Design: Wood Furniture

Types of Wood used in Furniture Construction

It is common today for many people who own furniture not to know what kind of wood their furniture is made of. Often it is very difficult to determine what kind of wood the furniture is made of if it is not clearly labeled with the furniture. Almost any type of wood could be used to build furniture. Some woods have always been favored for their beauty, durability, and workability and rate a lot higher in that respect to people who build and buy furniture.

History of Wood Furniture Construction

Before 1900, most wood furniture was made with woods like walnut, oak, mahogany, rosewood, fruitwoods, and rare wood veneers and inlays were in commonly used. American Colonial furniture was dependent on the local availability of wood. Their furniture was made with maple, oak, walnut, birch, and cherry, as well as pine. The preferred furniture woods were readily available, so less attractive or durable woods were used only for hidden parts inside a piece. For this reason, pre-1900 furniture is almost always worth restoring. As these preferred woods have become scarcer and more expensive, furniture has been made with more abundant woods; the traditional favorites have become rare.

Furniture Wood Basics

Today, most furniture is made with ash, pine, gum, fir, and other inexpensive woods that are mostly used for hidden parts. The rare woods like walnut, oak, mahogany, rosewood are used only for very good furniture, and they're often used in combination with the less expensive woods. By you being able to identify the type of wood or woods used for your furniture can help you determine your furniture's real value is. Identifying your furniture's wood can sometimes be the deciding factor in figuring out if your furniture is worth being refinished or if it should be thrown away. Who knows, maybe there is a chance that your beat-up old dresser was built with what today is considered a rare wood and is really a valued piece of great furniture after its refurbishing! To determine things like this you will have to examine your pieces of furniture for their details, identifying marks, and things of that nature to help you identify the type of wood used to create it that piece of furniture. Knowing the basic characteristics in all woods, such as hardness, grains, and color helps a lot too in identifying the wood your furniture is made of and your furniture’s value as well.