Oak Is The Best Wood For Furnishings
by Lorena Benchis
Not many of us have the skills required to produce our own furniture, but that doesn't mean to say that we can't appreciate the beauty of hand crafted wooden furniture. And when you're looking for a beautiful dining room set, then it's hard to think of a better wood to choose than oak.
An "historic" choice...
Oak is a hardwood and has been used for centuries to produce furniture. Some of the oldest antique pieces of furniture are carved from oak and one reason why it was such a popular choice of wood for furniture making is because of its hardwearing nature. Add to that the natural beauty of the oak grain and the abundance of oak in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe, and we can see why so many people used oak for their furniture.
The middle classes were reputed to have oak furniture made to order as a way of showing the outside world how wealthy they were. Many pieces were individualized with dates and initials to commemorate a special occasion like a birth or marriage, and these make fascinating antiques today. You can often find the branded initials of different people who have owned an antique piece of oak furniture through the years.
Today, then, it's not surprising to see that oak is still a very popular wood for furnishings. Oak is a very versatile wood that can be used for a range of different styles and designs in furniture. There is plenty of traditional style furniture with turned legs and heavy moldings, but there's also a range of modern and contemporary styles, using very pale oak, with clean lines and a simple clear wax finish. Whatever style of house you have, you'll be able to find some oak furniture to suit it.
Many of the online retailers now stock signature ranges, where you can buy furniture for almost every room in the house. So you can choose an oak dining chair that will go with the dining table, the sideboard and also complement the bookcases in the living room and the chest of drawers and bed frame in the bedroom. More and more people are choosing to buy from ranges to give their homes a completely coordinated look.
Whatever style of oak furniture you're looking for, you'll find a vast choice both on the internet and in stores near you.