Choosing between Ethan Allen and Room and Board comes down to a fundamental style choice: classic American heritage versus clean-lined modern design. Ethan Allen is known for its timeless, traditional, and heirloom-quality furniture with extensive customization options, while Room and Board champions modern, minimalist, and mid-century-inspired pieces rooted in functional design and sustainable American craftsmanship.
Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right furniture brand for your home.
Ethan Allen: The Classic American Heirloom Brand
Ethan Allen is a long-standing American furniture brand celebrated for its classic, elegant designs and commitment to quality craftsmanship. It caters to those looking to invest in sophisticated, timeless pieces that elevate traditional or transitional interiors. With a strong emphasis on hand-finished wood furniture and extensive fabric customization, the brand helps customers create a curated, lasting look for their homes.
- Product mix: A comprehensive range of furniture and home decor for every room, with a particular strength in case goods like dining tables, bedroom sets, and cabinets.
- Style/vibe: Classic, traditional, and transitional. Expect refined details, rich wood finishes, and timeless silhouettes that blend easily into established, elegant homes.
- Price point: Mid-to-luxury. Sofas generally start around $1,200, dining tables from $1,000, and complete bedroom sets often cost over $3,000.
- Quality: Known for high-quality materials and construction, including solid wood frames, premium finishes, and durable joinery. The brand uses responsibly sourced wood, often with FSC certifications.
- Customization: Extensive customization is a key feature. Customers can choose from hundreds of fabrics, leathers, and wood finishes to personalize their furniture.
- Delivery & Assembly: Ethan Allen offers a premier white-glove delivery service, which includes in-home setup, assembly, and placement for a seamless experience.
- Services: The brand is known for its complimentary interior design service, offering personalized consultations with professional designers in their showrooms or virtually.
- Return policy: Offers flexible returns, although custom and special-order items may have more restrictive policies.
Ethan Allen is an excellent choice for anyone seeking investment-level, customizable furniture with a classic and enduring aesthetic.
Shop Ethan Allen: ethanallen.com
Room & Board: The Modern & Functional Design Source
Room & Board is a modern furniture retailer focused on creating timeless, functional pieces with a clean, contemporary aesthetic. The brand is deeply committed to American craftsmanship, with the vast majority of its collection made by American artisans. For design-conscious shoppers who value quality, sustainability, and versatile minimalist style, Room & Board is a go-to destination.
- Product mix: Full home furnishings, including office, storage solutions, and outdoor collections. They are especially popular for their sofas, sectionals, and steel-and-wood storage pieces.
- Style/vibe: Modern, minimalist, and mid-century inspired. Designs feature clean lines, neutral color palettes, natural materials, and an emphasis on simplicity.
- Price point: Mid-range to premium. Sofas start around $1,200, dining tables can be found from $900, and bedroom furniture typically runs between $1,500–$3,000.
- Quality: Exceptional build quality using solid woods, high-resilience foam, and natural fabrics. Construction focuses on durability and modern techniques, like kiln-dried hardwood frames.
- Customization: While not as extensive as Ethan Allen, many pieces offer a well-curated selection of fabric choices, wood finishes, hardware, and sizing options.
- Delivery & Assembly: Provides flexible delivery options, including full-service in-home delivery that includes assembly and placement, often for a flat rate per trip.
- Sustainability: The company has a strong commitment to sustainability, responsibly sourcing materials and partnering with local manufacturers to reduce its environmental footprint.
- Return policy: Known for a customer-friendly return policy that is not time-restricted for items in new condition.
Room & Board offers beautifully crafted modern furniture that works well in a variety of interiors, from urban lofts to contemporary suburban homes.
Shop Room & Board: roomandboard.com
Ethan Allen vs. Room and Board Comparison
Price Comparison
Both Ethan Allen and Room and Board occupy the mid-to-premium segment of the furniture market. Their starting prices for key items like sofas and dining tables are quite comparable. However, Ethan Allen's final prices can often climb higher due to their deep customization options and more intricate, heirloom-quality designs. An antique-inspired bed frame or a sofa in a premium fabric at Ethan Allen will likely cost more than a similarly sized piece from Room and Board.
Room and Board’s pricing is more straightforward, reflecting its dedication to a curated selection of materials and finishes. Both brands represent a good value for the quality and craftsmanship you receive, but if budget is a tight constraint, Room and Board’s streamlined offerings may be slightly more accessible across the board.
Style & Aesthetic
The primary difference between the two brands lies in their design DNA. Ethan Allen is firmly rooted in classic and traditional styles. Its catalogs are filled with timeless silhouettes, ornate details, and rich finishes perfect for creating a formal, elegant setting. While they offer some transitional pieces, their core identity is heritage-inspired and enduring.
Room and Board, on the other hand, embodies modern American design. Its aesthetic is a blend of modern, minimalist, and Scandinavian-influences with ties to mid-century modern principles like clean lines and functionality. Room and Board is more aligned with current design trends, making it the better choice for contemporary interiors seeking a light, airy, and uncluttered feel.
