Where Are the Hidden Compartments in an Older Winners Only Roll Top Desk

I Love to Hear Winners Only Reviews from Customers!

December 9, 2011

Product Reviews, Winners Only Furniture

One of the things that I love about Winners Only Roll top desks is that our customers love them!  Here is an email from an excited Jen who after buying a 20 year old used Winners Only Roll top desk is elated with her new piece of furniture!

The reason that Winners Only Desks are so well received is because:

• They are solid in construction
• They have a quality, lasting finish
• They are built in their own Winners Only factory
• QC (quality control) is conducted by their own teams

Start from the bottom and work your way up, as this is an email thread, I've removed the last name and email address for the customers privacy:

Hi, Milan!

Thanks so much for your prompt reply, and please forgive the delay in my response. I was excited to get your email, but wasn't sure how my husband felt about buying the desk. Long story short, I received an early Christmas present on Wednesday! I love it, and just wanted to thank you for your input. When I get a chance, perhaps I'll email you a photo. Thanks again!

Warmly,

Jen
On Dec 03, 2011, at 08:21 PM, Milan Rousset <milan@furniturefromhome.com> wrote:

Hi Jennifer,

What a great find!  These desks date back to the 1980's and I've seen pictures of original desks that still look great.  Usually you will find a Winners Only stamp on the inside left side of the drawer of the desk, that is a good way to determine whether it is authentic.   Other than that, there isn't generally a lot of fake furniture brands because the cost and risk of manufacturing furniture is fairly well expensive… especially compared to say a purse or another luxury item that is fairly easily manufactured for little investment.

Best of luck.  My guess is that you found an original, older Winners Only Desk.

Sincerely,

Milan

On Sat, Dec 3, 2011 at 4:31 PM, Jennifer

Hi, there.

I came across your website/blog while doing some research on a Winners Only desk I found in a thrift store. I had never heard of Winners Only but was attracted to the desk for its solid wood and good looks. The desk is a roll top, around four feet wide. I couldn't find the exact same model on the Winners Only website. We almost bought it, but the person who had put it in consignment did not leave a key, one of the bottom drawers was locked, and the thrift store was unable to reach her by phone. It was selling for $425, with only a few scratches on the very top and it looked like it had rubbed up against a white painted wall on the top back edge. The price included the chair, which was also in good shape. I hesitated to buy it because the bottom right hand drawer seemed a tiny bit crooked and the staining seemed sloppy where the finished edges meet the unfinished edges. At the prices these desks sell for, something seemed "off," between the sloppy work and my inability to find the same desk anywhere online. Perhaps it's just a really well cared for older model. My ultimate question for you is whether or not you know of any Winners Only knock offs? Looking forward to hearing from you.

Warmly,
Jen
Sent from my iPhone

Office Layout & Design Plan

June 28, 2011

Milan Customer Questions, Product Reviews

Every day we take new calls through our blogs and online furniture store; with the goal of assisting customers cut through the noise of what is available out in the market place.  Today, we assisted a very professional and organized potential client get some ideas about how to layout a new executive office suite for herself and her boss.  We were fortunate that she was prepared with dimensions of her office and a good idea about the types of uses that each person would be using in their respective offices.  Whenever I get a chance, even though we offer literally hundreds of good quality office desks, I recommend Winners Only collections.   For this client I recommended the Winners Only Classic Collection for her boss and the Winners Only Americana Collection for herself.  My reasoning for recommending Winners Only versus any number of other lines is simple, the quality, the price and the thoughtful design are superior to most other products on the market.  The layout we created and details about the quote are listed below, if you are interested in getting a similar design layout of your new office, contact us: sales@furniturefromhome.com.

Design Plan for Suite 100

Design Plan for Your Typical Office

Name	Retail Price	Package Price	QTY	Total
Executive Desk	$2,487.00	$1,740.90	1	$1,740.90
Credenza Desk	$2,157.00	$1,509.90	1	$1,509.90
Credenza Hutch	$1,587.00	$1,110.90	1	$1,110.90
36″ Lateral File	$957.00	$669.90	2	$1,339.80
Open Bookcase	$809.00	$564.90	2	$1,129.80
				$6,831.30

Features and Benefits:

• Dovetailed Drawers
• Best quality finish application in the industry
• Finished drawers, inside and out
• The best high quality, commercial grade drawer glides used
• Thoughtfully designed with many modern conveniences
  • Wire management
  • Computer storage
  • Laptop Storage
  • Pull out trays
  • Cell phone easy access plugin

About the layout:

In this office you have a lot of "extra" space to fill in with additional furnishings/decorations as needed.  On the left side of the room (in the image) is a rack for a 9' surf board, as decoration.  That wall could just as easily house additional bookcases if needed.

