What Are the Best Wood Species for Furniture?
Learn about 9 common woods used in furniture and how they affect appearance and durability
Laura Oglethorpe
April 12, 2018
Houzz Contributor
Wood furniture brings nature’s beauty into your home. Like most natural products, wood has variations in color, grain and texture that help create unique and beautiful pieces. So which wood species is best for furniture? That’s not an easy-to-answer question. Here are the characteristics of nine of the most popular woods used in furniture.
Get custom wood furniture made for your home
Get custom wood furniture made for your home
First, a note about sustainability. No matter what type of wood furniture you select, you should make sure it was produced responsibly. The Forest Stewardship Council makes this easy by certifying wood that was grown according to its forest management standards. FSC-certified wood was grown in forests that are managed to be sustainable, preserve ecosystems and enhance local communities. Furniture that is made with FSC-certified wood is usually clearly marked.
The Best Wood Species for Furniture
1. Beech. Beech is a strong and heavy hardwood often used to make pieces that require bending (like these chairs). It has a naturally light color and a fine, tight grain that gives it a uniform look.
Commonly found in: Scandinavian-style rooms; inconspicuous places like drawer bottoms and sides
1. Beech. Beech is a strong and heavy hardwood often used to make pieces that require bending (like these chairs). It has a naturally light color and a fine, tight grain that gives it a uniform look.
Commonly found in: Scandinavian-style rooms; inconspicuous places like drawer bottoms and sides
2. Ash. Ash is a tough hardwood known for its heavy weight, strength, hardness and shock resistance. It’s so tough that it’s used to make baseball bats. Ash has a visible, distinct grain, which is good for bringing a natural element into your home. Its natural color varies from creamy white or gray to light brown.
Commonly found in: Hardworking spaces like mudrooms and laundry rooms
Endangered species: Ash is an at-risk wood species, but over-harvesting isn’t to blame for the situation. An invasive beetle called the emerald ash borer was brought to the U.S. on an infested shipping pallet in the 1990s and has been decimating ash forests ever since. Hundreds of millions of ash trees have been killed by the beetle since it was discovered in 2002.
Purchasing ash furniture does not contribute to the endangered status of the ash tree. In fact, it’s a good use for dead ash trees, which can be cut into lumber instead of going to waste.
Commonly found in: Hardworking spaces like mudrooms and laundry rooms
Endangered species: Ash is an at-risk wood species, but over-harvesting isn’t to blame for the situation. An invasive beetle called the emerald ash borer was brought to the U.S. on an infested shipping pallet in the 1990s and has been decimating ash forests ever since. Hundreds of millions of ash trees have been killed by the beetle since it was discovered in 2002.
Purchasing ash furniture does not contribute to the endangered status of the ash tree. In fact, it’s a good use for dead ash trees, which can be cut into lumber instead of going to waste.
3. Walnut. Walnut is an extremely popular choice for furniture thanks to its beautiful natural dark brown color and distinctive grain. It’s known for its hardness, strength, stability, heavy weight, durability and shock resistance. Walnut trees grow very slowly, making the wood one of the more expensive species. As walnut ages, it gets lighter and starts to show a rich honey color.
Commonly found in: Homes that feature dark stained furniture and finishes
Endangered species: Walnut is another tree species that’s being attacked by a biological predator. A small bark beetle carries a fungal disease known as thousand cankers disease. The disease started in the western U.S. and has recently been found in eastern states. If this beetle makes its way to the Midwest, where the majority of commercial walnut is grown, the effects could be devastating.
Like the ash tree, an infected walnut tree can be turned into lumber, which may help mitigate waste.
Commonly found in: Homes that feature dark stained furniture and finishes
Endangered species: Walnut is another tree species that’s being attacked by a biological predator. A small bark beetle carries a fungal disease known as thousand cankers disease. The disease started in the western U.S. and has recently been found in eastern states. If this beetle makes its way to the Midwest, where the majority of commercial walnut is grown, the effects could be devastating.
Like the ash tree, an infected walnut tree can be turned into lumber, which may help mitigate waste.
4. Oak. Oak is another popular wood that’s valued for its hardness, strength, durability and wearability. Oak comes in two main types: red and white. Oak may darken slowly over time, though the color change is on the subtle side.
Commonly found in: Craftsman-style homes
Commonly found in: Craftsman-style homes
5. Birch. Birch is hard and strong with good shock resistance. Its natural color is a light yellowish brown, though it’s frequently stained to resemble other wood species.
Commonly found in: Structural parts of furniture like sofa frames and drawers
Commonly found in: Structural parts of furniture like sofa frames and drawers
6. Maple. Maple is a durable, dense and strong hardwood that’s a common choice for cabinets and furniture. It has a fine, uniform texture with a generally straight grain, although there are interesting variations like curly, bird’s-eye or flamed. Maple is among the lighter woods in its natural hue, ranging from white to off-white to light brown.
Commonly found in: Decor that features painted furniture pieces, because maple’s fine grain takes paint well
Commonly found in: Decor that features painted furniture pieces, because maple’s fine grain takes paint well
7. Cherry. Cherry, a moderately hard species popular for cabinets and furniture, is strong and durable with good wear resistance. It has an attractive and distinct grain, though it’s less pronounced than ash or oak. Natural cherry starts as a medium-light brown with pink undertones and darkens to a reddish brown.
Commonly found in: Kitchen cabinets and islands
Commonly found in: Kitchen cabinets and islands
8. Mahogany. Mahogany is an imported tropical wood mostly used to make fine furniture. It is a strong wood with medium hardness and is resistant to moisture, so it’s less likely to shrink or warp. It’s known for having a special grain pattern that can include lovely swirls. Mahogany starts as a light pinkish tan but quickly turns reddish brown.
Commonly found in: Homes with traditional decor
Endangered species: The original species, Cuban mahogany, was nearly harvested to extinction in the early 20th century and is no longer available. The species that replaced Cuban mahogany, Honduran mahogany, continues to be over-harvested. Illegal harvesting of this species continues today and has led to massive deforestation in Central and South America, including the rainforest.
This doesn’t mean that you should avoid buying mahogany furniture entirely, but it makes having the FSC-certification logo on your purchase even more important.
Commonly found in: Homes with traditional decor
Endangered species: The original species, Cuban mahogany, was nearly harvested to extinction in the early 20th century and is no longer available. The species that replaced Cuban mahogany, Honduran mahogany, continues to be over-harvested. Illegal harvesting of this species continues today and has led to massive deforestation in Central and South America, including the rainforest.
This doesn’t mean that you should avoid buying mahogany furniture entirely, but it makes having the FSC-certification logo on your purchase even more important.
9. Pine. Pine is a plentiful wood that has been used in furnishings for hundreds of years. It is soft and lightweight, so it’s not as strong or durable as hardwoods like oak or maple. Pine is a fast-growing tree, which is why furniture made from it tends to be less expensive than furniture made from hardwoods.
Pine is yellow or orange in color and often marked by dark, circular knots, formed when dead branches fall off a healthy tree. Knotty pine was popular in homes built in the 1950s and ’60s.
Commonly found in: Rustic cabins and lake houses
More
Knotty and Nice: Highly Textured Wood Has a Modern Revival
What’s the Right Wood Floor Installation for You?
Pine is yellow or orange in color and often marked by dark, circular knots, formed when dead branches fall off a healthy tree. Knotty pine was popular in homes built in the 1950s and ’60s.
Commonly found in: Rustic cabins and lake houses
More
Knotty and Nice: Highly Textured Wood Has a Modern Revival
What’s the Right Wood Floor Installation for You?
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