Quality & Construction
Both brands produce high-quality, durable furniture built to last. Ethan Allen’s reputation is built on traditional craftsmanship - think solid hardwood frames, hand-applied finishes, and classic joinery techniques. Their pieces feel substantial and have a weightiness that speaks to their heirloom potential.
Room and Board also prioritizes quality, but with a focus on modern construction and American manufacturing. They utilize kiln-dried domestic hardwoods, high-resilience foam cushions, and premium natural materials. Their partnership with small, American workshops ensures consistent quality and attention to detail. The choice here isn't about which is better, but which style of craftsmanship you prefer: traditional and ornamental or modern and functional.
Customization Options
Ethan Allen is the clear leader when it comes to customization. Many of their upholstered pieces are available in hundreds of fabrics and leathers, and case goods often come in dozens of different wood finishes and hardware options. Their in-house design service is built around helping customers leverage these options to create a truly personalized piece.
Room and Board offers customization, but in a more curated fashion. You can choose from various performance fabrics, leathers, and finishes for many items, and even customize dimensions on pieces like their popular steel shelves. However, the scope of choices is intentionally streamlined to fit their modern aesthetic and is not as vast as Ethan Allen’s.
Shopping Experience
Your preferred shopping style will dictate which brand offers a better experience. Ethan Allen is known for its high-touch, personalized service in their expansive showrooms, which they call Design Centers. Their design consultants work closely with customers to plan rooms and select custom finishes, making it ideal for those who want expert guidance.
Room and Board excels at a seamless, modern retail experience. Their website is incredibly user-friendly with detailed photography and inspiration, while their showrooms are approachable and designed to let the products speak for themselves. Their customer support is accessible and helpful, whether you shop online or in one of their modern stores.
Sustainability & Ethics
Both brands have impressive commitments to sustainable and ethical practices, making this a point of similarity rather than contrast. Ethan Allen uses responsibly sourced wood, utilizes eco-friendly finishes, and operates several of its manufacturing plants in North America, ensuring oversight of their production process.
Room and Board's identity is intertwined with sustainability. They source reclaimed or responsibly sourced domestic materials and partner with American manufacturers to support local economies and reduce shipping distances. If sustainability is a top priority, you can feel confident choosing either brand.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice comes down to your personal style, priorities, and how you want your home to feel. Both are excellent brands offering durable furniture.
Choose Ethan Allen if:
- You prefer a classic, traditional, or transitional design aesthetic that feels timeless.
- You are looking to invest in heirloom-quality furniture that will be passed down through generations.
- You want deep customization options, with hundreds of fabrics and finishes to create a unique piece.
- You value a personalized, high-touch shopping experience with complimentary professional design services.
Choose Room and Board if:
- Your style is modern, minimalist, or mid-century inspired, with a focus on clean lines and function.
- You're furnishing an urban home or open-plan space and need versatile, well-proportioned pieces.
- You prioritize American-made products from skilled artisans and sustainable materials.
- You prefer a streamlined and user-friendly online shopping experience backed by great customer service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ethan Allen or Room and Board cheaper?
Their prices are in a similar premium range, but Ethan Allen can often become more expensive overall, especially after extensive customizations or for their more ornate, high-end collections. Room and Board's pricing is more direct and may be slightly more accessible on average for comparable items.
Which brand has better quality furniture?
Both brands offer excellent, high-quality furniture, but they showcase different types of craftsmanship. Ethan Allen is known for its traditional, heirloom build quality with hand-applied finishes. Room and Board focuses on modern construction durability and partners with American craftspeople for exceptional quality.
What style is Ethan Allen furniture?
Ethan Allen’s furniture is primarily classic, traditional, and transitional. Their designs are known for their timeless elegance, rich wood tones, and refined details that fit sophisticated or more formal home styles.
What style is Room and Board furniture?
Room and Board specializes in modern, contemporary, minimalist, and mid-century modern design. Their furniture features clean lines, neutral colors, and natural materials, emphasizing simplicity and functionality.
Does Ethan Allen ever go on sale?
Yes, Ethan Allen holds sales and promotional events throughout the year, particularly during holiday weekends and seasonal changes. These sales are a great time to purchase investment pieces at a discount.
Is Room and Board furniture made in the USA?
Room and Board is strongly committed to American manufacturing. Over 90% of their furniture and decor is made by American artisans and small family-run businesses across the country.
Which brand is better for small spaces?
Room and Board is generally considered a better option for smaller spaces. Their modern designs often feature clean lines and a lighter visual scale, and they offer versatile pieces like sleeper sofas and modular storage that work well in apartments and compact rooms.
Do both brands offer design services?
Yes, both do. Ethan Allen is famous for its complimentary in-store and virtual interior design services. Room and Board also offers free design assistance from their Design Associates, who can help with floor plans, color choices, and product recommendations online or in their stores.
At Interior Insider, we're dedicated to curating the best in home decor, interior design, and home essentials to help you discover brands we think you'll love. Every brand we feature is independently selected by our editorial team based on quality, design, and craftsmanship. When you make a purchase through our links, Interior Insider may earn a commission - which helps support our small team and allows us to continue bringing you inspiration and expert advice for creating your perfect space.
Looking for more inspiration? Explore our curated design guides to find your next favorite piece.
