When you select woods for your furniture, you should consider two things – sustainability and beauty.
Wood has always been an essential ingredient in decorating the indoor space. The beauty and usefulness of wood have helped the material to retain its place in interior design for a long time. The variety is mainly divided into two types- one is softwoods, and the other is known as hardwoods. Preference for the woods varies from person to person based on their colors, patterns, and consistency. Color and durability are considered the most important characteristics of any wood.
However, though the color and durability cannot be ignored while making furniture for your home, the cost is also an important factor for the woods. Price varies based on durability and texture. Most of the modern and lucrative-looking furniture is made of exclusive wood furniture components.
The article will provide an excellent overview of the style, consistency, and appearance of the most common wood types used in furniture. Oak, beech, pine, plum, alder, walnut, maple, poplar, mahogany, birch, mahogany, and teak are among the most often used trees. However, each one of them is popularly used due to their exceptional outlook and durability.
Oak Wood
One of the most popular woods among furniture makers is oak. The wood can be found in two varieties- white and red. It is quite sturdy and flexible to design. The hardness of the wood is about 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. Most of the furniture makers prefer white oaks over red ones as it looks more enticing and is more flexible to work with. Being more moisture-resistant than red oaks, white oaks are also used to make outdoor furniture.
Quarter-swan is the place where this popular kind can be found easily. It is said that compared to other hardwoods, quarter-sawn white oak is less costly. The pattern becomes more unique than other woods due to its special “ray flake”. You will find furniture made of red oak in most houses, but most of the furniture in a lumberyard is made with white oak.
Birch Wood
Another popular kind is birch wood. The woods are popularly found in two varieties- one is yellow, and the other is white. As the name indicates, yellow birch wood is a pale yellow-to-white color, and the center of the wood is reddish-brown. On the other hand, the color of the white birch is whiter similar to the maple color.
The hardness of each type of birch is 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. This kind of wood is more available and cheaper than many other kinds of wood. Birch is more durable and flexible to work with. Furthermore, most people prefer it for making furniture as it does not stain easily. Due to this reason, you may want to paint the furniture made of birch by yourself.
Cherry Wood
A wood that is flexible to work with, stains and looks fine with just oil finish, and stays long beautifully is cherry. The heartwood of this kind has a reddish-brown color, and the color of the sapwood is almost white. The wood has a hardness of 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. Cherry wood is mostly used to make furniture and can be found in sustainably grown forests. Due to its exclusive features, the price of the wood is increasing more than any other commonly used wood types such as oak and maple.
Mahogany Wood
Mahogany is one of the most used and popular woods for a long time now. The wood is also known as Honduran mahogany. The main feature of the wood is it has a reddish-brown to deep-red tint, straight grain with moderate consistency. The wood has a hardness of around 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. This kind also takes stain quite well and looks beautiful with just a finish of oil.
The only problem with mahogany is the wood does not grow in sustainable forests like other kinds. The durability and the outlook of the furniture made of mahogany make it more expensive than others.
Maple Wood
A wood that can be found in both hard and soft varieties is known as maple. However, both kinds of maple woods are harder than many other kinds of wood. Although, the hard maple wood is so hard that it becomes difficult to shape. This type has a hardness of 5 on a scale of 1 to 5. On the contrary, soft maple is quite flexible to shape anything. However, both kinds are quite preferable and age beautifully due to their fine and straight grain. Moreover, the wood is cheaper than other woods.
Poplar Wood
A hardwood that is less costly and comparatively softer than many hardwoods is known as poplar. The wood has a hardness of One on a scale from 1 – 5, making it more adaptable to work with. Poplar heartwood is white with green or brown stripes. As the outlook of the wood is not as beautiful as many other wood types, it is quite unpopular among furniture makers.
However, due to its flexibility, some furniture makers still use wood to make different indoor furniture but paint the furniture well if they make anything with the unpopular poplar. The wood is mostly used to make the parts of the furniture that are not seen directly, such as drawers, as they are used more frequently, and people tend to spend less to make them. Another reason for using poplar to make drawers is they sustain longer than many other kinds of wood.
Teak Wood
Teak is highly weather-resistant and popular to make outdoor furniture. However, its use is diminishing gradually. The outlook of the wood is also quite attractive. Another significant fact about teak is that the wood is quite expensive, and it will cost you almost $24 for a single board foot. The color of the wood is golden-brown, and it feels a bit oily when you touch it. The hardness of the wood is 3 on a scale of 1 to 5.
You should select the wood for your furniture based on color, texture, and durability. The cost may exceed your budget if you pick an uncommon kind for your furniture. But you should consider durability and look more than price when you are selecting woods for your furniture.
