To the naked eye, furniture made of plywood and solid wood may look alike, and is always less expensive. What is it about solid wood furniture that people find so captivating?
If some people can’t tell the difference, is solid wood furniture worth paying for? What makes it so great? Please read on to learn.
Durability
Lots of fast furniture made of cheap materials looks great when you see it advertised or when it arrives in your home. However, it wears down and degrades quickly because lower-grade materials can’t stand the punishment of daily wear and tear.
In contrast, people buy wooden tables because they will look the same in 10 or 20 years as they do today. Plywood tables may have a thin veneer covering them, which is made up of thin sheets of plywood glued together. Over time, these can warp or chip away.
Solid wood is one big chunk of material, so there are no layers in between to get warped. All things equal, your solid wood furniture will last for decades or even centuries, while cheaper stuff needs to be repeatedly replaced.
Solid Wood Can Be Restored
Furniture isn’t some artifact stored in a museum behind glass. We live with the furniture in our homes every day, and sometimes, things get nicked and scratched. If your furniture is made of plywood or other cheaper materials, it doesn’t lend itself to restoring.
Sure, if you’re extremely handy maybe you can apply a layer of fiberglass and epoxy resin, but even this measure won’t make the table look like new. When a piece of solid wood furniture gets worn down, you can strip the finish or veneer and sand away the wood, and you’re left with a fresh surface bearing no trace of the years of punishment.
Stain the wood how the colour you think looks best, and it’ll be like you just bought it. You can even get water stains from the wood with the right technique.
Holds Its Value
In life, you often get what you pay for. Furniture designed to be packaged and shipped abroad easily costs less money because it’s of substantially lower quality. You won’t be able to sell it years or even months from now for what you bought it for.
In contrast, solid wood furniture will pretty much always retain its value because the market recognizes and appreciates superior quality. Many antique pieces of solid wood furniture cost way more today than they did at the time, even accounting for inflation.
You should buy furniture because it suits your style and fits the space it will inhabit properly. But if you change your mind or want to re-decorate years from now, it’s nice to know that you can find another buyer who will pay a fair price and enjoy giving your solid wood furniture a second life.
There are good reasons why people worldwide furnish their home with solid wood tables, chairs, beds, and more. Between its timeless style and superior quality, solid wood furniture will always be highly prized.
