Category: Bespoke Wooden Furniture, Latest News and Updates
Commissioning bespoke wooden furniture allows you to create a piece that truly reflects your style, preferences and needs, both on an aesthetic and functional level. You’ll be able to work closely with your furniture designers and joiners as they craft the custom made furniture of your dreams, and it’s a very exciting process.
But there are also lots of decisions to be made, to ensure your bespoke wooden furniture fulfils all your wishes. One of the most important decisions is the type of wood to use. With various woods available, you can be truly creative in your vision, but it can also feel overwhelming to narrow down the options and select the best one for your bespoke project.
So, here’s what you need to know to make sure your custom made furniture ticks all your boxes.
Understand the types of wood available
Woods can generally be categorised as either softwood or hardwood. Softwood originates from conifer or evergreen trees, while hardwood comes from slower-growing deciduous trees, which lose their leaves each year.
Examples of hardwood are oak, beech, maple, teak and walnut, and are known and loved for their strength, beauty and durability. For this reason, hardwoods are an excellent choice for an investment piece of bespoke furniture, as they will not only look and perform well when the item is new, but will help it last the test of time, too.
Pine and cedar are popular softwoods that are usually lighter in colour than hardwoods. Softwood varieties tend to be more affordable and flexible. They are also usually lighter in weight than hardwoods, but not as strong or durable.
How to determine the right wood for your bespoke furniture
1. Furniture purpose
The type of furniture you are creating will influence the type of wood you choose. For something like a dining table, that will be in frequent use and likely to undergo more wear and tear, a hardwood such as oak is the best choice, because it’s more durable and scratch resistant. The beauty and richness of hardwood also lends itself well to statement pieces that will form the centre of your home.
On the other hand, a softwood could work for something like a sideboard or nightstand that will not be in constant use and will therefore undergo less wear and tear.
2. Interior style
Consider your personal style and how the piece will work with existing furniture in your home. Do you prefer light-coloured furniture, perhaps within a Scandi aesthetic or to complement other natural or muted tones? If so, consider a softwood like pine, or a hardwood that is lighter in colour such as beech or maple.
Perhaps you love deep, rich tones, whether you are aiming for a vintage look or just like to be bold in your interior decision-making. In this case, consider darker hardwoods such as oak, teak or walnut.
3. Furniture position
Think about where your bespoke furniture will be placed within your home, and in particular, its likely proximity to moisture or fluctuating temperatures. Being a porous, natural material, wood should not be overexposed to moisture, but some varieties of wood, like oak and walnut, are more water resistant than others, making them good options for use in kitchens or bathrooms, for example.
Contact Tucker Joinery to begin your dream bespoke wooden furniture project
