I am sorry, I could not help myself with the title. I recently went furniture scouting with a friend who had bought his first house. He was so excited about the house and all the plans we had been discussing stylistically for it. Furniture scouting with clients is something I have done numerous times in the past; it is a great way to gauge what they like and do not like. Though, admittedly, it can also be daunting for those who find it difficult to visualize a space. We were walking through the first store - a store that carries mid-line furniture and is a regular fixture in show-home style design - and we were discussing types of wood. I naturally started listing different wood species that have different grain patterns, tones, and hardiness. Walnut, teak, pine, oak, mahogany, acacia, the list goes on. To my shock he told me that he had no idea there were so many kinds of wood options. We continued wandering while running our hands across different woods, he asked what species it was, and I said it was most likely pine. He looked at me and said, "But it looks like how you described walnut". In a second revelation, we realized that he did not differentiate wood from stain. I then broke down and told him everything in the store was a lie. In the store there was pine made to look distressed, made to look like walnut, made to look like driftwood and oak turned grey and white and brown and bleached. All of a sudden, I felt like I was swirling through a furniture madhouse version of Botched.
I suppose I never realized until that day how differently we all look at wood. Or perhaps I am just insane with my obsession over wood looking like wood. I understand budget constraints but if you want wood that looks like walnut then just BUY WALNUT. If you want wood to look distressed and aged then BUY AN ANTIQUE. But alas that is not so easy in the aisles of large furniture stores, which I am becoming increasingly tired of.
Fun fact: did you know that one of the main food sources of Giraffes are the leaves and twigs on acacia trees? They eat up to 29 kilograms a day of acacia. Did you also know that most large furniture chain stores make their furniture largely out of acacia wood in recent years? Not to get all preachy but it seems strange in a world of corporate woke-ness that these corporations are making their mass-produced furniture out of a wood that is so significant to an animal. I suppose the same could also be said about bamboo and eucalyptus. What really bothers me about the use of acacia is not necessarily the Giraffes (although I do care) rather that a wood that grows in tropical and sub-tropical climates is used for mass-produced furniture in North America. Gone are the days of using the wood species on hand to build things for that area. Also, from my perspective, there is something to be said about the longevity and hardiness of a wood grown in your climate being used for furniture in your climate. Acacia wood where I live (in the frigid north) fairs about as well as my skin does mid-winter - dry and cracked. So why then? Well, I suppose that is the billion dollar question. Do not get me wrong I am all for the success of design companies, furniture manufacturers, and others that create a prosperous and market driven design world. But perhaps it can be balanced.
But I digress as I step off of my soapbox.
Let's talk about wood baby! Here are a few of my favourite things, wood editon:
Walnut:
It is rich in colour, hard (I have gone through many a saw blade making walnut pieces in the past), classic, and endlessly elegant. Walnut is one of the woods that sort of spans genres, it is widely used in Mid-Century Modern furniture as well as 19th century antiques. Grown in temperate climates typically, including United States, Canada, and Japan. There are varieties, including European walnut and black walnut which is inherently darker in colour. Walnut veneer is revered in furniture making, car dashboards, and more.
Teak:
Seen on boat decks and most of my living room furniture! Teak is synonymous with Mid-Century Modern furniture, known in that case for its warm orangey tones and subtler grain patterns. One of my favourite pieces of architecture of all time - The Salk Institute - is partially clad in teak. I personally think teak is incredibly versatile and gorgeous. The classic orange hues in Mid-Century pieces are mostly due to the oils that are commonly used to finish them naturally bring out the tannins in the wood.
Oak:
More than your parents’ 90’s banisters, oak is truly an “everything” wood. Oak is typically used as a hardwood flooring material due to its inherent strength and durability. There are several varieties of oak, notably white oak and the common red oak. Due to the tannins found naturally in red oak, this is often what we think of when we imagine oak – an orange glow. Thanks to white oak, there is a resurgence of this amazing wood. A new popular finish for oak is a “smoked” finish which gives the wood an earthy natural brown colouring.
Fir:
The construction champion, fir is widely used as a structural wood for framing and timber construction. Known for its yellow to red hues, fir can also be used for hardwood due to its durability. The use of fir is typical for window and door frames where its strength and durability shine. If you are looking to build a boat in your backyard, fir is your best choice! Quarter-sawn fir is gorgeous as the tight vertical grain patterns work well for furniture and accent pieces.
Mahogany:
If you close your eyes and imagine a beautiful antique furniture piece with a beautiful reddish-brown hue, you are likely imagining mahogany. This tropical hardwood has been prized for centuries for its natural beauty and ability to be carved and joined into furniture pieces. Mahogany is prized by furniture makers and woodworkers as pieces cut from the tree will inherently stay flat and true due to the grain structure. Another bonus is that mahogany trees are massive so you can cut large slabs without the need for as much joining.
Pine:
Like a trusty companion, pine is likely one of the most common woods. Typically, used for the interior structure of furniture and framing, pine shines due to its fast-growing ability. The other reason for widespread pine adoption is that it grows virtually everywhere as there are numerous pine varieties. When asked about pine, most people think about rustic mountain cabins, as the vernacular name, knotty pine evokes. However, pine is truly the unsung hero of construction and furniture making.
Maple:
Finally, our dear friend maple, the wood of cabinets and flooring. My parents’ home is chockablock with maple and it works so well. They installed maple hardwood floors over twenty years ago, proving its durability. Maple is common in North America where it has widespread usage due to its clear wood grain and durability – think about the fact that almost all gymnasium floors and bowling alley lanes are lined with maple.
Comments