Bassett Furniture offers customizable, mid-range furniture with a versatile traditional-to-transitional style, while Ethan Allen is a premium brand known for its sophisticated, high-end designs and comprehensive interior design services. The core difference comes down to accessibility and luxury, Bassett provides solid, stylish options for a broader budget, whereas Ethan Allen focuses on artisanal craftsmanship and a more curated, upscale shopping experience.
Let's compare these two heritage American brands to help you decide which is the right fit for your home.
Bassett Furniture: The Customizable American Classic
With a history spanning over a century, Bassett Furniture has built its reputation on quality, American-made furniture that can be tailored to your exact specifications. The brand appeals to homeowners who want durable, timeless pieces without a luxury price tag, making it a go-to for families and individuals seeking both style and practicality. Their approachable model is built around giving customers control over the final look.
- Product mix: A complete range of home furniture, including sofas, sectionals, beds, dining sets, bedroom furniture, and home office pieces.
- Style/vibe: Primarily traditional and transitional. The aesthetic is classic, comfortable, and versatile enough to fit into a wide variety of interiors without overpowering the space.
- Price point: Mid-range. Sofas typically start around $1,200, bed frames around $1,000, and full dining sets often fall in the $2,000–$5,000 range. They frequently run sales, offering good value.
- Quality: Known for durable construction. Upholstered pieces feature solid wood frames, and case goods (dressers, tables) are built for longevity, often using solid wood and quality veneers.
- Customization: This is Bassett's key strength. Customers can choose from hundreds of fabric and leather options for upholstery, as well as multiple wood finishes, hardware, and even arm and leg styles on certain pieces.
- Sustainability: The company focuses on responsible manufacturing, using FSC-certified wood and developing eco-friendly finishing processes in its U.S. plants.
- Delivery &, Assembly: Bassett operates a network of company and franchise stores that handle delivery and assembly, ensuring a reliable process.
Shop Bassett Furniture: bassettfurniture.com
Ethan Allen: The Premium Lifestyle Brand
Since 1932, Ethan Allen has positioned itself as more than just a furniture store, it's a luxury design brand offering high-quality pieces and personalized interior design services. Known for sophisticated, timeless styles that blend classic elegance with modern sensibilities, Ethan Allen appeals to a customer who is willing to invest in heirloom-quality furniture. The brand is synonymous with superior craftsmanship and a curated aesthetic.
- Product mix: Extensive collections of furniture for every room, plus a wide selection of home decor, lighting, rugs, and window treatments.
- Style/vibe: Elegant, refined, and timeless. Styles range from classic traditional to modern classic and transitional, often featuring ornate details, rich finishes, and luxurious fabrics.
- Price point: Premium. Sofas generally start around $2,000 but can easily go much higher, and dining sets and bedroom collections often exceed $5,000.
- Quality: Exceptional. The brand uses solid hardwoods, high-end upholstery materials, and artisanal construction techniques. Pieces have a substantial feel and meticulous finish that reflects their higher cost.
- Customization: Offers detailed customization with a wide array of high-end fabrics, rich wood finishes, and hardware options, often guided by an in-house designer.
- Shopping Experience: Centered around their "Design Centers" (showrooms), where customers can work with complimentary interior designers to create a cohesive look for their entire home.
- Sustainability: Committed to sourcing responsibly harvested wood and maintaining high environmental standards in its North American workshops.
- Delivery &, Assembly: Offers a premium white-glove delivery service, where items are brought into your home, assembled, and placed exactly where you want them.
Shop Ethan Allen: ethanallen.com
Bassett Furniture vs. Ethan Allen Comparison
Price Comparison
This is the most significant differentiator. Ethan Allen operates firmly in the premium category. A sofa can easily cost twice as much as a comparable style from Bassett. For instance, an Ethan Allen fabric sofa often begins at $2,000, while a Bassett Furniture sofa might start closer to $1,200.
This price gap extends across all furniture categories. While Bassett is an investment compared to entry-level brands, it provides a much more accessible price point for quality, customizable furniture. Ethan Allen's pricing reflects its focus on luxury materials, artisanal details, and a comprehensive design service included in the experience. If budget is a primary consideration, Bassett offers a much better value proposition.
Style &, Aesthetic
While both brands lean into classic American design, their execution differs. Bassett's style is more grounded and versatile, offering pleasant, well-proportioned traditional and transitional pieces that can fit seamlessly into many homes. Their aesthetic is comfortable and timeless without chasing fleeting trends.
