WOOD – CLASSIC FURNITURE MATERIAL

Throughout history, wood has been a constant material that has been used to build furniture. The reasons are simple: Wood is cheap and renewable, coming from nature itself in the form of trees. Unlike plastics or metal, we will never run out of wood as long as people replant them to grow again.

However, this does not mean that Wood is inferior: many artisans and craftsman over the years have spent countless time mastering the art of crafting wood. China and Japan for example, are two countries with a rich history of extensive use of wooden furniture. Some of their older wood furniture and considered antique masterpieces to this date.

In the past, Walnut, Rosewood, Oak and Mahogany were very commonly used woods in furniture. Today, things have changed: the most popular wood used are instead Ash, Pine and Poplar. This is because the olden trees have become rare in the modern, thus the switch to more common woods.

Wood can generally be split into two categories: Hardwood and softwood. Ironically despite the name, there is no rule that states that Hardwood must be harder than softwood, though it is usually the case. Hardwoods are rarer and thus hardwood furniture are much more valuable than their softwood counterparts.

Two other factors of wood in the process of making furniture are Colour and Grain. Colour is of course, quite self-explanatory – some people prefer different colour woods compared to others. Grain is comprised of the unique texture that makes up a wood due to their origin as a living object – different trees have different growth patterns and cells, therefore the end result of wood is different. Whether the grain is rough or smooth, both has their own fans and a finish is usually applied onto the final product.

We hope this has been an interesting read in the properties of wood furniture. Looking for a vast variety of appealing, sturdy furniture? Check out our website today, you won’t be disappointed with our selection!