About our pricing:

Listed pricing is the suggested retail price.  Our package price represents the lowest online advertised price.  We will earn you're business through low prices and superior service.

Recent Purchases and Famous Buyers:

We recently installed the Americana Collection (Suite 213) in the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara.  President George Bush Sr. owns the Winners Only Classic Collection (suite) executive desk.   This line and the products are bring recommended based on quality, features and price.

Delivery:

Our bonded and insured delivery team will call to schedule a delivery ahead of time; they'll bring the furniture into the office, set it up and take out all the trash.  Weekend or late afternoon delivery is an option.

More Information:

1. FurnitureFromHome.com
2. Winners-guide.com (our fan blog about the line we're recommending)
3. Milan Rousset (Your Southern Ca. Furniture Enthusiast)
4. Barcelona Collection (our Barcelona Spanish Revival Site)

Executive Desk Collection | Classic Collection Winners Only

Credenza Desk and Hutch | Classic Collection Winners Only

Winners Executive Desk Detail Shot

The Future of the Home Office: Koncept

May 16, 2011

Milan Collections, Product Reviews

In order for a leader in any business environment to stay relevant and most important, profitable, the company needs to follow and harness the changes that are occurring in society.  As technology continues it's constant advancement, the time that changes occur and the time it takes to bring the new products to market become faster and faster.  For example, in the realm of  tchotchkes , USA Today, broke a story about how within hours of the announcement of Osama Bin Laden's death products were already being sold.  In other areas, based on the development of the IPad, by Apple; a small industry of unique Ipad cover makers are born, almost overnight!   The furniture industry (my core area of expertise) is notoriously slow at adapting to change and technology.   One of the companies that we work with that is constantly adapting and adopting change into their product lines is Winners Only Furniture.

A Historical Look at a Positive Change in Society (for Home Office Furniture makers)

When working from home began becoming more mainstream the home office furniture suppliers were abuzz about the news.  For many home office furniture suppliers it meant a period of 5 – 10 years of steady growth in an otherwise very small niche.  For furniture industry brands that focused in other, larger niches in the industry, it meant finally dipping their baby-toes into the home office niche.   For Winners Only Furniture which had already established itself as a leader in the Home Office Furnishings niche, it meant cautiously ramping up their offerings.

The Future of our Home Office Furniture:

My opinion about the future of Home Office is that the design of home offices aren't going to be as encumbered by the necessity of over-sized equipment, as it has been in the past.   The future home office will be mostly based on ergonomic design with more emphasis put onto look and feel of the home office space.  The reason for the change is because of the decrease in size of our equipment.  Technologically things are moving at a quick pace toward computing on the cloud which decreases our need for storage devices in-home.  As our equipment space needs get to be less and less, designers and producers of home office desks and work stations will be free to spend more time figuring out how to make the pieces totally artistic and/or ergonomic; without limiting themselves to the housing needs of your CPU.

Take for example Winners Only Furniture's latest introduction, Koncept.  As the name suggests, this new, fresh design for a home office is conceptual in it's debut.  Here is a product that is designed for serious computer use, without the help of a CPU storage cabinet.  In my opinion this product is way ahead of it's time.  Chromebook is only now making news, and will surely be a small revolution in the home computing world.  Koncept by contrast has been in design phase for over a year and been at test markets for 6 months.

Koncept L Shaped Desk in Chocolate Finish

Regardless of it's ahead-of-it's-time pedigree, Koncept has already proven itself both for Winners Only across their test markets and for us, exclusively in our online store.   It's already a favorite in design and quality as people recognize more and more that they really don't need to encumber their space with a CPU cabinet.

As for quality, Winners Only is known for giving consumers value without compromising on quality and their Koncept desks are made exclusively with Winners Only finest materials.  Perhaps this is why it's recognized by so many professionals in the market place as a concept that is here it stay!

C'est la vie old computer desks with CPU cabinets.  Say hello to Koncept and the beginning of what surely will be a revolution in the Home Office realm, as we move toward smaller and more ergonomically manufactured home office solutions.

