Wood Furniture Guide: Buying Tips & Recommendations

In this guide to buying wood furniture, we’ll be focusingon the three main furniture wood types. These are softwood, hardwood, and engineered wood. By understanding the properties of each type, you’ll be able to make informed decisions and choose the right wood furniture for your home.  Let’s find out more about the best wood types for your furniture.

Hardwood

Hardwoods come from deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in the fall). They are known for their durability, density, and beautiful grain patterns. Some common hardwoods used in furniture are:

• Oak: Known for its strength and attractive grain, oak is often used for furniture that needs to endure heavy use, like this small double wooden ottoman bed
• Cherry: A rich, reddish-brown wood that darkens with age, cherry is prized for its elegant appearance and fine grain.
• Mahogany: Known for its deep, reddish-brown colour and fine grain, mahogany is often used in high-end furniture.

Hardwoods are often more expensive, but they provide long-lasting, high-quality furniture.

2. Softwood

Softwoods come from coniferous trees (trees that have needles and cones, like pine and fir). These woods are generally lighter, less dense, and more affordable than hardwoods. Common softwoods used in furniture include:

• Pine: A pale yellow or light brown wood that’s easy to work with and affordable, pine is popular for rustic or country-style furniture.
• Cedar: Known for its pleasant fragrance and natural resistance to insects, cedar is often used for outdoor furniture or storage pieces like chests and wardrobes.
• Spruce: A light-coloured wood often used in construction, but it also works well in furniture, particularly for budget-friendly or casual designs.

While softwoods are generally more affordable, they are also more prone to dents and scratches compared to hardwoods.

3. Engineered Wood (Composite Wood)

While not a solid wood, engineered wood is a popular material for furniture due to its affordability and versatility. It’s made from wood fibers, chips, or veneers that are bound together with adhesive and compressed to form panels. Some common types include:

• Plywood: Made from layers of thin wood veneer glued together, plywood is strong, stable, and often used in both structural and decorative parts of furniture.

Now you know the properties of each main wood type, you can find the best furniture pieces to suit your style.