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Update: Palettes by Winesburg is now MAVIN Furniture. The same quality and attention to detail that has kept customers loyal to Winesburg is now unified under a new banner, but still dedicated to providing the highest quality solid wood dining sets.
If you are in the market for a new dining set to complete that custom dining room, chances are you’ve either heard of or considered getting a custom-made dining set for your dining room. Custom dining sets offer a personalization level that you simply cannot get with a standard premade dining set.
If you are considering a custom dining purchase, you might be wondering what custom features and options you have available.
Here at Furniture Fair, we know that a made in America dining set is not a small purchase, and a custom-designed dining set is an even more significant investment. We want you to be as knowledgeable as possible before you commit to a custom dining set for your home.
To help you better understand the options you have when buying custom furniture, we will be comparing two of our custom dining manufacturing companies, TheMAVIN program and the John Thomas Custom Dining Program.
We will be comparing the options available, the quality of each brand, and the price range for each brand. After reading this article, you will have a better idea of what custom dining options are out there and whether John Thomas or MAVIN may be suitable for your new custom dining set.
Now let’s compare these two custom dining manufacturers and find out if they warp under the pressure of competition.
The custom collection by MAVIN is a forest-to-fabrication American-made furniture manufacturing program that is based out of Ohio’s Amish country. Your custom furniture order is manufactured entirely within their production facility in Dundee, Ohio.
Their plant claims to be a mix of traditional and modern approaches. Traditional because of the insistence on the highest standard of craftsmanship and modern in the use of computer-aided design and fabrication, state-of-the-art machinery, and lean manufacturing.
Complete quality control is one of the main variables that the MAVIN furniture company claims sets them apart from the competition.
The company uses state-of-the-art dry kilns that assure that each piece of lumber that goes into making their chairs, tables, and cases is moisture checked to perfect specifications to ensure longevity and avoid splitting and cracking, a problem rampant in imported furniture.
MAVIN also prides itself on using as much of the wood they acquire as possible, with every effort made to reduce unnecessary waste. MAVIN uses six types of wood for their solid wood furniture: cherry, maple, oak, quartersawn oak, elm, and walnut.
They also feature over 20 different stain options to help you get the maximum amount of customization available. If you are looking for locally-made furniture with a mix of timeless hand-crafted styles and modern innovations, MAVIN is one of the best options in the furniture industry.
Here are the features and benefits that you can expect when ordering a custom dining set from MAVIN. Take all these features into consideration whencomparing MAVIN to other custom dining brands.
MAVIN has six solid wood options to choose from, and each type of solid wood has its particular character and appeal. Whether you prefer darker or lighter wood, the MAVIN program has options that will fit in with your style.
Cherry’s heartwood appears in shades of brown with solid or light hints of red, and the sapwood is cream-colored. The wood has a fine, uniform, straight grain, and a satiny, smooth texture.
Cherry wood may contain naturally occurring brown flecks and small gum pockets. Cherry has long been considered the gold standard for fine furniture, wood doors, and millwork. Both red heartwood and white sapwood colors will darken with age.
Maple is usually straight-grained and offers a fine, relatively even texture. Its sapwood is cream-colored, and the heartwood is beige. Common types of maple wood include red maple, silver maple, box elder, scarlet maple, swamp maple, and water maple.
Maple grain may contain wavy patterns known as tiger maple or curly maple. Maple heartwood is tan or medium grey.
Oaks are the most abundant species in eastern American forests. The red oak is a native of North America, specifically the northeastern United States. Its orange-reddish hue characterizes it with white to light brown sapwood.
Typical characteristics of red oak include tiny knots (called pin knots) and a very distinct grain pattern, ranging from very light to a very broad pattern.
The white oak is one of the superior hardwoods of eastern North America. This wood species populates the Midwest, reaching south to Florida and as far north as Quebec. Specimens are known to have lived over 600 years.
The term quartersawn refers to the way the log is cut. The reason for doing this is to capture the medullary rays or “flakes” that create an authentic old-world look. With the right stains, the flakes take on a majestic shimmer.
Elm is a gorgeous choice for your furniture when used correctly. The interlocking grain adds depth and interest to a tabletop or seat and is stunning in the stains shown.
MAVIN limits the stain colors available for elm and the furniture parts that we make with elm to give you only the best from this captivating wood species.
Elm can be used on tabletops, chair seats, and case good doors, drawers, and tops. The other parts of each furniture piece are crafted from Maple.
Black walnut is highly prized for its dark-colored, true heartwood. It is heavy and robust yet easily split and worked. Due to its value, forestry officials often are called on to track down walnut poachers.
The sapwood of walnut is cream-colored, while the heartwood ranges from light brown to a dark, almost chocolate-colored brown, sometimes with hints of purple and dark streaks.
MAVIN can apply 22 different stains and colors to various wood species. The company uses a high-quality conversion varnish in a dust-proof facility, letting it cure naturally and avoiding oven-baked finishes for a finish with five times more protection than most dining sets.
The unique finish provides a dense surface that protects the wood against nail polish remover, oil-based paint, turpentine, alcohol, mustard, wine, solvents, and many more food items and oils.