Sincerely,

Milan

Email Questions to: Milan@furniturefromhome.com
Our Online Furniture Store

When you buy the Koncept Collection by Winners Only Furniture from our online furniture store you support a business based in the USA with a sustainable business model developed specifically to provide consumers with a high level of customer service.  We appreciate your business.

Winners Only Customer Reviews

May 14, 2011

Milan Product Reviews, Winners Only Furniture

As the CEO of Furniture From Home and the webmaster for this Winners Only enthusiast blog, I am a pretty busy guy.  However, for about an hour out of each day I take pride and joy out of answering incoming customer calls/questions and sales inquiries.  I find that the practice keeps me humble and in tune with customers needs.  Today, I took a call from a lady by the name of D.  She found us through this blog and called for advice on how to claim warranty on her 1 year old Winners Only Roll Top desk.  We have over 70 suppliers in our furniture store; so not every call is about Winners Only.  However, when I do get calls about Winners Only, my ears perk up a bit, because it is one of my favorite business partners (and a customer favorite as well).  Here is how you file a claim if something has gone awry with your Winners Only Furniture:

(This process is not standardized.  It's how our furniture store handles claims; and incidentally how most legitimate stores handle claims.  There are however, a lot of stores that don't accept claims… do research on your store before buying.  If they have a lot of negative feedback it is recommended that you buy somewhere else.)

Step Number One, Filing a Claim:

Go to the authorized dealer you bought the furniture from and make a claim with them.

Step Number Two, Support Your Claim with Images:

Send images of the damage/issue.

Step Number Three, Wait for Resolution:

Wait for the part and/or repair person to come out and correct the issue.

The process of waiting for resolution can be a few weeks.  In most cases your authorized dealer will contact their Winners Only sales representative and request a parts order.  At which point Winners Only will either take the part out of inventory or produce the part to spec for the consumer.  It should be noted that within the furniture industry Winners Only is one of the most responsible, fair and consumer-centric companies to work with when it comes to servicing the order after the sale.  They are quick to provide support and parts and they do not put you through the normal hardship that a lot of suppliers do.  Additionally, since Winners Only is mostly vertically integrated they control most of the process of supply, so discovering damage trends is easier to spot and fix for them.  My point is that within the furniture industry they have one of the lowest rates of damage.

When I explained to D (the customer I was chatting with over the phone) the claim process, she expressed that the local store she had purchased the Winners Only desk from (a year ago) was no longer in business.  Unfortunately for many stores, in this very tough economy, that is a common reality.  Professional pollsters have reported an overall loss of Furniture Stores in the USA by about 10% in the last 5 years.  My own feeling is that the actual number is closer to about double that.  Nobody refutes that the industry has shrunk almost 40% in sheer sales volume.  All that to say, it's a tough world out there for a furniture store right now! Most of us probably wish we would have vacationed these last years!

Here is what you can do if you have a Winners Only claim and your local store/online store is out of business:

Contact us at service@furniturefromhome.com; send images of the issue and we will determine for you if a part is available.  In most cases there is a service/part/shipping fee associated with the replacements.

I was not surprised that in light of requesting a part for a broken piece on the desk, D was otherwise extremely pleased with her 1 year old roll top desk.  When I asked her what she liked about the desk, she quickly exclaimed "pretty much everything…" – When I asked her what specifically she likes about her roll top desk she said, and I'm going to paraphrase because this was all impromptu and I did not record the call: [I like the finish.  I like the wood.  I like the size.  I like the way it looks.] after encouraging her to give me a hard-lined single element she liked about the Winners Only Roll Top Desk, she said: "[I like all the hidden compartments; I can't imagine a potential thief ever finding anything in this desk.]" This point struck me because as an online retailer for the roll top desk, one of the hardest things to "sell" about the desk is the hidden compartments.   It's an extremely difficult thing to portray.  (Were going to be creating a video about them soon).

I also asked D about how/where she purchased the roll top desk.  She said that she went to 1/2 a dozen furniture stores and looked at all kinds of different options for her desk.  She decided on the Winners Only roll top desk because it was the obvious winner (no pun intended).

As a Winners Only enthusiast and professional in the furniture industry, I concur with D.  In fact here is a little history on Winners Only and the significance of Roll Top Desks for them.  Winners only started in the 1980's as a small manufacturer of only roll top desks.  They slowly and carefully expanded their line to encompass more office furnishings.  Today they are a premier, well respected line in the home office genre of furnishings.  They continue to lead the industry in the design of quality roll top desks.  It's no mistake that D shopped around for the best Roll Top Desk and decided on Winners Only.  Just like it is not mistake that a year later, she still LOVES her roll top desk (even as she is requesting a part).  In the realm of roll top desks you will be hard pressed to find a better quality and better value than the Winners Only Roll Top Desks.

