Wood is generally the most common choice for furniture making because of its natural appeal, strength and durability. But, not all woods are equally durable or attractive.
If you are looking for the right type of wood for furniture making, here’s everything you need to know about your options for the best furniture wood.
Solid and engineered wood are the two most common types of wood for furniture making. Solid lumber refers to wood that has been obtained from trees. Engineered wood on the other hand is a type of man-made timber that is manufactured using wood residue and other materials in a factory.
Solid Wood for Furniture Making
Solid wood is certainly one of the best types of raw materials for furniture making. Wood is preferred for its natural beauty and strength which make it a wonderful choice for all types of furniture, including chairs, bed frames, tables, sofas, cabinets, and more.
Solid wood can be further divided into hardwood and softwood. Hardwood refers to wood obtained from deciduous trees.
Hardwoods such as mahogany and walnut are generally harder, darker, and more durable than softwood, which comes from conifer trees such as pine and cedar.
Best Hardwood Species for Furniture Making
Hardwood is a good-looking, durable, and long-lasting type of solid wood that is favoured for furniture making due to its attractive looks and texture.
However, due to their high demand, hardwoods can have limited availability and high cost. There are hundreds of types of hardwood, many of which are considered suitable for furniture making.
Hardwoods are good both for indoor and outdoor furniture. Here are some of the best hardwood types for furniture:
Rosewood
Rosewood is a type of hardwood that is highly favoured for making furniture. There are different kinds of rosewood, such as Brazilian Rosewood and Indian Rosewood.
Brazilian Rosewood has a dark brown hue with unique grain patterns, while Indian Rosewood has a medium to dark brown colour.
Both types of rosewood are durable and make a wonderful choice for beautiful and long-lasting furniture.
Oak
Oak wood is commonly used to make high-quality furniture because it is a strong and durable wood that lasts a long time. It has beautiful grain patterns on the finished surface.
There are different types of oak, like red oak and white oak with their distinct qualities. Furniture made from oak looks beautiful and is really strong and durable.
Beech
Beechwood is a great option for making furniture that is strong and versatile. The surface of the wood feels smooth when you touch it because of its fine texture.
The colour of beech wood is light, generally a pale yellow or reddish-brown. It is easy to customise the look by painting or staining it. Furniture made from beech wood is strong and attractive.
Mahogany
Mahogany is one of the most popular solid woods for making furniture. It’s very strong, attractive and naturally durable.
It has this awesome deep, reddish-brown colour and the wood has unique gorgeous patterns to make your furniture look awesome.
It’s a great wood to work with. Mahogany furniture can give your space a classy and elegant vibe.
Sapele
Sapele wood is an amazing option for making durable furniture that lasts decades. It’s a really strong wood that can withstand moisture and insect attack.
It has a reddish-brown colour and attractive grain patterns. Working with Sapele is easy and the finished wood looks awesome. It’s the perfect wood for making modern and durable furniture.
Teak
Teak wood is one of the best choices for making robust and durable furniture. Teak is a popular and easily available hardwood that has a golden-brown colour and beautiful patterns.
Teak is a durable wood that is also resistant to decay, which makes it great for outdoor furniture too. It doesn’t get damaged easily.
Maple
Maple wood is highly sought after for furniture making. This strong hardwood features a light colour with a smooth and even grain.
It is fairly easy to work with and finishes beautifully to help create stylish and long-lasting furniture items that can fit every requirement.
Maple furniture gives a touch of charisma and timeless appeal to any living space.
Walnut
Walnut wood is popular for furniture making. It’s durable hardwood with a rich, dark brown colour and stunning grain patterns. Walnut furniture is made to add elegance to any space.
It is not just beautiful but is built to last very long. It’s known for its strength and longevity, making it a popular choice for creating premium and timeless furniture pieces. It’s expensive wood.
Other popular hardwood options for furniture making include Cherry wood, birch wood, acacia wood, and mango wood.
