Kling Furniture Company started in New York State in the early 1900s. In fact, John Alexander Kling purchased several companies and small factories in New York, including Chautauqua Company. Of course, many people may be familiar with Chautauqua Cherry Furniture that frequently makes its way to thrift stores, auctions and eBay.
Kling comprised several of these New York companies under one umbrella. Of course, the rich forests of New York State became a huge asset to the furniture workshops of Kling. Kling’s most common slogan, “Kling Means Solid” hit on their solid wood offerings.
In fact, the company used hardwoods on both the interior (secondary woods) as well as the exterior pieces. Of course, this leads to a sturdy design that can be used for generations.
Kling Maple Furniture
Kling Maple Furniture comprises a large portion of Kling’s product line. Kling Maple beds, Kling maple nightstand, Kling Maple Dressers and tables often found their way into American homes in the 1930s through the 1960s.
The beautiful light finish and sturdy composition of maple wood made Kling Maple pieces quite desirable. This quality, coupled with a renewed interest in classic traditional forms, boosted Kling Furniture into high production for American Consumers.
Unfortunately, today, maple wood furniture has gone out of style in some circles. Indeed, cherry and mahogany furniture tends to sell much quicker than maple furniture.
That said, some people prefer the lighter woods and finishes by Kling. So, if you want to sell maple vintage furniture by Kling, you may have to wait a bit longer for a buyer.
On the other hand, maple wood furniture tends to have a cottage feel that works very well in mountain, or beach homes. Certainly, the durable maple finishes also make it a great choice for these types of homes.
Kling Cherry Furniture
Of note, Kling Cherry Furniture also appeared in the furniture catalogues and in the pages of House Beautiful during the Post War Period. Like Permacraft Furniture, Kling Furniture made beautiful solid cherry furniture made out of the plentiful cherry forests of New York State.
Kling Cherry cabinets, bedroom pieces and dining room sets also appeared in different reddish brown finishes. Often, Kling Cherry furniture follows traditional styles. So often, Kling cherry furniture features brass hardware, in either Chippendale or similar styles. Likewise, their cabinets had simple edges, columns and traditional shell and fan motifs.
Kling Mahogany Furniture
Sometimes, Kling Mahogany Furniture also appears from time to time. Most of the mahogany furniture by Kling features solid mahogany boards. In fact, especially as the Mahogany Association developed their rating system for solid mahogany, Kling stood among the few to use solid genuine mahogany in their furniture production.
In other words, the Red Tag, Blue Tag, and Green Tag, which designate the levels of fine mahogany used in furniture making often found their way into the drawers of Kling Furniture. The Mahogany Association rated furniture pieces to allow consumers to discern the difference in quality. Of course, the Red Tag is considered the top rating.
What is the Value of Kling Furniture?
Often, people who have inherited or purchased Kling Furniture would like to know the true value of Kling Furniture.
To answer this question, we have to take a look at many different factors that affect value.
Of course, a simple Kling Maple Nightstand might only be worth $100 to $300 dollars, depending on condition. On the other hand, a fine mahogany Kling table and chairs could bring quite a different story at auction or in a fine vintage furniture store. These sets could be valued at $800 to $1500.
Finally, Kling Cherry furniture may even cost more than Kling Maple pieces, simply because light finish maple furniture has since gone out of style. In fact, traditional brown finish cherry furniture could prove easier to sell on the used furniture market today than fine quality maple. However, no doubt there are always exceptions to this rule. Indeed, maple furniture still has a devoted following in places like Vermont and New England.
What Happened to Kling Furniture?
The popularity and quality of Kling Furniture was undeniable during the mid 20th century. So, what happened to Kling Furniture?
Kling Manufacturing eventually was subsumed by another great furniture company in the 1970’s. During this time, Ethan Allen purchased Kling Furniture company.
Ethan Allen employed Kling to make a line of furniture known as “Kling Colonial,” which of course traded on both companies’ names. This Kling Colonial collection focused again on traditional 18th Century design, with some modifications.
For instance, a Kling Colonial hutch cabinet may borrow some features of early colonial design: bracket feet, brass Chippendale hardware, some proportioning features such as chest on chests… Also, the Kling Colonial Collection offered customers larger drawers and more practical features useful in homes of the times.
What to Look for in Kling Furniture
Indeed, there are many things to look for in KF Furniture on the market today. Of course, authentic Kling Furniture almost always has a corresponding paper tag, metal tag or wood burned logo somewhere on the piece.
Of course, like any company, over the years this insignia has changed, so you may wish to speak with an expert that can properly date your Kling Furniture.
Also, you may wish to examine any potential purchase you wish to make, noting any signs of age or heavy use. These can include things like evenly spaced and properly aligned drawers and doors. Additionally, look for badly warped or blemished furniture. Because Kling used solid wood in almost their entire manufacturing career, these flaws can occur with time and use.
Fine solid wood furniture can bruise, blemish and suffer from heat and water. Obviously, you can take the time and effort to refinish solid wood Kling vintage furniture. However, when purchasing vintage furniture online, you may wish to avoid this situation.
Kling Furniture for Sale
Check out our our Kling video page to learn more about this great company.
Kling Furniture For Sale
While not widely known, Kling Furniture from New York State made incredible solid cherry, mahogany and maple furniture for many years. The company was later purchased by Ethan Allen. Vintage Kling Furniture has great quality and is available for great prices today!