When choosing furniture, many consumers opt for a natural and environmentally friendly material – solid wood. Despite the high cost, such furniture quickly pays for itself due to its durability and practicality.
In addition to this, natural furniture can look elegant in almost every interior, regardless of style and orientation.
Selection of solid wood furniture
But few people know that each type of wood used in production differs from others in its own characteristics. So what is it, solid wood furniture, and how to choose it correctly?
Of course, today manufacturers offer cheaper materials to the average buyer, focusing on purchasing power.
Wood in its pure form is rarely used in production due to the high cost of the material processing process. However, solid wood furniture today is an indicator of prosperity and luxury.
Basically, the array is chosen for furnishing living rooms and kitchens. Wooden furniture in the living room is mainly made from “expensive” wood species: oak, larch, beech. The advantage of the listed materials is that among popular species, they are more durable and strong.
Dense and heavy wood rarely cracks or swells in an unsuitable microclimate.
Pros and cons of wood in the interior
Pros:
- fits organically into any environment;
- makes the room more comfortable;
- keeps warm;
- easy to clean;
- absorbs sounds;
- emits a pleasant aroma;
- has sufficient strength, durability and beautiful appearance;
- can be easily painted, polished, or varnished;
- normalizes the process of moisture exchange and creates a healthy microclimate in the house;
- does not emit harmful substances;
- “revitalizes” the interior, gives it naturalness;
- goes well with other materials (stone, leather, brick, fabric, glass, ceramics, metal and others);
- provides ample opportunities for realizing design imagination.
Minuses:
- rapid flammability;
- the possibility of bugs appearing;
- tendency to swelling and warping due to increased hygroscopicity;
- the possibility of rotting due to changes in ambient humidity;
- heterogeneity of structure.
The main disadvantage of using wooden finishing indoors is the natural material’s tendency to absorb moisture and rot.
The choice of moisture-resistant species and treatment with special means help to cope with this, thanks to which the wood can be used in the kitchen and even in the bathroom.
Pine
It is not at all necessary to choose furniture from expensive noble species. Pine is mainly used to furnish other rooms. This material is more whimsical, but in the price category it is more accessible.
Thus, pine is well suited for bedroom interiors due to its light shades and bright, pronounced structure.
And with proper care, pine, which is capricious to temperature changes, can last for many years. Oak, for example, will look heavy for bedrooms.
Wood accents
Instead of cluttering the room with wood trim, you can simply add wood accents that will make the room more cozy and interesting.
Wooden windows and doors
High-quality window frames and slopes made of environmentally friendly material are a more preferable option than metal-plastic ones.
In combination with wooden doors that match the color, they will give the room solidity, expressiveness and originality.
The most suitable types of wood for door production are merbau, beech, birch, oak and cherry.
Wooden furniture
The choice of options for upholstered and cabinet furniture made of wood depends on the taste and preferences of the owners.
For example:
- High-quality tables, sofas, chairs, armchairs, cabinets, chests of drawers and beds are made from valuable species, combining wood with velor, leather and other materials.
- Objects typical of peasant huts are given a dilapidated appearance by bleaching.
- Furniture made from wood with natural cracks and knots is especially popular.
- To create designer furniture with a medieval feel, antique door locks and hinges, as well as old boards, are used.
- The furnishings in the Scandinavian style are made up of simple-shaped furniture, most often rectangular, complemented by elements made of hides, cotton, linen, ropes, wicker rope, and wood for the fireplace.
- A trend among the world's leading designers is furniture cut from solid trunks, on which knots and cracks stand out noticeably.
Wooden columns and partitions
To delimit the space in the room, decorative partitions are installed, solid or shelved, using wooden beams, edged boards and clapboard, which is used to cover the frame.
A lattice partition decorated with indoor plants is a good way to liven things up.
Wooden ceiling and walls
Wood-covered walls, floors and ceilings are appropriate in high rooms with large windows, and the amount of furniture should be minimal, for example: a soft corner, a small table and a light-colored carpet.
In rooms with high ceilings, design elements such as ceiling beams and columns are often used to create a special atmosphere.
The ceiling, decorated with wooden details imitating ceiling beams, goes well with both loft-style design and Japanese, English, Provence or country.
Design project: Indre Dorofeendu
Cherry, ash
You can also pay attention to cherry and ash. The design of furniture made from this array is distinguished by a variety of structures and shades, and the main advantage is the affordable price category.
