top of page
Search
Writer's pictureJM Beatty Furniture

Wood Types For Furniture


WOOD TYPES

When you buy furniture, you are making a responsible decision to maintain a healthier planet. The solid hardwoods and time-tested craftsmanship used to build your furniture ensure premium quality, luxury and durability. You can relax knowing that both your new solid wood furniture pieces and the forests they came from will be around to enjoy for generations. American Hardwoods such as alder, ash, oak, cherry and hickory reproduce prolifically. Currently nearly twice as much hardwood grows each year than is harvested, which is why in the last 50 years the volume of hardwood in U.S. forests has doubled. American foresters follow a simple rule: On-going replenishment equals a sustained supply. Hardwood trees are grown through a process patented by nature. They’re not mined or created through a chemically intense manmade process. Trees use the power of sunlight to separate carbon dioxide into carbon and oxygen atoms. The carbon is used to grow roots, trunk, branches, and leaves, while the oxygen is released to enrich the air. After a tree is harvested a very small amount of energy is needed to turn it into lumber or other wood products. Asian hardwood, mahogany and New Zealand pine are plantation grown and are also legally harvested and certified and controlled under the Lacey Act standards. ALDER Alder wood has been used in many ways throughout history. Common alder is a member of the birch family, yet the fine, even texture of alder wood makes it similar to cherry. Often refer alder as the “poor man’s cherry” because of its beauty and affordable value. Its appearance and high quality make it a popular choice for furniture and cabinets. Red alder grown in the Pacific Northwest is medium in density and is the preferred specie used to build furniture. Alder trees are a gift from Mother Nature since they replant themselves in the forest by dropping its cones. BIRCH Birch wood is a hardwood that is extremely strong and durable and so is a smart choice for solid hardwood furniture. Birch wood has a beautiful appearance; it is fine grained and has a pale color giving it an elegant look to clean line furniture designs. In recent years, solid birch is finished in dark espresso color because the heavy density in the lumber makes it harder to dent and scratch, therefore, keeping it looking newer longer. Birch trees used for furniture come from Europe and Russia fin colder climate regions. CHERRY Real Solid Cherry wood is perhaps the most prized furniture hardwood in America. In fact, some of the highest valued antiques in the world are made of cherry wood. Craftsmen typically use natural solid cherry that is grown in sustainable forests in Pennsylvania region, as that is home to the finest cherry wood in the entire world. For each piece of furniture, natural cherry boards are carefully selected for excellence in grain match, color and width. When you own solid cherry furniture, you will experience the “metamorphosis” of this wood by watching its beautiful glowing patina deepen and become more beautiful with age. HARDWOOD Solid Hardwoods are primary milled from rubber wood trees which are plantation grown and responsibly harvested in Southeast Asia. Trees are cut down once they have aged and have completed their latex sap production cycle. Amazingly, the rubber wood tree species is fast-growing, yet also very high in density and provides a hard wood material, excellent for furniture production. Today, the most well-known American furniture brands use solid Asian hardwoods because of its durability and can be finished in to beautiful high-end looks. HICKORY

Solid hickory is an extremely difficult material to use in building furniture with. Hickory is part of the pecan and walnut family and is usually from the Pennsylvania region. Hickory wood is very hard, stiff, dense and shock resistant. There are woods that are stronger than hickory and woods that are harder, but the combination of strength, toughness, hardness, and stiffness found in hickory wood is not found in any other commercial wood. MAHOGANY Why will you love Solid Mahogany furniture? Because of its affordable value and exceptionally beautiful stature. Mahogany is a medium density wood that has color variances combining white, pink, peach, grey and brown wood tones to create a more exotic look with stunning with unique patterns that adds character to your home. MANGO A top trend in home décor is furnishings made of Solid Mango wood. Yes, the very same trees providing us with delicious mango fruits can age and when they are done giving out fruits, they can be made in to beautiful furniture. Mango trees are fast-growing and plantation grown in Southeast Asia region. Mango wood has unique “Tigard” stripes and multitudes of grain and color variations. Perhaps its best character would be the “Glow” in the wood once finished. It is a hard wood which will provide durability even with everyday usage. Mango lumber is best used in a rustic finish and craftsman designs. It is easy to love this beautiful, exotic wood that is also an affordable value. MAPLE Red maple, which is also called Soft Maple is a medium-high density wood, from deciduous trees in eastern North America. Soft maple takes any finish colors well, though like all maple, its grain and color varies from white to grey tones with mineral deposits. These natural wood characteristics are becoming more and more sought after because it adds an “Organic” feel to furniture. Soft maple can be mixed in production of furniture with birch wood to create a better value. OAK Beautiful Solid Oak wood adapts well in a wide range of light to dark finishes to create modern or traditional designs. The oak wood is durable and long lasting because oak trees take their time to grow slowly to produce high density material. It is no wonder that some of the most treasured American antiques are made of oak. If fact with proper care, you can continue using this oak furniture for even a century so what you buy today will be your children’s heirlooms. Oak wood is known to be scratch, stain and dust resistance; hence it does not need regular cleaning like other woods. ACACIA Acacia wood is one of the best quality woods for furniture making. Renowned for having a diverse population, is found on almost all continents. The look of this wood is incredibly versatile, ranging from yellow to weathered grey to a dark cherry when cut closer to the heartwood (or center of the wood). Not only does it have beautiful coloration, which when finished can go from light to dark, but it’s also extra durable. It’s durability and strength properties are bolstered by it’s fine grain, rot resistance and scratch resistance. MINDI Originally from Asian and India, mindi wood is known in the states as Chinaberry. It’s prized among woodworkers for its ease of carving and dimensional stability. This means no warping or twisting that can occur with other woods. It is as durable as oak and has a straight, close-grain texture with almost no knots. Mindi is especially good for our popular rustic finish and has a deep cherry color when cut close to the center. POPLAR The Poplar name comes from the Latin “Populus”, so called because the trees were planted in areas of commen gatherings and in populus spaces, as the trees were routinely planted in public spaces or near people; or the “populus.” It provides an excellent surface for painted wood. It is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and is commonly referred to in North America as the beautiful Tulip Tree. The genus also includes aspen and cottonwood. Poplar grows best around bodies of water and can be easily farmed, making it another environmentally positive choice. PARA WOOD Parawood comes from Hevea brasiliensis. The same trees tapped for their latex in the production of lumber. Very similar to mahogany wood, parawood has a grainy texture that’s very compact making it really durable and steady for furniture. It is very light, making it very versatile to a wide range of finishes.

179 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page