Decorating Guides
How to Buy, Decorate and Care for Your Wooden Furniture
With a little TLC, your wooden furniture can last a lifetime
Sturdy and durable, wooden accents or furniture add a warmth and charm to your home that is pretty much unmatched. While they look aesthetically pleasing, they won’t stay that way without some careful handling and care. From types to treatment, we show you how to keep your wooden furniture in tip-top shape for years to come.
Is it really wood? And is it finished well?
Before buying wooden furniture, you must remember that often, less expensive woods are stained and finished to look costly. One way to test this is to open a drawer and look at the unfinished parts. This will give you a clearer idea of the actual grain and colour of the piece. Apart from that, check if the drawers slide open or shut easily and fit well into their slots. The surfaces should be sanded and smooth, even of the insides. The finish, too, of the piece needs to be even and smooth all over. You should not be able to spot any wood fillers or glue spilling out. If you do, then it is not wood.
Wood according to Vastu Shastra
Wood features quite prominently in Vastu. One of the tips is to install a wooden bed (preferably one made from the wood of the neem tree as it is believed to aid healing in the body) rather than a metal one in your bedroom. The idea behind this is that metal can create negative vibrations. Wood, on the other hand, denotes positive energy, delivers warmth and has the quality of being grounded with deep roots, making for stability and strength. People also believe that placing wooden articles in your home brings luck, harmony and prosperity.
Using the wood of trees such as gamhar (Gmelina arborea), mango, teak, and sisu or Indian rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo) is considered to be the most auspicious while using weak or old timbers is thought to be inauspicious.
Before buying wooden furniture, you must remember that often, less expensive woods are stained and finished to look costly. One way to test this is to open a drawer and look at the unfinished parts. This will give you a clearer idea of the actual grain and colour of the piece. Apart from that, check if the drawers slide open or shut easily and fit well into their slots. The surfaces should be sanded and smooth, even of the insides. The finish, too, of the piece needs to be even and smooth all over. You should not be able to spot any wood fillers or glue spilling out. If you do, then it is not wood.
Wood according to Vastu Shastra
Wood features quite prominently in Vastu. One of the tips is to install a wooden bed (preferably one made from the wood of the neem tree as it is believed to aid healing in the body) rather than a metal one in your bedroom. The idea behind this is that metal can create negative vibrations. Wood, on the other hand, denotes positive energy, delivers warmth and has the quality of being grounded with deep roots, making for stability and strength. People also believe that placing wooden articles in your home brings luck, harmony and prosperity.
Using the wood of trees such as gamhar (Gmelina arborea), mango, teak, and sisu or Indian rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo) is considered to be the most auspicious while using weak or old timbers is thought to be inauspicious.
Bring in the pieces
Yes, we know that a couple of wooden accent pieces can make your space look fabulous but what happens when you want to add more than one piece to the same room?
Look for woods with similar natural undertones or similar grains to make your space look cohesive. For instance, if you’ve used reddish woods, try and buy all your pieces in that same style. But here again, you can forget this rule for one stand-out piece. So while all your furniture might be in light woods, you could use one in dark wood to create a conversation element.
Tip: If you have floors and furniture both in wood, then add a visual buffer like a carpet in between the two.
Yes, we know that a couple of wooden accent pieces can make your space look fabulous but what happens when you want to add more than one piece to the same room?
Look for woods with similar natural undertones or similar grains to make your space look cohesive. For instance, if you’ve used reddish woods, try and buy all your pieces in that same style. But here again, you can forget this rule for one stand-out piece. So while all your furniture might be in light woods, you could use one in dark wood to create a conversation element.
Tip: If you have floors and furniture both in wood, then add a visual buffer like a carpet in between the two.
Maintenance
While wooden furniture looks good, it needs regular maintenance. Dust it frequently with a dry and soft cloth. Make sure all wooden tables have coasters to place glasses or bowls on, as hot or even wet objects can permanently damage wood. Natural wood, over time, undergoes chemical changes. Cherry wood, for instance becomes darker; walnut on the other hand, tends to become lighter. However, protect wood from external forces that change its natural look, like long exposure to sunlight, which can fade and dry the wood. To maintain furniture finished in oil and wax, re-wax it every six months. Waxing covers small scratches and removes accumulated grime. If the pieces look too dry, you could re-oil them with linseed oil and then re-wax.
Tip: If your favourite wooden table looks as if it has been scratched, rub a walnut (after it’s taken out of the shell) over it. The oils from the nut will make the scratch disappear.
While wooden furniture looks good, it needs regular maintenance. Dust it frequently with a dry and soft cloth. Make sure all wooden tables have coasters to place glasses or bowls on, as hot or even wet objects can permanently damage wood. Natural wood, over time, undergoes chemical changes. