Today various Types of furniture woods are available in the market including both hardwood and softwood. Each wood has a different set of characteristics such as finishing, color, density, and grain. Thus it becomes important to choose the right wood for furniture. The process we follow while creating various pieces of furniture is also based on the kind of wood we use. But the most crucial factor we all must look at is the kind of wood used. In this post, we have mentioned some of the finest varieties of wood that are used to make furniture.
Furniture Hardwoods – The Best Type of furniture wood
This type of furniture wood from deciduous trees, the trees that shed their leaves in the winter season. The trees of this wood take much longer time to grow, and the wood obtained from this tree is of the highest quality. A few examples of hardwoods include Oak, teak, beech, mahogany, hickory, maple, and walnut, all of which are used to design excellent furniture pieces.
Furniture Softwoods
This type of furniture wood comes from gymnosperms, which are seed-bearing evergreen trees like pine, juniper, redwood, spruce, fir, cedar, etc. Since most evergreen trees are less dense than deciduous trees, so we can easily cut them down. Moreover, these trees also grow tall and straight, which makes it quite easy to cut long straight planks of wood. The softwoods are less dense as compared to hardwoods and the trees are gymnosperms, coniferous, and evergreen (they do not shed their leaves during winter). These grow more quickly than hardwood trees. Although softwoods are important construction materials, you will find a lot of furniture made using softwood as well. A few examples of softwood include spruce, fir, and pine.
Engineered Wood for Furniture
Engineered wood does not come into the category of solid wood. However, we do consider it as wood due to its versatile form, which plays a prominent role in furniture making. Some of the manufactured kinds of wood consist of plywood, particleboard, oriented strand board, medium-density fiberboard, or MDF.
Kind of Wood used for making Furniture
Today wooden furniture is made using a different variety of wood. Each wood used for making the furniture has its advantages and disadvantages. Here, we have the list of best wood for furniture available in the market:
Maple Wood
There are various kinds of maple and all of them make give an attractive look to the furniture. It is a non-kind of wood and thus is used for making wooden kitchenware like cutting boards. The varied grain patterns also create endless possibilities to make each piece of furniture look different. The main highlight of this kind of wood is that it can be wiped clean using a damp cloth, making it perfect for kitchen furniture.
Key highlights
- Color – The heartwood is a darker shade of reddish brown. Sapwood color varies from white to an off-white cream color.
- Density – Moderately hard and strong.
- Grain – Closed and straight
- Common Uses – can be used for making furniture flooring and millwork.
- Finishing– Takes all finishes.
Cedarwood
This type of furniture wood is Known for its strength and durability, cedar wood is mostly used for designing outdoor furniture and is used abundantly in different wooden wardrobes. Better yet, while its fragrance naturally repels insects, humans get a pleasing scent. The ingrained cedar oil makes it weatherproof and resistant to fungal growth and bacteria, thereby keeping the wood as it is for years. Its pleasing visual appeal and its insect-fighting properties make it among the best woods for crafting furniture in India.
Moreover Cedar wood is low-maintenance wood and an ideal wood choice for the Indian climate. So, in case you live in a high-humidity region, you can use Cedar wood while designing your interiors.
Mahogany
This type of furniture wood is a traditional preference used for making furniture and has been used for ages. Mahogany has a fine grain structure and a beautiful color and most importantly it is lighter than many other kinds of wood. Despite its delicate looks, this kind of wood is as strong as oak. Although mahogany commonly comes in a reddish-brown color, you can also opt for lighter colors as well based on your requirements.
Features of Mahogany wood
- Color – Reddish-brown, blood red.
- Density – Medium texture with moderately heavy.
- Grain – Straight.
- Common Uses – High-end furniture, used for making exterior doors, windows, and trim.
- Finishing– Sanding sealer
Red Oak
Red Oak wood comes in different varieties and over the years this wood has gained wider popularity in the furniture industry. Oak is durable and is mostly used for flooring and kitchen furniture.
Features of Red Oak wood
- Color – Pinkish red to blonde
- Density – Very hard and strong.
- Common Uses – to make furniture, wooden cabinets, flooring, molding, trim, paneling, etc.
- Finishing– Natural finish/oil, but they might differ.
Teak
Teak is one of the most expensive and popular types of furniture wood worldwide. This types of furniture wood looks good and is more durable. The natural oils that teak wood secretes make it resistant to insects, and rot and also make it quite a weather-resistant kind of wood we can use. Teak is a bit difficult to work with due to its hardness but still, it is one of the most preferred pieces of furniture. The fine grain structure of the teak gets accentuated post applying the best finishing to it.
Rosewood/Sheesham
Though not having an appealing look, Plywood plays a prominent role in furniture mainly due to its strength and durability. It takes nails and screws in easily and will not warp and shrink even in case there is variation in temperature and humidity. This kind of wood is relatively cheaper and tough but flexible. You cannot crack plywood because of the way the layers are glued together with the wood grain at right angles, just one above the another. If you use a suitable wood veneer, you can make plywood look like expensive hardwoods without burning your pocket.
Conclusion
Hope now you get clarity about the best kinds of wood for furniture which can be used to make furniture. If you want wooden furniture for your home or office, and want to give a new look to your home, use Sheesham wood, one of the strongest and most durable wood. As long as you use the best quality wood, you can get awesome-looking furniture pieces designed for your home.
For more information on Sheesham furniture, get in touch with the experts at Khaticraft.
