Classical Siamese Rosewood Sofa 3-Piece Set with Carved Armrests

Buyer Pain Point and Our Solution

The pain point: a compact apartment living room that still has to hold a full classical rosewood sofa grouping. Buyers furnishing European apartments and North American condominiums regularly find that standard five-piece and seven-piece rosewood sofa sets need more floor area than the room provides. The usual workaround is a smaller set built with thin timber and metal fasteners, which does not match the solid-wood specification the end client is paying for.

Our solution: a three-piece set sized to a 15-20 square metre living room, built from solid Siamese rosewood throughout. The set is one two-seat sofa (165 cm length, 62 cm depth, 88 cm backrest height, 43 cm seat height), two single-seat armchairs (62 cm width, 58 cm depth, 88 cm backrest height, 43 cm seat height) and one coffee table (90 x 50 cm, 45 cm height). That is four seats across three components; the coffee table is a companion piece and is not a seat. All frame components are cut from the same batch of Dalbergia cochinchinensis, density-sorted to 0.90-1.00 g/cm3 and conditioned to 8-12% moisture content. Seat rail connections use 16 mm tenon-depth mortise-and-tenon joints, armrest-to-back-post junctions use 14 mm tenons, and every right-angle intersection is locked with a solid wood corner block and bamboo dowels. The armrest panels carry hand-carved ruyi sceptre motifs at roughly 18 carving hours per panel, finished with six hand-rubbed coats of raw lacquer.

What that means for your order: the set fits a compact living room without blocking the circulation path, keeps the hand-carved detail and solid-wood construction of a full-size suite, and ships in two crates totalling 3.8 CBM at 320 kg gross. A 20-foot container with 22 CBM usable capacity takes 5 sets (19.0 CBM); 6 sets would need 22.8 CBM and exceed that capacity, so 5 sets is the full-container quantity. At 5 sets the ocean freight is spread across the 5 sets as FCL instead of being billed per cubic metre under LCL. Confirm the current FOB Xiamen rate with us at inquiry, since ocean freight changes with the sailing schedule.

Three-Piece Configuration and Dimensions

• 1 two-seat sofa - 165 cm length x 62 cm depth x 88 cm backrest height, seat height 43 cm, 2 seats

• 2 single-seat armchairs - 62 cm width x 58 cm depth x 88 cm backrest height, seat height 43 cm, 1 seat each

• 1 coffee table - 90 x 50 cm top, 45 cm height, companion piece, not a seat

One set is three components and four pieces of furniture, giving four seats (1 two-seat sofa + 2 armchairs). The layout fits a living room of 15 to 20 square metres without crowding the circulation path, and works as a self-contained grouping in a compact apartment or a boutique hotel lounge.

Ruyi Sceptre Carving on the Armrest Panels

Each seating piece carries a hand-carved ruyi sceptre (ru yi) motif on its armrest panel, a classical Chinese decorative element. Each panel takes approximately 18 carving hours. The carver works with chisels from 2 mm to 10 mm width, cutting the ruyi cloud head in relief to a depth of 2 to 4 mm. Because the carving follows the grain of each individual board, minor variation in relief depth between panels is normal and characteristic of hand work.

Production Process

This set follows a four-stage workflow:

• Stage 1 - Board Density Sorting: Siamese rosewood boards are sorted by air-dry density on a precision balance. Boards falling within 0.90 to 1.00 g/cm3 are grouped for this set so the three pieces respond consistently and match in colour.

• Stage 2 - Component Cutting and Grain Matching: Each component is cut on a sliding table saw to a tolerance of plus or minus 0.3 mm. Armrest panels are selected from boards with the tightest interlocked grain, which holds carving detail cleanly.

• Stage 3 - Joinery and Dry Assembly: Mortise-and-tenon joints are cut to 16 mm tenon depth on seat rail connections and 14 mm on armrest-to-back-post junctions. Joints are dry-fitted before glue is applied. Every right-angle intersection is reinforced with a solid wood corner block and bamboo dowels driven through the tenon to stop it backing out of the mortise. The primary frame comprises the structural members of the sofa and armchairs: seat rails, legs, back posts, armrest supports and corner blocks. All of these structural connections are wood-to-wood; no metal fasteners are used in them. Metal is limited to concealed hardware on the coffee table top fixing, which is not part of the seating frame.