Among imported products, the predominant species are mahogany and rosewood.
Wooden decor from branches, stumps and saw cuts
Original decorations will decorate and refresh the interior:
- A large luxurious branch with lighting, placed in the form of a panel on a plain wall and contrasting with it in color.
- Decorative hangers, vases and lamps made from branches of original and unusual shape.
- Chairs and tables, for the manufacture of which old stumps of a suitable size with previously removed bark are used. Such items look especially impressive next to leather-covered furniture.
- Stumps are used to make original coasters for glass tabletops.
- Sanded and varnished longitudinal cuts are a natural material from which shelves, table tops, and headboards are made.
- Round end cuts can also become a material for an original tabletop or an imitation of a woodpile if they are placed on a wall in the kitchen, office or fireplace area.
- A trend in modern furniture production has become small dressing tables made from saw cuts, which will fit perfectly into any interior.
Decor made from branches and even whole trees is ideal for a room with large stained glass windows, furnished with light furniture with chrome details.
Bathroom decoration
Quite often today you can find arrays in bathrooms. This is especially true if the space is large to accommodate cabinets and cabinets made of wood. Nowadays such interiors are popular, and manufacturers guarantee a long service life due to high-quality wood processing.
Thus, furniture intended for bathrooms is additionally coated with antiseptics, which protects it from moisture and prevents the formation of fungi on the surface.
Of course, the array has a number of advantages, among which are its aesthetic appearance, environmental friendliness, and strength.
Not a single film used in production can exactly replicate the pattern of wood. And the styles of wooden furniture amaze with their variety of shapes and textures.
Bed made of boards
This piece of furniture is also very easy to make yourself. There is an option to assemble a double bed measuring 200 x 160 cm.
Table. What will you need for the job?
| Materials, tools, fasteners | Photo |
| Boards and furniture panels of various sizes: · boards for legs: 38 x 10 x 5 cm - 4 pcs.; · glued board for sidewalls: 200 x 20 x 1.8 cm - 2 pcs., 160 x 20 x 1.8 - 1 pc., 160 x 40 x 1.8 - 1 pc.; · slats for supporting the sheathing: 7 x 3 cm - two pieces each, 200 and 160 cm long; · jumpers: 200 x 7 x 3 cm - 2 pcs.; · strips for sheathing: 160 x 10 x 2.5 cm - 16 pcs. | Boards and furniture board |
| Self-tapping screws of different sizes | Self-tapping screws |
| Bolts 6 x 80 mm (with washer and nut) - 30 pcs. | Bolts |
| Metal corners: 40 x 40 x 80 mm - 4 pcs., 30 x 30 x 30 mm - 4 pcs., 70 x 70 mm - 8 pcs. | Metal corner |
| Alkyd-urethane varnish, liquid nails | Yacht varnish |
| Jigsaw, screwdriver, sander | Required Tools |
Step-by-step production instructions
Step 1. Components are cut according to size:
- legs;
Legs for a future bed
- sidewalls;
Sidewalls
- slats for supporting the sheathing, lintels, strips for sheathing.
All parts must be treated with protective impregnation.
Step 2. Using bolts, the legs are connected to the sides.
The legs are connected to the sides
Step 3. Metal corners are screwed to the legs.
Screwed metal corner
Step 4. The slats on which the sheathing will rest are mounted to the sidewalls. In this case, in addition to hardware, it is recommended to use an adhesive connection (you can use liquid nails). This will increase strength and minimize the risk of squeaking in the future.
Laths for sheathing are fixed
Step 5. All four sides of the bed are assembled.
Bed assembly process
Step 6. The slats are screwed to the headboards of the bed. It is necessary to make cuts in them for jumpers.
The cuts for the jumpers are visible
Step 7. Jumpers are placed in the cuts and fixed.
Jumpers are fixed
Step 8. Corners are screwed to the jumpers for installing additional legs. Each bar should have two legs.
The jumpers are equipped with additional legs
Step 9. The sheathing is installed. Holes for self-tapping screws are pre-drilled in the planks. The size of the gap between the sheathing elements is determined individually. If the boards have not been sanded previously, they should be sanded after installation.
Lathing installed
Step 10. The structure is varnished. There are many types of varnishes. The material must be intended for indoor work. For these purposes, acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane or alkyd-urethane compounds are best suited.