Have a question about Winners Only or Winners Only products?  Email me milan@furniturefromhome.com.  Call us toll free 866-794-8861.  There is no greater compliment and support for us than for consumers to purchase a Winners Only product from our furniture store online.  However, we are also great supporters of local stores, so if you have a local winners only dealer, we encourage you to shop there as well.

Alternatively, the second best way to support our Winners Only enthusiast blog; and encourage us to continue bringing good, solid content to market about industry leaders; is to like us on facebook or tweet about us on twitter.  We appreciate it!

How Does Winners Furniture Only Compare To…

May 10, 2011

Milan Product Reviews, Winners Only Furniture

Through this blog I often get questions from customers about how Winners Only Furniture compares to specific brands of furniture.  I recently fielded a question from a nice lady who asked:

"I am searching for some home office furniture that will provide a work surface for laptop(s), printer storage, general storage, and file storage.  I came across the credenza/writing desk unit from the winners only manufacturer.  I read your comments about the quality, etc, but wanted to get an idea of how this line compared with other furniture manufacturers.  I came close to purchasing the abbot place line from hooker furniture but when I went to see it in the showroom was very disappointed in the finish, quality and craftsmanship.  How does the winners only line compare?"

My goal is to help people uncover the differences between lines of furniture; discover how the furniture industry works and provide people with a resource for the information I have accumulated through thousands of hours and long history in the furniture industry.  Here is my quick response to this customers question:

Here is the big picture,  Hooker in itself is a very well respected brand and a nice line…. Winners only is a large corporate company, but much smaller in comparison.  Each big brand (like Hooker) usually follows a, good, better, best model when they create their furnishings.  In Hooker's case the Abbot collection is within their "good" marketing strategy.  The good referring to a nice product, but, without the bells and whistles and the features/quality that they are generally known for (better and best.)

What this means for consumers is that if you don't want to spend the big bucks for a Hooker, "best" model, you can still get the security and prestige of the "Hooker" brand name at a lower price.  Unfortunately, it also means in many cases that you are spending a small premium for lesser quality furnishings because you are buying into the brand.

How and why does a furniture brand create furnishings at good, better and best quality/pricing?

In many cases (and incidentally I don't recall at this time what Hooker's manufacturing systems look like), a large corporate brand like Hooker will outsource their designs to a third party manufacturing facility.  In most cases they'll have a good, better, best manufacturing partners.  Each manufacturing facility specializes in what they know best to drive the costs down.  So, when you buy a "good" marketed product from a large brand, not only did they "cut corners" to bring the costs down, but, they (in many cases) don't even make the product in the same facility that manufactures their best product… neither does the "good" product go through the same Quality Control (QC) process that the "best" product goes through.  In many ways, when you look at the different price points of the bigger brands you can't/shouldn't even consider them as all being that brands name anymore.   The reality is that the product is basically treated differently than what that brands image is all about.

In the case of Winners Only, they are again a large corporation but still much smaller than Hooker.  Their largest and most important category is Home Office Furniture.  They run their own large factory in Taiwan with their own employees, management and QC.  Each piece goes through the same manufacturing process; the same finish process and the same QC process.  So since they are so singularly focused on the product, it inherently is better in some subtle and not so subtle ways.

To answer your question specifically, the reasons I think that you might find that Winners Only Home office furniture to be a better value is:

1. They have a state of the art finishing facility that is in a state of the art Dust Free zone.  (Most manufacturers of the "good" value products don't spend money on the finish process like this.)
2. They use the same high quality components on all of their home office furniture.
3. They use the same QC employees for all of their home office furniture; looking for the same types of problems/issues etc.
4. Their brand is built on producing high quality, great value home office furniture… whereas a lot of other brands (like Hooker) focus on the bigger niches such as bedroom or dining room furnishings.
5. They control the entire manufacturing process in their own facility.

On a professional side my store has very few (if any problems) when it comes to customer expectation and delivery of the Winners Only Home office furniture.   So, in other words, customers are pleased with what they receive.   I've never processed a return for a winners only home office product for a customer (except for size issues).

