What Is the Best Wood Species for Furniture?

Wooden furniture brings the beauty of nature into your home. Like most natural products, wood has differences in color, grain, and grain, helping to create unique and beautiful pieces. So which wood is best for furniture? This is not an easy question to answer. Here are the characteristics of nine of the most popular furniture woods.

First, a note on sustainability. No matter what type of wooden furniture you choose, you should make sure that it is produced responsibly. The Forest Stewardship Council makes this process easy by certifying timber grown according to its forest management standards. FSC-certified wood is grown in forests that are sustainably managed, protect ecosystems, and strengthen local communities. Furniture made of FSC-certified wood is usually clearly marked.

The Best Wood Species for Furniture

1. Beech

Beech is a strong and heavy hardwood that is often used to make furniture that needs to be bent (like these chairs). It has a natural light color and a delicate, tight texture that gives it an even appearance.

Commonly found in: Scandinavian-style rooms; Inconspicuous places such as the bottom of the drawer, the side, etc

2. Ash

Ash is a tough hardwood known for its weight, strength, hardness, and impact resistance. It is very hard and can be used to make baseball bats. Ash wood has a pronounced grain that is perfect for bringing natural elements to your home. Its natural color ranges from creamy white or gray to light brown.

Commonly found in: industrious spaces such as mud rooms and laundry rooms

Endangered species: Ash is an endangered timber tree species, but overharvesting is not the cause of this. An invasive beetle called the Emerald Ash Worm was brought to the United States in the 20s of the 90th century on infected transport pallets and has been destroying ash forests ever since. Since the discovery of this beetle in 2002, hundreds of millions of ash trees have died.

Buying ash tree furniture will not lead to the endangerment of ash trees. In fact, dead ash trees have a good use for cutting them into wood instead of wasting them.

3. Walnut

Walnut is a very popular choice for furniture because of its beautiful natural dark brown color and unique grain. It is known for its hardness, strength, stability, weight, durability, and impact resistance. Walnut trees grow very slowly, making them one of the more expensive tree species. As the walnut ages, it will light in color and begin to take on a rich honey color.

Commonly found in: Houses with dark furnishings and finishes

Endangered species: Walnut is another tree species that is attacked by biological predators. A small bark beetle carries a fungal disease known as canker disease. The disease began in the western United States and has recently been discovered in the eastern states. If this beetle makes its way into the Midwest, where most of the commercial walnut is grown, the effects could be devastating.

Like ash trees, infected walnut trees can be turned into wood, which may help reduce waste.

4. Oak

Oak is another popular wood that is valued for its hardness, strength, durability, and wear resistance. There are two main types of oak: red and white. Oak may slowly darken over time, although the color change is subtle.

Commonly found in: Craftsman-style residences

5. Birch

Birch is hard and sturdy, with good impact resistance. Its natural color is light yellow-brown, but it is often dyed to resemble other wood species.

Commonly found in: Structural parts of furniture, such as sofa frames and drawers

6. Maple

Maple is a durable, dense, and strong hardwood that is a common choice for cabinets and furniture. It has a delicate, uniform texture, which is usually straight, but there are some interesting variations like curl, bird’s eye, or flame-like. Maple is one of the woods with lighter natural tones, ranging from white to off-white to light brown.

Commonly found in: Decoration featuring lacquered furniture, since the fine grains of maple wood are easy to paint

7. Cherry

Cherry wood is a medium-hard tree species that is widely used in cabinets and furniture, and is strong and durable, with good wear resistance. It has an attractive and unique texture, but it is not as pronounced as ash or oak. The natural cherry color starts out as a medium-light brown with a pink undertone, then gradually darkens to a reddish-brown color.

Commonly found in: Kitchen cabinets and islands

8. Mahogany

Mahogany is an imported tropical wood that is mainly used to make beautiful furniture. It is a sturdy wood, medium hardness, resistant to moisture, so it is less likely to shrink or warp. It is known for having a special texture pattern, which can include cute swirls. Mahogany starts out with a light pinkish tan but quickly turns reddish-brown.

Commonly found in: Houses with traditional décor

Endangered species: The original species Cuban mahogany, which was harvested almost to extinction in the early 20th century, is no longer available. The Honduran mahogany variety, which replaced Cuban mahogany, continues to be over-harvested. Illegal logging of this species continues to this day and has led to large-scale deforestation in Central and South America, including rainforests.

This doesn’t mean you should avoid buying mahogany furniture altogether, but it makes it all the more important for you to have the FSC certification mark on the products you buy.

9. Pine

Pine is a resource-rich wood that has been used in furniture manufacturing for hundreds of years. It is soft and lightweight, so it is not as strong or durable as hardwoods such as oak or maple. Pine is a fast-growing tree, which is why furniture made from it tends to be cheaper than furniture made from hardwood.

Pine trees are yellow or orange in color and often have black circular nodes that form when dead branches fall off healthy trees. Knotscar pine is popular among houses built in the 20s and 50s of the 60th century.