Wood has historically been the choice material for crafting furniture.
The industrial revolution changed things for wooden furniture, though. Alternative materials, cheaper to mass produce than wood, like steel, plastic, and aluminum were introduced to the market.
However through the years, even as its production declined, wooden furniture has only grown in prominence.
There was something timeless about furniture made from wood. An aesthetic that has retained its relevance from the age of Pharaohs through present day.
And here's why.
As opposed to the many cheaper materials people use nowadays to make furniture, wood lasts years with very little maintenance.
Exactly how durable these pieces can be will depend on the type of wood you choose to use. True hardwoods like walnut, white oak, and cherry retain their rich appearance indefinitely.
Well-made wooden furniture crafted from hardwoods can last generations, despite heavy use.
Softwoods like pine and cedar are more common. Because softwood trees take less time to grow than hardwoods, they tend to be cheaper.
While not as durable as hardwoods, wooden furniture made from softwood tend to grow in character over time. Scratches and markings made in the furniture give the wood a rustic, shabby-chic feel.
The lighter color of softwood also tends to only get darker and deeper as it's exposed to light over time. This more rich look extend the longevity of softwood pieces, making newer pieces an investment worth waiting for.
No matter what type you choose, wood remains far and away the most durable material out there.
This kind of durability makes sure that the wooden furniture retains the value of your purchase. If you ever want to sell a piece down the road, the market for wood furniture has only broadened as the years have gone on.
As long as the piece is well maintained, its value can only grow in the years to come.
Wood wears age like few other materials out there.
Not only is wooden furniture extremely durable, it's also easy to maintain.
Cleaning wood is usually as simple as regularly dusting.
Spills and other sticky messes can be cleaned with a wet microfiber cloth.
It is as simple as that!
If you treat your wood well, you will never have to worry about maintenance past the occasional dusting.
With other materials, namely iron furniture, you will always have to worry about eventual rust if you're not constantly vigilant.
Each piece of wood is slightly different. Even if wooden furniture is made the same way, with the same type of material there will be subtle differences.
You will notice the differences in beautifully grained woods like quarter sawn white oak or live edge walnut. The slight variations in the thickness and direction of each grain really pop when seen together.
Further, a craftsman has much more freedom when working with wood than any other material. While a machine can only do so much with plastic or metal, an artisan is presented infinite possibilities with solid wood.
Solid wood is malleable in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. There's a reason woodcarving has been around since the dawn of man.
Wood is nature's painting. A creative endeavor unrivaled by man-made materials.
A metal desk can never have the same kind of unique character as a wooden one.
This is one of the main reasons why wooden furniture is so highly valued. Each piece you own will be utterly unique to anything else in the world.
Wooden furniture can fit in any home aesthetic.
Rustic cherry or rustic walnut works perfectly for a home going for a rustic look. A well placed rustic cherry chair is a wonderful rustic accent to any home.
For modernists, natural walnut fits in well with a white, minimalist style. The wood's natural darker color and airy feel will blend right in.
A cherry armoire can go far in completing a room's traditional look.
If you're more eclectically inclined you can have fun mixing and matching different types of wood, either throughout the house or in one room.
Wooden furniture grants you a kind of subtle versatility that no other kind of furniture can.
With metal and plastic, you have to rely on different kinds of paint or colored material to match the look you're going for. This means either buying a painted piece already and sticking with that color for the room or doing the painting yourself.
Wood, on the other hand, retains its relevance within a home in any room.
Wood furniture can be especially effective in a city apartment or cramped loft. Few things can bring nature back into a tiny urban space like a piece of expertly crafted wood furniture.
Unlike plastic, wood is a sustainable resource. As long as it's harvested responsibly, trees can be continually replenished.
However, it's important to buy wood from eco-friendly forests. These are forests that emphasize replacing whatever trees they harvest with new growth.
By investing in this kind of sustainable wood, we can help to cut back on carbon emission.
Wood is also much easier to recycle and use again than something like plastic.
Finishing, staining and different specialty finishing options for wood furniture can add a kind of customization to your wooden furniture as well as improving its durability.
Staining your wood furniture can help you get that perfect color you've always wanted for your furniture.
Staining wood can also be helpful in matching a piece of furniture to the colorway of the room you want it in. Stains are an effective way to give the wood the color you want without sacrificing the wood's natural grain or texture.
Unlike furniture made from other materials, where the paint will inevitably cover up the original feel of the piece.
A catalyzed varnish finish is an effective in keeping the wood waterproof and preventing rot.
For outdoor wooden furniture, finishing is a necessity. Many stains will seal the wood and create a barrier from rain and other liquids. This can do wonders for the long term durability of your outdoor wooden furniture.
Rot is another potential problem which could ruin the integrity of your wooden furniture. Once wood begins to rot, there is no saving it.
Rot can occur through a variety of means. Termites, mold, and mildew through water build up are usually the main culprits.