Step 11. After this, all that remains is to choose a suitable mattress and the bed can be used for its intended purpose.
Externally, the assembled bed looks a little ascetic, but after placing the mattress, linen and a beautiful bedspread, it will look completely different . It is definitely suitable for a country house. If you use some carpentry skills, make the lines smoother and treat the surface with a decorative composition, such a piece of furniture can fit into the design of the apartment.
Wooden bed
Bed made from old boards
Features of wooden furniture
But wooden furniture also has a number of features:
The most obvious drawback, of course, is the price. This is especially true for furniture made of oak.
An array can dry out or swell due to temperature changes. And this does not necessarily mean that the room climate is not suitable enough.
Most likely, the problem of deformation of individual elements will be due to improper treatment with wood impregnations during production. This is the most common problem because... Over time, many doors begin to creak and cracks form.
Wooden furniture cannot be repaired. If an individual element is damaged, you will have to replace it completely. The exception is minor scratches, which can be removed by sanding.
Custom-made furniture will help you avoid such difficulties. So, you can get full advice on caring for the array, a guarantee, and also check with the manufacturer about the technology for processing the material.
To sum up, we can say that despite the high cost and some care features, solid wood remains a popular material for making furniture. Such a purchase will save you from the problem of changing furniture for many years and will quickly pay for itself.
It is precisely because of its durability, luxury and practicality that photos of solid wood furniture appear in modern design solutions.
Wood in the kitchen interior
In spacious rooms with large windows, sets made of dark wood look good, and for a small space, light furniture, complemented by glass details or mirror inserts, is better suited.
Contrasting wooden countertops and a parquet floor expressively fit into the kitchen interior with plain light walls, ceiling and furniture.
A table made from solid processed logs, surrounded by stylish modern furniture, will add sophistication to the kitchen environment.
A wooden ceiling in combination with wood wall trim and accessories will make the kitchen feel cozy and warm in a rustic way.
Beam-shaped ceilings are a good solution for decorating a room in a rustic or country style.
Photos of solid wood furniture
Combination of wood with stone and brick
In rooms with walls made of natural stone or brick, or covered with stone-like materials, partitions made of wood look great.
This combination looks respectable and harmonious, especially for eco, Provence and country styles.
Stone and brick in the design of the room are ideal for the industrial style.
Country or loft is a good addition to wooden ceiling beams and columns.
It is appropriate to use this design in large country houses with high ceilings, for which reducing space is not a problem.
Plank flooring harmonizes perfectly with pebble mosaics, and wood trim and furniture in the bathroom combined with a stone floor will give the room the appearance of a sauna.
Masonry made of plain, different-sized, whitened or aged bricks is ideally combined with a wooden staircase.
When using wood and stone in design, you need to follow the principle of alternation:
- smooth with rough;
- cold with warm;
- dark with light.
Selection of finishing material
In addition to natural wood, materials that imitate wood are also used for interior decoration.
MDF and chipboards
Formed from compressed wood waste.
This is an environmentally friendly material that, with the right lighting, looks just like real wood.
Chipboard is made by grinding illicit wood and further mixing sawdust with formaldehyde resins.
Laminated boards are used in furniture production and for interior decoration.
Laminate
Although it is inferior in quality to natural wood, it is easy to use and will serve as a worthy decoration for the floor, walls and even ceiling.
Diagonal laying of laminate visually expands the space.
Veneer
Veneer - the thinnest cut of natural wood - is glued to the surface of the slabs and opened with varnish, after which the material becomes almost indistinguishable from natural wood.
Thin veneer on thick paper is used as wooden wallpaper to cover curved surfaces.
Wooden lining
Natural eco-friendly material with interlocking parts, which is divided into classes depending on the number of knots.
The lining can be laid horizontally, vertically or diagonally. This type of decoration is created quite simply and quickly, looks noble, and adds warmth to the atmosphere.
Design project from Erez Hyatt studio
Timber panels
Solid wood material. To make the coating more voluminous, relief panels are used.
The surface of these products is treated with wax or varnished.
Slices
Sections are thin plates that are obtained by cutting the trunk.
Each such tile is glued to the floor, wall, ceiling or tabletop, which together allows you to create a unique original design.
Design project: SMLWRLD
