1 - Color. You can pick a color to match your decor. Most colors available from manufacturers are limited plus they change. So when you go back to add a piece, it may not match. I furnished our house with unfinished furniture over 22 years and just recently added an entertainment center. It all looks like I bought it at the same time because I finished it in the same color - Zar 111 Walnut.

2 - Quality. Almost all unfinished furniture stores carry a higher quality of furniture then conventional stores. They have to! Factory finishes can conceal defects of blemishes in the wood. Unfinished furniture will show all defects so manufacturers have to use a better grade of wood. Also, a lot of owners have a furniture background and are picky about what they sell.

3 - Selection. When you buy unfinished furniture, you can mix and match pieces from different manufacturers. Pick a table from one company, chairs from another and the china buffet you like from still another. Finish them in the same color and they all match! If you buy factory finished furniture you're stuck with the styles they offer. Also, a lot of suppliers to unfinished furniture store don't have finishing departments so there unique products are only available unfinished.