  

• Stage 4 - Carving and Finishing: Ruyi motifs are carved after frame assembly. Six coats of raw lacquer are applied by hand, each cured for 24 hours and rubbed back with pumice stone. The final coat leaves a satin sheen rather than a high-gloss film.

  

Quality Inspection

• Density Verification: Each component is weighed and measured to confirm it falls within the 0.90 to 1.00 g/cm3 band selected at Stage 1.

• Joint Lateral Play Test: 12 kg of horizontal force is applied to each mortise-and-tenon connection. Any joint showing visible movement is re-fitted.

• Carving Relief Check: Each ruyi motif is inspected under a 10x loupe for chisel marks indicating tool slippage. Structural damage to the armrest panel is cause for rejection.

• Moisture Audit: Three-point readings per piece with a pin-type moisture meter. Readings outside 8 to 12 percent trigger re-conditioning.

• Finish Inspection: Surface inspected under 5000K LED lighting at 30 cm distance. Runs, sags, or uncured spots are reworked.

Enterprise Capability

Yunxiao Rosewood Furniture Co., Ltd. produces classical redwood furniture in Xianyou County, Fujian, operating a 12,000 square metre factory in the hometown of traditional hardwood craft. The workshop holds FSC Chain-of-Custody certification and CITES export permit registration for Dalbergia cochinchinensis shipments; certificate numbers are available on request. On chemical compliance, we can currently supply a raw-material declaration and a supplier compliance statement for the lacquer and beeswax finishing materials; EU REACH and US CARB test reports are not yet held, and third-party testing can be arranged on request with the testing cost quoted separately. The company exports to Europe, North America, Southeast Asia and Australia. OEM custom dimensions and ODM design development are supported; the 15-day design approval cycle starts from the day we receive your drawings or reference images and covers a dimension drawing and a carving layout for your confirmation. Buyers visiting Fujian can arrange a workshop inspection tour covering timber storage, joinery stations, carving benches, and the lacquer curing area.

Packaging and Export Documentation

Each piece is wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and corrugated cardboard, then packed in an ISPM-15 heat-treated wooden crate with EPS foam corner blocks. The full set fills two crates with a combined volume of 3.8 cubic metres and a gross weight of 320 kg. Every shipment includes CITES export permits, FSC chain-of-custody documentation, commercial invoice with HS code 9403.60, and a wood drying certificate.

Installation and Care Guide

This set is delivered fully assembled in two crates; no on-site assembly is required beyond unpacking and positioning. Because the frame is solid Siamese rosewood finished with hand-rubbed raw lacquer, a few simple care habits will preserve the surface and joinery over years of indoor use.

• Placement: Keep the set in a dry, ventilated indoor area and away from direct, prolonged sunlight and strong heat sources such as radiators or fireplaces. The rosewood base tolerates short-term ambient temperatures of -10C to 50C, but continuous heating above 100C can cause moisture loss and cracking, and the material begins permanent degradation from 140C. The raw lacquer surface is vulnerable to heat marks at 60-110C, so avoid prolonged contact with hot objects above 60C. These temperature figures are general hardwood and natural-lacquer industry reference values rather than batch-measured data for this set, and actual tolerance varies with the piece's moisture content and the ambient humidity; keep the set within the recommended 40-60 percent relative humidity range. Use outside these ranges is not covered by the 24-month structural warranty.

• Cleaning: Dust regularly with a soft, dry cloth. Wipe spills promptly with a slightly damp cloth and dry immediately. Avoid abrasive pads, harsh chemical cleaners, alcohol, or solvent-based products, which can damage the raw lacquer.

• Surface protection: Use coasters and placemats for drinks and hot items, and felt pads under decorative objects, to prevent rings and scratches on the lacquer.

• Climate: Aim for a stable indoor relative humidity of 40 to 60 percent, typical of heated or air-conditioned living spaces. Below 35 percent the solid wood can lose moisture and open at the joints; above 70 percent sustained damp risks surface bloom. Avoid unheated storage and damp basements, where large moisture swings stress solid-wood joinery.

• Joinery care: The mortise-and-tenon frame is designed to remain rigid under normal use. If you move the set, lift rather than drag it, and re-tighten any loose joints by contacting us for guidance rather than forcing them.