To recap, the biggest benefit to owning a Winners Only Home Office versus another brand is that they have a lot invested in making good Home Office products at reasonable prices and they are more specialized in the home office niche than most other brands.

If this has been helpful and if you feel inclined there are many ways you can help us grow:

1. Spread the word about FurnitureFromHome.com to your friends and family.
2. Like-us on Facebook
3. Tweet about us on twitter
4. And of course, if you decide to purchase a Winners Only product, let us fulfill the order for you.
   1. We are a top online furniture retailer and have a close working relationship with Winners Only (in fact I have personally consulted for them on how to better service their customers and ours).

——-

And for anybody out there lost in the process of picking the right furniture for your home, please don't hesitate to email me: milan@furniturefromhome.com your questions/concerns!

Sincerely,

Milan

Executive Desk Review

May 2, 2011

Milan Category Reviews, Home Office Sets, Product Reviews, Snap Shot of Winners, Winners Only Furniture

As a furniture store owner and a self-described furniture guy, I have logged thousands of hours analyzing furniture from all parts of the globe.  I've decided today to let my blog followers in on how I (as a professional) look for value and quality in an executive desk.

For starters, what is an executive desk:

Wikipedia does a nice job of defining the characteristics of an executive desk or in their case (and what is also known as) a pedestal desk.  So if you want the professional and long winded definition be sure to visit their page.  My definition of the most commonly associated executive desk or pedestal desk as it is called, is a formal desk commonly used in an executives office or in a large and formal home office.  The basic configuration and design of the executive desk is to have two pedestals and a desk top.

A picture example of an executive desk by Winners Only Furniture is:

Cherry Executive Desk | Example

Here is a video example of an executive desk by Coaster Furniture:

Here is a list of things that I look into while analyzing the value of an executive desk:

First and foremost before I will even look at a new piece of furniture for the store, I will look at the price.  Pricing is important to me because I use it as a gauge for what I'm looking for in the overall quality of the piece of furniture.  For example, on a less expensive piece I'm not going to expect as much… or put another way, I'm going to be looking to be impressed with the quality features that THEY DID include.

If I were to over generalize the furniture business you have two types of suppliers, suppliers that sell high volumes of product at a very competitive price and suppliers that sell a much lower volume of product at a much higher mark-up; because of the exclusivity of the product.  I look at the price first because whereas I'm willing to pay the extra cost for a special piece of furniture or design, I'm only willing to pay that premium if the improvements on the piece are unique and valuable enough.

Second, I start to look at every detail on the executive desk.  I run my hands over the finish; I open each drawer; I close each drawer; I smell the furniture (I know sounds funny, but if the furniture smells too much like chemicals or even organic materials, I pass immediately); I run my hands under the desk top; I run my hands over the inside of the drawers; I slam the drawers shut; I look under the desk top to see how the finish is applied (if applied) to the bottom of the desk top; I look at all the connection points (the points where the desk is "assembled" in the home) for weaknesses and gaps.

Here is a list of the things that I'm looking for:

1. Finish quality
2. Finished or at least sanded inside drawers
3. Solid drawers, not crooked or sloppily put together
4. Smooth, good quality extension side glides
5. Attractively designed elements, like storage and components
6. Logically and ergonomically considered design (such as pull out bottom for computer desk top)
7. Does the desk of excess glue coming out of joints?
8. Does the desk of unsightly nails connecting the drawers?
9. If the desk has locking mechanisms, what quality are they?
10. When I run my fingers over the top and bottom, does it feel smooth and flat?

Of all the above actions the most important one to me, to establish a value of the executive desk is going to be related to how the finish quality is on the desk.  In my experience, if the finish of the desk is nice, strong and without "overspray" or a "goopy" feeling, than the rest of the desk is going to be generally constructed well. There are differences in how a finish is applied to a product, depending on which factory the product is coming from.  For example, the Winners Only executive desk is finished in a state of the art, dust-free factory setting.  This process makes for a consistently great finish.

After I have spent 10 minutes looking over each detail of the executive desk I usually feel like I have a good idea of the "value" of the particular piece.  Getting the "value" is an important process, because it determines whether or not we are going to let the piece represent us in our furniture store.   In general, I tend to try and stay away from the lower-end of the market… not because there is anything wrong with an absolute low cost good, rather because I think of my company as a sort-of hands-on, shopping assistance, type of service and we just can't afford to give that level of service with the lower end of the home office marketplace.  I also tend to stay away from what I feel is overpriced… I'd consider something overpriced if it is not sufficiently unique to differentiate itself from something else already on the open market, at a higher price.

