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Furniture Tip:
Wood grain patterns
will vary, if
you see a little difference in panels,
it's only natural!
Wood Furniture Guide
Nothing looks better than natural wood furniture! Wood furniture is a natural product of beauty and enhances any decor theme you have going. Plus it lasts for a long time if it is a quality piece. A nicely constructed furniture collection will be heirlooms for generations in your family. Unless it's really ugly and then no one will want it!
Levels of Quality
Wood furniture comes in a wide variety of qualities to meet different budgets and needs.
The most affordable wood furniture is RTA or "ready to assemble" furniture. Brands like Bush Furniture, O'Sullivan Furniture, Azura Furniture, Bestar Furniture and others manufacture this type of wood furniture. It usually comes flat packed and you put it together yourself. It tens to be a very cost effective way to get furnished.
Most typical furniture you see is a combination of real wood veneers and solid woods. It does not have to be solid to be of excellent quality, in fact solid wood can have problems with cracking and splitting as weather conditions like humidity can cause solid woods to expand and contract. Most very high end and expensive furniture is NOT 100% solid, but a mix of excellent quality veneers to get great wood patterns and finishes.
Wood finishes
Some wood finishes are simple protective covers over stains of color. Others utilize extensive finishing techniques to imitate weathered and worn looks. Many of today's looks also incorporate painted finishes.
Drawer construction
The best quality drawer construction is a technique called "dove tail" type construction where the wood is woven like interlocked fingers to provide excellent strength and durability over time. Other construction techniques are usually just fine, but dove tail is the best.
Dust Proofing
Dust proofing on a dresser or nightstand means that there is a piece of wood or other material between the different levels of drawers on the case piece. This prevents dust from wood on wood type drawer glides from landing in the drawer underneath. It also prevents socks from going over the back of the drawer and landing in the drawer blow it. Perhaps one of the best benefits of this feature is the overall structural integrity and solidness it results in for case pieces.
Wood species
Typical wood species used in furniture, bedroom furniture, office furniture and home office furniture is Oak, Cherry, Pine and Maple. But the span of species so vast it's impossible to list them all. Wood species very in hardness and wood grains as does the price of furniture constructed with exotic types like Mahogany and tiger maple.