Best Softwood Types for Furniture Making
Softwood is often used as a less expensive and easy-to-find alternative to hardwoods for furniture making. Softwoods are also generally easier to work with due to their lower density and weight.
However, most softwoods are not inherently durable in terms of resistance to moisture and insects and need to be treated first before use in outdoor furniture.
Softwoods are particularly useful for making indoor furniture. Some of the best types of softwood for furniture are as follows:
Redwood
Redwood is a brilliant choice for furniture making due to its durability, attractive appearance, and resistance to decay. Despite being a softwood, it is strong and moderately durable.
It’s rich reddish-brown colour and straight grain make it ideal for creating beautiful furniture items easily.
Redwood is also known for its natural resistance to insects and weather, making it a practical option for outdoor furniture.
Pine
Pine is one of the most popular softwoods and is used for a variety of applications, including furniture making. It’s a light brown wood with a straight grain and medium texture, low weight, moderate hardness and moderate durability.
It’s easy to work with and is commonly used as a cost-effective alternative to hardwoods for making indoor furniture. Treated pine is also suitable for outdoor applications.
Cedar
Cedar is another popular softwood for furniture making. Cedar has many varieties, with colours ranging from light yellow to dark reddish-brown.
It is a durable wood with excellent resistance to decay and insect attack. It is used for making a variety of furniture items, including indoor mouldings and outdoor furniture, decks, etc.
Spruce
Spruce is a softwood with a long hardness rating and light yellowish colour. It is primarily used for making indoor furniture items like small chairs and tables of moderate strength. Spruce is an outstanding construction wood.
Fir
Firwood is among the least expensive types of wood for furniture making. It is easily available and is used for making bulk furniture, other than panelling and ceiling. Douglas fir is moderately durable in terms of decay resistance. It is also used for plywood and construction.
Bamboo is also an excellent choice for making sustainable and eco-friendly furniture items such as chairs. It’s neither hardwood or softwood, but it’s a type of grass-based wood.
Engineered Wood for Furniture Making
Engineered wood is another popular material used for furniture making. This type of wood is manufactured using materials including solid wood, resin, wood residue, plastic, glue, etc.
This is usually a less expensive and more convenient alternative to solid wood, which has limited availability.
Engineered wood is a versatile material and can be produced and used in various options. Some of the popular types of engineered wood include plywood, MDF, particle board, OSB, veneer, etc.
Plywood
Plywood is commonly used in furniture making due to its versatility and strength. It is made by layering thin sheets of wood veneer perpendicular to each other and bonding them together with adhesive, resulting in a strong and stable wood-like board.
Plywood offers excellent dimensional stability and it is as strong as real wood. It is less prone to warping and shrinking compared to solid wood.
Plywood is suitable for making a variety of furniture items, including tables, chairs, cabinets, bed frames, shelves, and more.
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)
MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) is another engineered material used in furniture making. It is made by compressing wood fibres together with synthetic resin under high pressure to form wood-like boards.
MDF has several advantages for furniture production, including its smooth surface, even density, and ability to hold screws and fasteners really well.
It is also less prone to warping and splitting. However, MDF is not very strong and can be susceptible to moisture damage. Common uses include cabinet doors, shelves, and tabletops.
Oriented Strand Board (OSB)
Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is a type of engineered wood product that is sometimes used in furniture making.
However, due to its coarse appearance and limited aesthetic appeal, it is not a popular choice for furniture, especially in applications where a more polished appearance is desired.
Other than these, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), composite board, LML (Laminated Veneer Lumber), and LSL (Laminated Strand Lumber) are other popular options for engineered wood furniture.
Where to Buy High-Quality, Sustainable Furniture Making Wood?
Whether you are looking to buy the best solid wood for furniture or want to purchase durable plywood, contact White Knight Consulting Ltd for the best price for wholesale wood orders.
We deal in 40+ varieties of hardwood and softwood and can deliver our wood to your location anywhere in the world. You can also contact us for wood consulting services.