What I'm left with is home office furniture, just like is listed on our site and in our store.    Each piece in our store is representative of value, quality and style.

This site is dedicated to Winners Only, precisely because in my experience they have the highest quality product at the best value of a price.  When you choose a Winners Only product and are comparing it to other brands, if the design elements are equal to you… and if the pricing is close; go with the Winners Only product, you will not be disappointed.  Winners Only executive and pedestal desks are by far the best value on the market for a quality, clean product at a reasonable price.  In my opinion the Winners Only executives desks are like the antithesis of Las Vegas; straightforward, clean and real quality… the design does not have any pomp or flair, it is simple quality, made for the mid to high end marketplace.

Need more information on how to analyze and compare an executive desk?  Email me, milan@furniturefromhome.com.  I'd also be happy to do an independent analysis of your "options" for you, even if you aren't comparing things in our store!

Have a nice day!

Milan

About the author:  Milan Rousset owns furniturefromhome.com, an online furniture store.  He is a Furniture industry veteran who has logged thousands of hours analyzing all sorts of furniture for his stores.  He always appreciates talking to the public and other furniture industry enthusiasts about home furnishings and design and is available at milan@furniturefromhome.com

Winners Only Country Cherry Home Office Furniture Review

March 21, 2011

Milan Category Reviews, Home Office Sets, Product Reviews cherry home office furniture, cherry office desk, computer desk armoire, home office, home office collections, peninsula desk, winners only cherry home office, winners only furniture, winners only home office

Country Cherry Home Office Collection by Winners Only

The Winners Only country cherry home office suite, like almost all of Winners Only office furniture, is a very clean product.  The finish quality of Winners Only Country Cherry desk set far exceeds what is standard in the home office segment of the furniture industry.  I've looked at thousands of home office collections over my many years of professionally analyzing furniture and for the value of the Winners Only product, there is nothing else in the market that comes even close.

My name is Milan Rousset, I'm a long time furniture guy.  I've been in this great industry my entire life.  I'm familiar with some of the best manufacturers and the people who make them up… and some of the worst.   My goal with this blog is to bring to light one of the premier suppliers of quality furnishings, Winners Only Furniture.  Through, this blog I hope to give consumers the confidence to buy Winners Only products, not only in my online furniture store, but wherever they decide to purchase the product.  In my opinion life is too short to surround ourselves with low quality furniture, so when a product, like the Winners Only office collections comes to market with as much effort on craftsmanship and value; I want to get the word out!

I'm going to display images from the Winners Only Country Cherry Home office suite and give a brief overview of the quality features.  In the coming days I'll be writing up a complete review of each product, so check the blog categories to the right if you are looking for more specific information on a specific home office set from this collection.  Also, don't hesitate to call my sales staff at 866-794-8861 (option 3); or email me directly for detailed information on anything Winners Only related, Milan@furniturefromhome.com.

Country cherry modular corner desk by Winners Only Furniture

The country cherry modular corner desk in our furniture store is one of the most popular corner home office suites.  It's popularity, I think derives from the beautiful finish; subtle country design and quality features.  I'm going to say over and over again, how great the Winners Only finish is.  This piece is no exception.  The finish is smooth, clean and bright.  It doesn't have unwanted smudges; pits; dust; streaks or any other issues that a lot of manufacturers allow in their production line.  Winners Only finishes the product in a state of the art, dust free facility.  Their finished product wears a lot better, longer and with more grace than many other products on the market, as a result.   Here are the details to pay attention to on this item:

• Computer cabinet
• Quality locking file cabinet
• Touch lighting in the hutch overhead
• Please notice the very well made door fronts… no unsightly gaps between the door frame and the door.
• Doors are latch shut
• Dovetailed Drawers
• Drawers are all sanded and finished

Winners Only Country Cherry Peninsula Desk Set

When you buy the Winners Only Country Cherry peninsula desk set you get the freedom of choices.  This collection is set-up so you can add additional pieces as your wall allows for.  So whether you have a 10 ft wall or a 20 ft wall, this product will fit almost like it was custom.  What I wanted to point out in this product image… and what is indicative of Winners Only quality, do you notice the near perfectly matching modular pieces?  There isn't any overhang; the tops aren't mismatched; the peninsula desk is flush with the modular base.  The attention to these small details are truly what makes Winners Only products superior in quality.