Ethan Allen’s style is more refined and aspirational. Their furniture often features more intricate detailing, richer and deeper finishes, and a curated feel, as if each piece was selected for a designer show home. While you can find simple, classic pieces, the overall vibe is one of elevated, luxurious elegance. If you want a sophisticated and cohesive designer look, Ethan Allen excels.
Quality &, Construction
Both brands are known for making durable, long-lasting furniture, a step above what you’d find at big-box retailers. Both use solid wood frames and employ skilled craftspeople in their North American workshops. However, there is a difference in the grade of materials and level of finishing.
Ethan Allen pieces often feel more substantial, using premium solid hardwoods and higher-end fabrics as a baseline. The attention to detail in the joinery, finishes, and tailoring of upholstery is meticulous. Bassett builds very solid and reliable furniture designed for everyday family life, but Ethan Allen's construction is geared toward heirloom quality, designed to be a centerpiece for decades.
Customization Options
Customization is central to both brands, but they approach it differently. Bassett puts customization at the forefront of its sales model, making it simple and accessible for customers to select from hundreds of fabrics, finishes, and hardware options online or in-store. It’s about personalizing a piece to fit your home and style perfectly.
Ethan Allen integrates customization into its design service. While a vast selection of fabrics and finishes is available, the process is typically guided by an in-house designer who helps you make choices that align with a cohesive vision for your space. It feels less like a simple selection and more like part of a bespoke design project.
Shopping Experience
Shopping at Bassett Furniture is a straightforward retail experience. You can browse online or visit one of their many stores, work with a sales associate or designer, and place your custom order. It’s convenient and user-friendly.
The Ethan Allen experience is more consultative. Their showrooms are called Design Centers for a reason, you are encouraged to take advantage of their complimentary design services. This high-touch approach is ideal for someone looking for expert guidance in furnishing an entire room or home but may feel like too much for someone who just wants to buy a single accent chair.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice comes down to your budget, style goals, and how much guidance you want in the process.
Choose Bassett Furniture if:
- You want quality, American-made furniture at a mid-range price point.
- You value extensive customization options - fabrics, finishes, hardware - that you can easily select yourself.
- Your style is classic or transitional, and you need versatile pieces that will stand up to daily life.
- You prefer a more traditional and direct shopping experience for furniture.
Choose Ethan Allen if:
- Your budget allows for a premium investment in luxury, heirloom-quality furniture.
- You're looking for a sophisticated, elegant aesthetic with refined details and high-end finishes.
- You would benefit from complimentary personalized interior design services to create a cohesive look.
- You value superior craftsmanship and the weight and feel of high-end materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bassett Furniture or Ethan Allen more expensive?
Ethan Allen is significantly more expensive than Bassett Furniture. Across every category, from sofas to dining tables, Ethan Allen's prices reflect its positioning as a premium, luxury brand, while Bassett targets the upper-mid-range market with more accessible pricing.
Which brand has better quality furniture?
Both brands produce high-quality furniture built to last. However, Ethan Allen is generally considered to have a higher level of craftsmanship, using more premium solid woods, luxury fabrics, and more meticulous detailing in its construction and finishes.
What style is Ethan Allen known for?
Ethan Allen is known for timeless, sophisticated styles that blend classic and traditional elegance with modern influences. Their aesthetic is refined and often feels curated, making it popular for those seeking a formal yet comfortable look.
Does Bassett Furniture use real wood?
Yes, Bassett uses solid wood frames for its upholstered furniture and a combination of solid woods and high-quality veneers for its case goods. They are known for durable construction meant for everyday use.
Are both of these brands made in the USA?
Both Bassett and Ethan Allen have a strong manufacturing presence in North America and emphasize their American heritage. They operate their own workshops in the U.S., where a significant portion of their furniture is crafted, particularly custom upholstery.
Which brand is better for families?
With its more accessible price point, durable construction, and availability of performance fabrics, Bassett Furniture is often a more practical and popular choice for families with children and pets.
Can I get design help at both stores?
Yes, but the service level is different. Bassett offers design consultations in-store and online to help you with selections. Ethan Allen provides a complimentary, comprehensive interior design service where a dedicated designer can help plan your entire room, including layout, furniture, lighting, and decor.
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