Appalachian furniture industry. Headquartered in the picturesque foothills of East Tennessee, England was established in 1964 and is celebrating a 60 year milestone in the business this year – and they’ve been crafting high quality upholstered furniture ever since. In 1995, England was acquired by La-Z-Boy, but has continued to operate as an independent division of the company, maintaining a unique identity among the La-Z-Boy family of brands.
England Furniture occupies a sweet spot in the mid-tier to premium upholstery market, catering to a range of budgets and preferences. Whether you're after a cost-effective seating solution or something more luxurious, England has something for you. Their furniture is built to last and features a strong limited lifetime warranty on frames, 10-year warranty on cushions, 5-year warranty on springs, and a 1-year warranty on upholstery fabrics. Just under the surface, you’ll find each piece loaded with premium details like hardwood-reinforced frames crafted from sturdy frame-grade plywood, precision engineered interlocking joints, tightly spaced sinuous spring systems, self-healing zippers, and England’s innovative Coil Cushion and Coil Core seats.
If we had to choose just one, England’s standout feature is their custom, made-to-order design program, which allows shoppers to create pieces that perfectly match their style and needs. With over 200 frame designs and more than 500 fabric options – including leather and performance fabrics – there’s truly something for everyone. Better yet, England is renowned for their impressive best-in-class production times, boasting arguably the shortest turnaround time in the custom upholstery space. Here at Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet, this is an even greater benefit to our customers since we’re just a few short hours drive from their facilities in Tennessee. As of the writing of this article, you can get a new custom order upholstered seating from England in as little as 3 weeks.
About Craftmaster Furniture
Craftmaster Furniture has been crafting high quality upholstered seating since 1972, recently celebrating 50 years in business. Founded in the foothills of North Carolina, they too have a claim to the historic legacy of American-made furniture crafted in Appalachia.
With over 1,000 upholstery fabrics, performance fabrics and leathers, over 140 sofa styles, and 100 different accent chair frames to choose from, Craftmaster Furniture is a powerhouse within the custom order upholstery space. Additionally, Craftmaster proudly produces many upholstery fabrics and leathers that shoppers cannot find anywhere else. In fact, they are the exclusive upholstery partner for celebrity chef Paula Deen’s sophisticated yet laid-back Paula Deen Home Collection.
Every piece of Craftmaster upholstery also boasts a ton of premium quality features like hardwood frames, heavy gauge sinuous spring suspension systems, high density foam core cushions, and corner-blocked mortise-and-tenon joints for excellent durability. If you need proof of Craftmaster’s build quality, just look at their limited lifetime warranty on frames and their 10-year warranty on cushions.
England Furniture vs Craftmaster Furniture: Key Differences
Let’s recap. Both of these established brands are made in America, have been in business for close to the same amount of time, have deep ties to the time-honored tradition of Appalachian furniture craftsmanship, specialize in custom order upholstery, and offer consumers similar construction quality and durability along with similar warranties on frames and cushions. They also occupy a similar niche in the upholstery market with most products falling in the middle to upper-middle price range, making them some of the more accessible brands when it comes to custom upholstery.
But what are the key differences you should take away from today’s article? Well, most of the differences between the brands stem from a simple difference in philosophy – England and Craftmaster have come to their places of prominence within the upholstered seating market from opposite directions. While England’s approach is that of a furniture manufacturer, Craftmaster’s approach is closer to that of an upholsterer.
Craftmaster’s unique selling point has always been their unique focus on the production of upholstery fabrics and leathers. As a result, it’s no surprise that Craftmaster has a much larger catalog of custom fabric options – approximately twice as many as England – including a greater number of leather and performance fabric options. As an upholsterer with a focus on fabrics, Craftmaster also allows shoppers to have more customization options when it comes to choosing different design features like seams, welts, pillows, frames, arms and seat backs. If you want the maximum amount of customization for your new custom sofa, loveseat or accent chair, it’s hard to go wrong with Craftmaster.
However, while it’s true that England has fewer customization options than Craftmaster, they still have an impressive number of fabrics and leathers in their own right (over 500!). But that’s not what England hangs their hat on. The unique feature England Furniture has to offer customers is their extremely convenient, streamlined custom order process. Unlike most custom upholstery manufacturers which may take months from custom order to delivery, keep in mind that England Furniture’s current delivery timeframe to our Distribution Center is as little as 3 weeks! If you want quality, custom living room seating and you don’t want to potentially wait around for months to enjoy it, England may be the right choice for you. Also, keep in mind that England’s warranty package edges out Craftmaster’s as they also include a 5-year warranty on springs, sleeper, glider and recliner mechanisms and a 1-year warranty on upholstery fabrics.
Shop Both England Furniture & Craftmaster Right Here at Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet!
Now that you know the key similarities and differences between them, what are your thoughts on England Furniture vs Craftmaster Furniture? Whether your deciding factor is England’s super convenient custom order process and lightning-fast turnaround time or Craftmaster’s seemingly unlimited customization options, it’s important to remember that there are no wrong answers!
Here at Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet, we’re proud to stand behind both of these quality, American-made upholstery manufacturers. Want to have a look (and a seat) for yourself? Swing by any of our four North Georgia and Metro Atlanta furniture store locations!
Our helpful upholstery and decor experts are standing by to show you our in-stock England and Craftmaster products and walk you through all of your different fabric and frame options if that’s more your speed. And if neither of these custom upholstery manufacturers have exactly what you’re looking for, don’t worry, we’ve got even more custom upholstery options from several other manufacturers in our very own Design Center. See you soon!