Closed Computer Armoire | Winners Only Country Cherry Collection

In the image of the Winners Only Computer Armoire item K142CAN, I want to take a moment to point out again, the proximity and "snug" look of the drawers and cabinets.  Every Winners Only piece has this careful craftsman detail.  Notice the framed power station next to the computer monitor, I could show you examples of supposedly comparable office furniture without the detail of a frame around the power station.   Quality components support the weight of the user and the equipment.

Winners Only Country Cherry Item K154C

Winners Only started out as a producer of the roll top secretaries desk as pictured above.  Over the years they have modified the roll top desk to match the needs of a modern consumer.  As pictured, the Country Cherry roll top desk comes with a keyboard drawer; computer cabinet; power strip; locking top; locking file cabinet.  The finish of the roll top desk by Winners Only is superior to anything else on the market in this price point.

Overall, the Winners Only country cherry home office collections continue to be hugely popular among our clients who are looking for a quality product, that is reasonably priced and has a superior finished quality to anything out there in the market.

Resources:

• Buy Winners Only Furniture online
• Call my expert sales team: 866-794-8861 (option 3)
• Email me anytime: milan@furniturefromhome.com

Americana Home Office Collection by Winners Only Review

March 15, 2011

Milan Category Reviews, Product Reviews americana home office collection, computer desk, credenza desk, executive desk, home library, winner's only americana collection

Before I begin on my personal in-depth, professional view of the Americana Collection home office set, I have to put out some disclaimers.  I'm not an unbiased reviewer.  I have long-standing relationships with the producer of this desk.  As mentioned in this blog elsewhere, I have professional relationships with the people who stand behind the Winners Only name.  Winners Only Furniture and specifically the American home office furniture collection have been and continue to be best-selling products in my furniture store.   I am as far from unbiased as can be.  Additionally, please note that I'm not a marketer.  I'm not a writer.  I'm simply a furniture guy.  I've personally and professionally analyzed thousands of home furnishings; the intent of this blog is to bring to light the best of the industry in quality and price.

Americana Executive Desk | Credenza Desk | Library

The Americana Collection by Winners Only is  staple of a product.  It is a best-selling collection for Winners Only as a whole and has been in their line-up for many years.  In the furniture industry I'm going to estimate that 80% of the products introduced are dropped either before making a full production line or within one year of being produced.  (If you have more data on this feel free to leave it in the comments section below.)  The products that do make it, they usually last no more than 24 – 36 months before being cut out or replaced.  The reason for the turnaround is because:

1. The product has lost its public appeal.
2. The product has been knocked-off (copied) to the point that the originator can't make it profitably anymore.
3. Problems with the supply chain of either a factory problem or raw materials problem.

In the case of the Americana Collection home office suite, this decidedly simple design, accompanied with the very nice quality details (that I'll go into later on in this post,) has made this product a top-selling item for retail stores and consumers nationwide, for years.  As is the case with all successful designs, there are a multitude of knock-off designs, and I have seen and tested them all.  Winners Only is so good at producing quality components and controlling their costs that the knockoff products are relatively the same price with less to offer… making them much less of an attractive product.  As for problems with the supply chain, Americana home office suite is made in Winners Only's own factory in Taiwan.  It's for that reason that they can consistently produce this product without hiccups in the supply.

A lot of people might be wondering, 'OK Milan, so what is the benefit that it has been around for a while?'  Aside from the obvious competitive advantages that this product represents by being best in its field, at the price point.  The benefit for a consumer for buying a product that has been in production for years, not months, is that the product has been perfected over the years.  Everything from packaging to slight changes in component placement has been perfected over the many years in production.   This means that as a consumer, you're getting a better product than it was when it was launched!

I'm going to take a moment and gloss over the quality features that most people care about.  After this short section I am going to go into why I, as a furniture snob and professional furniture guy, like this collection.

