How to Decorate With Home Wood Furniture
Home wood furniture is a great way to add character and warmth to your home. Its durability and aesthetic qualities make it a popular choice for both formal and informal spaces. The key is to understand the differences between hardwood and softwood, as well as the types of stains and finishes available, so you can choose the right type for your home.
What is the Best Wood for Furniture?
There are dozens of woods, each with their own unique characteristics, so it’s important to pick one that suits your needs. For example, if you want to avoid scratches and dents over time, look for solid woods like cherry, oak, maple, or walnut that rank high on the hardness scale.
The Type of Wood for Your Furniture
Different types of woods have different cellular structures, which makes them heavy or light in weight, stiff or flexible. Some are more durable than others, so you should choose the type of wood that suits your personal preferences and budget.
The most common furniture woods include cherry, oak, maple, walnut, and pine. Each has its own color, grain, and texture. If you’re looking for something more unique, try a wood with a distinctive grain, such as white oak or red oak.
Choosing Your Wood Tone
A lot of the decisions you make in decorating a room depend on your selection of furniture. Whether you choose to go for a natural, rustic look or prefer a more modern aesthetic, it’s crucial that your chosen pieces match your other decor. That means that your wood furniture should complement your walls, flooring, and other furniture in the space.
Darker, richer, or deeper-toned woods can be harder to blend into a room’s decor, so play it safe by selecting a lighter shade. Consider using a neutral hue to create a base for your wood furniture, and then add in bold accent colors with table lamps, planters, and other accessories to bring out its personality.
To keep dark woods from dulling and fading over time, use a high-quality stain or protective finish. These can be purchased at a hardware store or paint supply shop.
How to Care for Your Wood Furniture
If you have wood furniture, it’s important to regularly dust it and clean it from grime. To do this, simply wipe the surface with a damp cloth. You may also need to wax the wood occasionally to maintain its luster and shine. If you choose to wax your wood furniture, apply a light coat of wax in thin, even coats and rub it into the wood with a lamb’s-wool duster.
Invest in Polished Hardware
If your home’s wood furniture features hardware, you should regularly polish it to keep it from tarnishing. A metal cleaner, such as brass cleaner ($3, Walmart), is a good option for this task. You can also polish wood knobs and pulls to remove tarnish.
A yearly maintenance routine can extend the life of your wood furniture and help it maintain its beauty. During the cleaning and waxing process, be sure to work with the grain of the wood. Depending on the age of your wood furniture, you may need to clean and wax more frequently than usual.
