Greetings, Friends!
This week we're taking a closer look at solid wood and why it can be a good choice when selecting key pieces throughout your home. The first known piece of furniture made in the United States, in 1660 by Nicholas Disbrowe, was made from solid wood. According to Fine Woodworking, the piece was a chest reminiscent of the Age of Oak - a period spanning a century and a half over the course of the British Tudor reign - but already forging a distinct early American aesthetic. Since, this material has been a mainstay in furniture making for many reasons, which remain true today:
Durability
Solid wood is superior to manufactured or simulation woods in terms of durability. Dining room tables are less likely to chip or scratch and couch frames are less likely to bend or break. Pieces can generally be repaired with ease, most typically with a buff/wax or wood filler if needed. Structural repairs tend to be fairly inexpensive, compared with purchasing new furniture. Solid wood pieces will stand the test of time and make excellent legacy pieces to pass down from one generation to the next.
Natural Beauty
Solid wood makes such attractive furniture pieces. The way that wood grows adds rings and other inclusions into the grain pattern - by cutting wood in certain ways, staining, and using natural oils, woodworkers are able to bring forth those striking patterns in the pieces they craft. The natural beauty contained within each piece is something that can be showcased all on its own, but can also serve as a neutral foundation for countless styles of décor.
Versatility
Solid wood is timeless, and because it serves as that neutral background, it can be restyled endlessly. There is a reason the same pieces are passed down from generation to generation, thanks to solid wood's durability - why purchase new pieces when a perfectly functional, beautiful piece can be restyled at no to minimal cost?
Value Retention
I took a rare-for-me trip to one of Denver's premier Antique outlets yesterday and found an amazing Danish office bureau and desktop newspaper stand made out the most beautiful honey-toned, solid teak wood - it's price? Likely twice as much as when it sold on the first-hand market. That's because solid wood's versatility and durability retain the value in furniture pieces, making them special investments for your home - whether purchased first- or second-hand.
Sustainability
Wood is, if sourced appropriately, a renewable resource. And all of the previous benefits mentioned contribute to the sustainability of solid wood furniture: If you've got a piece that you can continue to keep nice with simple maintenance, that will complement your contemporary updates and provide its own unique beauty, and that holds its value and can be passed down, you're more likely to keep that piece for a long time.
Wood Species
Perhaps the first creative selection you can make when choosing your piece is to select the species of wood. Different wood species have different tones, pattern likelihoods, weights, and density, providing you with a wide world of choices. So which one is best? For the most part, that's completely dependent on your personal aesthetic. Let's take a look at a few popular species:
Teak
Teak is a popular choice in Mid-Century Modern designs, but has also been used heavily in maritime vessels because of its high oil content and durability against wetter conditions. It has a highly dense grain as well, making it a good choice when you need an air-tight structure. Over time, teak gathers a beautiful patina that continues to add character to its rich honey tones.
Rosewood
Rosewood is an abundant species that has been used widely for high-end furniture pieces, and it's a prime choice for crafting musical instruments. It grows in many parts of the world, and as a result has a wide range of characteristics. Tones range from light honey to a purplish hue. Over time, this wood will also patina beautifully, making it darker and shinier as the years roll on. Density also varies from sub-species to sub-species, so it can sometimes be beneficial to consult with a knowledgeable lumber professional to ensure you're choosing the right sub-species for the specific piece you're building.
Walnut
Grain patterns are king in walnut wood - curls, waves, and all kinds of other crazy patterns can make striking features of any piece made with this material. It's a top choice in Mid-Century Modern design, but its very high density and hardness has made walnut a mainstay for carving, paneling, veneers, and countless other uses. The tone of walnut is beloved - a rich coffee or chocolate brown with blonde highlights throughout. When oiled and stained, the patterns in these rich hues really come to life. In my opinion - walnut is a wood-enthusiast's species!
Oak
The mighty oak tree began appearing on the planet about 65 million years ago. The sheer amount of time these trees have had to populate and become abundant, strengthen their roots, density, and hardness, and reach amazing heights has made this species one of the most popular for woodworking. Ranging from silvery beige to dark brown to red, oak's density makes it a great species for carving substantial pieces like in the Mission style.
Mahogany
A former colleague of mine immediately comes to mind when thinking about this species - we'll call him Tom. Very young and green in the corporate setting and a total Gen Z-er, Tom was an absolute maverick when it came to ranching, woodworking, and all things hands-on. In his short life, he had already built a house, run a chicken coop, and raised an eye-popping spectrum of animals on his family's ranch. Being the world's most interesting person, aside from maybe Dennis Rodman, Tom would come to work functions in his hot pink Gucci slides and regale us with tales of chicken and goat care - but he'd also talk a bit about woodworking with his dad. Tom's favorite species of wood was Mahogany - one of the rarest, expensive, and most beautiful.
Native to Central and South America, Mahogany is a gorgeous, versatile species, with its reddish-brown hues and high shine. Harder than even oak with a uniform grain (that's what makes it shiny), Mahogany is an incredibly durable species that can resist scratches and dings. Its dense, uniform grain makes it a great material for air-tight construction, and thus has been heavily used in making boats and musical instruments. Mahogany is interestingly resistant to color-change from UV exposure but will patina from daily contact.
While solid wood is a solid choice for any piece in your home, not everyone can afford for every piece to be made from solid wood. Here are some rules of thumb when deciding what to prioritize:
- Choose solid wood for pieces you'll use heavily:
- Your sofa and bed - choosing a piece with a solid wood frame will drastically extend its life.
- Your dining room table - solid wood will resist dropped dishes and silverware.
- Choose solid wood for pieces you look at a lot:
- Solid wood's beauty and versatility will give you a prime foundation for any updates to your aesthetic.
This week we learned why solid wood is such a good investment - in key places. We learned about a few different popular species and explored their different grain patterns, tones, and densities. And we learned why solid wood has produced such beautiful, versatile, and durable pieces for centuries and centuries. I hope this overview can be a helpful guide if you are considering solid wood for your home!
Until next week, friends, I hope life brings you closer to the intersection of nature and design. It's beautiful over here!
Courtney
