The present invention provides fully upholstered, ready-to-assemble furniture
which may be custom ordered by a purchaser, shipped directly to the home of the
purchaser by a parcel delivery service, and then easily and quickly assembled by
the purchaser. The ready-to-assemble article of furniture includes a frame having
a composite frame member with a long dimension which is formed by a plurality of
planar frame members assembled in an end-to-end and overlapping manner. The plurality
of planar frame members are interconnected by interlocking protrusions and cutout
portions, as well as by threaded fasteners received in push-in connector elements
which are held in recesses within the frame members. The interlocking and threaded
fastener connections allow a plurality of smaller frame members to form the composite
frame member of the furniture frame, wherein the frame has the torsional and longitudinal
stability of known furniture frames which include long, single boards. In particular,
the interlocking and overlapping structure of the present furniture frame advantageously
provides longitudinal and torsional stability to an article of furniture having
a long dimension such as an entertainment center or sofa.