However, with a stain finish, the wood on outdoor furniture will have an effective barrier erected to protect it from pests and other outside factors that could end up doing the furniture harm.
Modifying wooden furniture to fit your needs can be easy. Sanding, painting, and staining are processes that can give an ancient piece of furniture a new look to fit the perpetually changing style of your home.
If the look of your wooden furniture doesn't fit the aesthetic of your new room anymore you can very easily modify it. A quick sanding will get your wood back to its original state.
From there you have a litany of options of what to do with it to modify its look.
With other materials, you are stuck with what you got. There's not much flexibility to be had with a metal desk or chair.
But with wood, flexibility is the name of the game. You are working with a material that responds well to alterations.
If you're someone who is frequently redecorating or shifting the styling of a home or room, wooden furniture is the right choice for you.
As you can see, solid wood furniture is worth the investment!
No matter what house or apartment you live in, a piece of wooden furniture would benefit the overall aesthetic.
With the proper care, wooden furniture will last for generations to come and its value will only go up.
If you're serious about home decor, be sure to shop for your beautiful piece of wooden furniture today.
My friend’s story demonstrates both the advantages and disadvantages of wooden furniture. Quality wood furniture is stronger than furniture that comes packed flat in a box, and it will last for years. It’ll also look much better for much longer than cheaply-made furniture, like the kind that consists of a thin veneer of hardwood affixed to a lighter and less expensive wood like plywood. If the finish of wood furniture isn’t maintained, it can suffer damage or wear off over time, but a skilled woodworker can always return it to like-new condition.
A friend’s eldest son recently went off to college. Like a lot of young men, he immediately spent too much money on a new top-of-the-line television. He purchased a cheap stand for it online, but after only a few weeks, it began to wobble. When he returned home for a break, he asked his parents if they’d mind parting with a low wooden bookcase from the family room. The bookcase had survived his entire childhood and adolescence and the preschool years of his two younger sisters; it could certainly stand up to the weight of his new TV. It was several decades old, but the finish still looked pretty good, give or take a few scratches, and the bookcase could stand without sagging, leaning, or wobbling.
The most practical advantage of wood furniture is its strength. Hardwood tabletops, desktops, and shelves won’t sag over time the way cheaper woods like plywood, particleboard, and fiberboard can. It can maintain that strength for decades—century-old furniture is routinely found in usable condition in attics and basements. The bookcase my friend’s son made off with, for instance, was originally handed down to the family from an elderly aunt. High-quality furniture retains its value, too: Resold heirloom-quality wood furniture can often command a premium price.
The greatest advantage of wooden furniture, though, lies in its enduring look and appeal. The grain and tones of genuine hardwood bring warmth and character to any room. When finished correctly, solid wood has a luster that can’t be matched by a veneer. Even when the finish of wood furniture isn’t properly maintained, it still looks attractive. It’s why shabby chic furniture with a distressed finish is a part of the modern rustic look, which continues to grow in popularity. My friend’s old bookcase, for example, currently lends a stately charm to his son’s dorm room.
Thanks to its lasting strength and enduring beauty, damaged hardwood furniture can usually be fully repaired or restored with the right tools and skills. Finished wood can withstand years of wear and tear from even the most rambunctious family—scratches and dents from careless teenagers, scribbles from crayon-wielding toddlers, spilled glue from craft projects gone wrong, and more. Scratches and scuff marks can be sanded out; the old finish can be removed and replaced with a new one. However, despite all the benefits, wood furniture comes with some disadvantages.
When my friend’s son moved to a new dormitory, it took two people to carry his improvised TV stand across campus. Wood furniture’s strength, stability, and durability come at a price: It’s heavy. Other disadvantages to wood furniture include the following:
Wood is vulnerable to water. Moisture can damage wood finishes and soak into the wood underneath, causing it to split and swell.
Ultraviolet light can change wood’s color and damage its surface. In a way that’s similar to the effect sunlight has on skin, sunlight can break apart chemical bonds in wood and cause the surface to change colors. If you’re not among the wood furniture owners who find this kind of discoloration attractive, a skilled craftsman can restore an old finish to return the color to its original hue. Wood furniture with a durable and protective topcoat over the finish is likely to resist discoloration over time.
Finishes can be scratched or damaged by sharp objects. While the topcoat should make your furniture resistant to damage caused by everyday use, sharp or heavy objects may scratch the finish, which could expose the wood underneath. Check to see if your warranty covers repairs for accidental damage.
Repairing damage requires patience and skill. Fixing scratches on a wood surface requires a craftsman’s touch; sanding or removing stains requires patience, care, and attention to detail.
The strength of hardwood makes it ideal for use in furniture. It’ll stand up to considerable abuse, and damage can often be repaired or restored. To get the most value from your wood furniture, make sure to always purchase quality, high-end furniture made from solid hardwood.
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