The commonly associated quality factors (and incidentally, the quality factors that almost all manufacturers incorporate into their furniture):

1. Made with a hard wood and wood veneer
2. Dovetailed drawers
3. Ball bearing side glide drawer mounts
4. Wire management
5. Power station
6. Multi-step finish application
7. Touch lighting

I'm always amazed, but (at this point) never surprised at how little people know about the true quality indicators of fine furniture.   Sure, the above indications are important, if you are comparing the product to RTA (ready to assemble) furniture such as IKEA(tm) which is known for convenient, stylish but less quality furniture.  When I professionally analyze a piece of furniture, I don't just look to see if it is made with hardwood and veneer… I don't just test the drawers (though it is definitely something I do); I don't just look for the wire management.   Those things are easy to add onto the item.. what I look for is that the features are gracefully, thoughtfully, meaningfully added to the product.  In addition to thoughtful design, there is the finish quality.  I'm looking for "goopy" finish application.  I'm looking to see if the drawers are finished nicely.  I"m looking to see if the drawers close soundly.  I'm looking to see if the product is sturdy; I"m basically looking to see where the manufacturer either did not have the expertise to do something correctly OR, did not want to spend the money to do something right.

Take for example the following image of the Americana 72″ executive desk, from behind the desk:

Quality Features of the Americana Collection by Winners Only

To the untrained eye this photo may not mean anything… for the consumer that is looking for a quality product, this photo says it all.  You will be amazed at how I am going to be able to succinctly turn this seemingly simple photograph into a laundry list of product details, that you will not be able to find anywhere else (I know, I've looked!)

Starting at the bottom left:

1. Locking file drawer:  This in itself is not a huge deal… there are plenty of products that have them.  This product has a solid mechanism that was meant to be used.  It won't break after the first use as I've seen in the past.
2. Notice the ball bearing side glides located at the bottom of the drawer:  The placement of the ball bearing side glides at the bottom of the drawer make for a smoother action in and out of the drawer.  You won't find that detail on very many products.
3. You may or may not notice that the drawers are finished, inside and out.  This is a huge plus.  90% of home office sets in this price range do not feature finished drawers inside and out.  (More on their finishing process later.)
4. Letter tray on both sides of the desk – quality letter tray, not the kind that is embarrassing to open because the tray is either too difficult to open or too easy "catch" on the side of the desk.
5. Moving over to the pull out keyboard drawer.  Unlike 90% of the desks in this price range, Winners American home office has a pull out tray that goes over the drawer front.  The alternative is simply to allow the drawer itself to pull-out, which means you are resting  your wrists on the door front (the least stable of the whole drawer).  This detail probably added a $10 cost to the desk, but again it shows the focus on a quality product that is thoughtfully designed for use.
6. Pencil drawer to the right of the keyboard tray has pencil slots that match the finish of the drawers… it's not an afterthought.
7. Cabinet has room for a CPU or a printer and a laptop (removable shelf); with easy access to the power strip in the keyboard drawer.  Additionally, the cabinet base is retractable which makes it very easy to gain access to behind your desk top computer or printer.  This neat feature again adds $10 to the cost of the product, but prevents users from scratching their furniture over time.  It's a feature not seen on most home office furniture.

Here is a detailed picture of the quality of the components:

Detail of finish quality and components used

Unfortunately, what you don't see is quite possibly the most important feature of the Americana home office set; it's the finish of the product.  Winners Only finishes this product in their state-of-the-art, dust free facility.  The finish feels strong.  It feels smooth.  There is absolutely no goopyness to the finish.  It feels crisp.  The drawers are sanded and finished on the inside.  Unlike many other collections, there are not stress cracks inherent in the finish.  There are not light bubbles in the finish.  Your not going to scratch the finish with each use.

As a furniture guy, I'm pretty picky about my furniture. I'd be proud to own the Winners Only American home office suite.   Whether it is the executive desk, the modular corner desk with hutch or the ever-so-popular peninsula desk set, each collection is thoughtfully designed and expertly manufactured.  They are the best in their class based on price point and color.

Pricing Information:

As a certified and preferred vendor for Winners Only, my online furniture store offers the best pricing on Winners Only product.  Additionally, we care about your business, so if an online dealer is offering something for less, we'll beat their price.  Finally, when you are price comparing take into account that with our store, we are a full service, we will bring the furniture into your home and set it up for you, at no additional cost.  This extra service is an absolute necessity when you are buying this collection because of its weight and size.  Call us toll-free 866-794-8861 (option 3) my sales staff has actually seen and studied the Winners Only line, so they are very knowledgeable on how things work.

Resources:

• Email me: milan@furniturefromhome.com
• Call my Winners Only sales staff 866-794-8861 (option 3)
• Visit our Winners Only Furniture sales page.

Where Are the Hidden Compartments in an Older Winners Only Roll Top Desk

Source: https://winnersguide.wordpress.com/category/product-reviews/

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