Have you ever found yourself sitting at your friend’s dining table and thinking to yourself, “What on earth is this made out of?” The dining set looks beautiful, no doubt, but once you sit down you find that you’re more uncomfortable than you thought you’d be. The chair doesn’t feel right, the table isn’t as sturdy as you thought, even the physical feel of the tabletop seems off. Well, you’re not alone. But what could possibly be so wrong about this dining set? 

 

The answer is the quality - the materials used to make the furniture. You can have pieces in your home that look aesthetically pleasing, but the experience of using that furniture greatly differs depending on the quality. If you’re looking for beautiful furniture that will not only last a lifetime, but you’ll also enjoy, then you will definitely want solid wood. 

 

 

Benefits of Solid Wood

Make dinner time more delicious with a solid wood dining set.

 

Why is solid wood a solid option for your home? At Willis, we use solid wood from North American renewable forests to give you the enduring value that you’re looking for. American-grown solid wood is sustainable, renewable and durable, making it the ultimate environmentally friendly product. 

 

In choosing solid wood furniture for your home, you’re opting for durable items that will last. Not to mention, your pocketbook will thank you. While you may think that you’d have to pay a premium for the advantages that come with solid wood furniture, you’re actually not investing as much as you’d think. In fact, the raw material used for solid wood is less expensive than fabricated veneered panels that require expensive machinery to create. With solid wood, the price covers the craftsmanship that comes with creating high-quality dining sets, bedroom sets, sofa frames and more, making for durable furniture pieces that can last a lifetime and beyond. So go ahead and pass that dining set down to your children - and because it’s durable solid wood, your children can pass it down to their children. Talk about value! 

 

Not only does solid wood provide you with a durable and long-lasting home furnishing solution, it’s also green! (No, not the color, although we could make that happen). Since solid wood furniture is made by experienced craftsmen, it doesn’t use engineered materials typically used in furniture manufacturing. These engineered materials that are used in factories have a reputation for leaching volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) and formaldehyde. Who wants those kinds of toxins in their home?? A healthy environment starts inside your home, so solid wood is the way to go if you want to avoid harmful toxins in your everyday life. 

 

So now you know why solid wood furniture may be a fit for you. But where do you go from here? How can you be sure to find solid wood furniture that brings you joy? Well, here at Willis, we have a plethora of customization options so that you can fill your home with the exact style and finish of solid wood furniture that you want. 

 

 

Time to Customize

Photo courtesy Gat Creek solid wood custom furniture.

 

There are customization options-a-plenty when it comes to solid wood - even more than you could possibly think of! So no matter how unique your design style is, you’re sure to find the perfect piece for you. However, we do know that it can be overwhelming to have all these choices at your disposal. The help of a Willis Expert, like Kelly Baumgarten, we’ll help walk you through some of your options! 

 

 

Types of Wood

The type of wood that you pick for your solid wood furniture will determine the color palette that you’re working with for your space. Choose from a Honey-Washed wood for a brighter yellow/orange look, a Heritage Brown for a more rich and deep aesthetic, and everything in between. There are even options for white, black, even blue wood! No matter what wood type you choose, you can take solace in the fact that it will be long-lasting and beautiful. 

 

 

Finish Options

Typically when it comes to furniture, you’ll find that the finishes you have to choose from can be categorized into waxes, varnishes, oils, lacquers, and polyurethanes. 

 

 

1. Waxes

This kind of finish is applied to the surface of the wood. It offers protection against scratches and resistance to water, but you’ll want to be sure to use coasters with this kind of finish as your furniture would still be susceptible to heat damage. 

 

 

2. Varnishes

This is a resin-based finish that coats the wood surface as a hard film after it dries. These kinds of wood finishes provide protection against scratches and water thanks to the hard film coating and are therefore considered to be the one of the more durable kinds of wood finishes. 

 

 

3. Oils

Oil finishes are known to be non-toxic, eco-friendly, and food-safe, and are one of the more common finishes for solid wood furniture, producing a grain pattern that’s more textured than other finishes. Pieces that have an oil finish tend to be easier to repair, but because the oil seeps into the wood, there is no hard coating to protect the furniture from scratches and water damage. 

 

 

4. Polyurethanes

This kind of wood finish leaves a hard, almost plastic film, making the furniture both water resistant and scratch resistance. The only caveat here is that with time, these finishes are known to yellow, so this may be the finish you want to choose if your wood color is on the darker side.

 

 

5. Lacquers

This is a more modern finish that is sprayed onto the wood furniture to form a film. Lacquers are known to be great for water resistance and that don’t yellow with age, making this a great option to build on the long-lasting nature of solid wood. 

 

 

6. Distressed Look

Bring the antiqued, rustic look into any space with options like distressing. Distressing is carefully done by hand by adding dents, scratches, and other distress marks, depending on the level chosen.

 

 

Size Options

Size matters. That’s why when customizing your solid wood furniture, you have the option to choose the size you want to fit your home. For example, if you want to customize your dining table, you can choose the specific height, size, and shape that you’re looking for. Looking for something to fit in your dining nook? Try a counter-height 44” x 44” round table. Or maybe you want a new table for your formal dining room. A standard-height 48” x 96” rectangle table might do the trick. 

 

 

Configurability 

We’ve been talking a lot about dining sets, but did you know that you can also find solid-wood sectionals? Take the Highlands Sectional from Stickley, for example. When customizing your solid wood furniture, you have the option to change the configuration of your sectional to your liking. Right-facing or left-facing, or even on both sides, the choice is up to you! 

 

 

Style Choices

All furniture, including solid wood, comes in a plethora of different styles to choose from. So when customizing furniture for your home, there are a lot of different styles you can consider. From classic, elegant, and strong to romantic, soft and rustic, or modern, elegant, and contemporary to timeliness, warm and trendy, the possibilities are endless. Don’t know where to start? Take our design quiz to find your style!

 

 

Thinking you still need some design help? No problem! Talk to our design team about exactly what you’re looking for. To learn more about our design services, click here.

 

If you’re looking to start customizing your solid wood furniture today, discover U Design by Canadel.  

 

Solid wood furniture is both long-lasting and beautiful! 

 

And there you have it - all the reasons why solid wood is the solid choice when looking for new furniture for your home. If you need help getting started choosing the right solid wood furniture for you, contact us today!