Wood Selection for Custom Furniture

By Kevin Fristad - Wood Artists Gallery

“What kind of wood is that” is one of the most often heard questions pertaining to custom furniture. The visual beauty, distinctive color, and unique grain patterns of handcrafted wood art all seem to provoke the same inquiry. While most gallery furniture is made from a handful of wood types, there are literally thousands available that can be used for fine furniture.

Obviously some species are far superior for some purposes like wood sinks, for example. These are almost exclusively made from Teak, which is oily in nature and therefore highly resistant to deterioration from constant exposure to water. Certain types of wood like Balsa and Honduras Mahogany are generally used for wood carvings because of their superior response to carving tools. Wood furniture is generally handcrafted from hardwood rather than softwood, but in general, there are no hard and fast rules for wood selection for custom furniture.

So what should you use for your dining room furniture, bedroom furniture, or bathroom furniture? The answer is quite literally, “anything you want”! If you want to see bold and splashy grain on the top of your nightstand, perhaps you might select Ash. If you prefer a more understated, elegant look for your dining table, then you may want to go with more of a straight grained wood like Vertical Grain Fir. Accent tables often sport a variety of woods for contrast – perhaps up to three or more. If you intend to paint your bedroom dresser or medicine cabinet, then the choice will most likely be a closed grain wood such as Alder or Maple.

Many people nowadays are seeking a more natural or rustic look for their custom furniture. A rocking chair or dining room chair made from Willow or Birch saplings will add a totally distinctive look to a set of living room furniture. Similarly a dining table made from a single slab of Red Cedar with knots, checks, mineral stains, and natural splits will stop any wood art appreciator dead in his or her tracks.

Let’s say you’re looking for a conference table for your boardroom. We can help you through the wood selection by asking a variety of questions about the nature of your business, your style preferences, size requirements of your conference room table, and the overall “look and feel” that you’re seeking. You may end up with a single slab of 3” thick Fir measuring 4’ wide x 26’ long, or your conference table could be covered with exotic African veneers. Either approach for your handcrafted wood art will be like no other in the world, and will be quite appropriate depending on your setting.

Essentially the wood choices for your custom furniture are endless. Each of the wood artists that we work with has his or her favorites, but we can make anything out any kind of wood! Give us a call and our wood art specialists will guide you through this selection process.