The cross-linked, or catalyzed, film that the finish creates helps provide a solid barrier that not only resists moisture and chemicals but also holds them in place so they can be wiped up and cleaned thoroughly.
MAVIN features an expansive selection of designs in almost every style and combination that you could imagine. The MAVIN program has over 120 options in tabletops, bases, legs, and chairs that can be combined in any way you can think of.
MAVIN features 32 table top options that you can mix and match with over 90 leg or base styles of your choice available in the wood and colors you want. Tabletops come in round, rectangle, square, and other non-traditional shapes, giving you an excellent variety to choose from.
Certain bases only work with round, or square tabletops, so do you research or ask your design expert which limitations apply when creating a custom table. When ordering custom furniture, the more knowledge you can access, the better.
MAVIN features 49 dining chair options available in the height of your choice. With the over 40 chair options, finding seating to match your dining table is easy, and the company’s solid wood manufacturing will ensure that your chairs are built to last a lifetime.
A custom four-piece dining set from the MAVIN program will cost an average between $2470 and $6000 depending on features, styles, and additions.
MAVIN sells their furniture by the piece, due to the amount of detail available in each piece, therefore the price depends heavily on the features that you choose.
With the MAVIN price point, you will get solid wood manufacturing, custom design, Catalyzed finish, and a solid wood dining room table and chairs in your choice of wood.
Whitewood Industries, John Thomas Furniture’s parent company, was founded in 1982 as a solid wood manufacturer, ready-to-finish furniture.
With over 30 years of experience building solid wood tables, John Thomas has evolved into a leading supplier of finished and unfinished furniture throughout the U.S.
John Thomas says that their mission is to offer the most beautiful, quality home furnishings at a tremendous value. The company crafts the finest solid wood home furnishings and believes in providing the most beautiful, long-lasting, affordable home furnishings to customers.
John Thomas is based in Thomasville, North Carolina, a neighboring city to High Point, the city known and widely recognized as 'the Furniture Capital of the World.’ The company employs over 300 skilled and dedicated North Carolina workers.
Here are the features and benefits you can expect when ordering a custom dining set from John Thomas. Take all these features into consideration when comparing John Thomas to other custom dining brands.
John Thomas furniture is made entirely of Parawood, which is part of the maple family. Parawood is valued for its dense grain, minimal shrinkage, attractive light color, and ease of finishing.
Parawood is also prized as an environmentally friendly wood, as it makes use of plantation-grown trees that have been cut down at the end of their latex-producing cycle.
John Thomas has 48 color and finish options suited to your style. Whether you prefer natural wood, funky colors, or that farmhouse weathered finish, John Thomas has options that will match the style and color that you need for your new dining set.
John Thomas features an expansive selection of designs in both finished tables and custom tables. The Select program has over 140 options in tabletops, bases, legs, and chairs that can be combined in many ways depending on your tastes.
Select tables have ball-bearing extension glides, which make for a seamless, smooth transition from smaller-to-larger dining. John Thomas tables feature built-in gap covers to ensure that table aprons are continuous and allow for minor expansion due to climate changes.
Select tables are crafted with folding leaf hinges that enable any table leaves to store flat while providing leaf apron protection. Apron stabilizers are included that ensures strength and stability, while self-storing Butterfly Leaf (Leaves) helps save space.
John Thomas has 48 pre-designed table options available in your choice of paints or stains, while the custom options let you design your own table using 20 solid and extension tabletop options and 30 leg and base choices.
Select chairs are built with leg stretchers to ensure the legs do not loosen from the strenuous and everyday used chairs. The leg stretchers are both glued and screwed in place and are constructed entirely of solid wood components. All custom upholstery seat options are manufactured in the U.S.A
John Thomas has over 50 dining chair, stool, and bench options to accompany your dining table. Pick the design, style, height, and finish options that are best suited to your needs, and John Thomas will create a customized piece for you.
A custom four-piece dining set from the John Thomas Select program will cost an average between $1300 and $3500 depending on features, styles, and additions. With that price point, you will get solid wood manufacturing, custom design, and a classic dining set that will last for centuries if properly cared for.
Now that you know more about both MAVIN and John Thomas and their custom furniture options, you are one step closer to creating the furniture of your dreams. Whether you select one custom brand or the other, you will be getting a solid wood piece that will last.
Remember that MAVIN offers multiple wood types, while John Thomas is manufactured primarily with one wood species. Keep in mind that both companies have multiple stain options and similar style choices, with John Thomas offering more non-traditional colors.
If you want the most customization options, your best bet is MAVIN, since they offer multiple wood species and a variety of styles and finishes.
However, if you want to spend a bit less on your custom furniture while still having many of the custom options available, John Thomas may be a better option.
If you are interested in purchasing either MAVIN or John Thomas, consider making an appointment with a sales expert at Furniture Fair.
With a history of selling furniture that dates back to the early 60s, our company is dedicated to helping you find the table and chairs that you want at the Cincinnati, Dayton, or Louisville area’s guaranteed lowest price.
Visit us in-store or online and find the dining set that you will treasure for decades to come.
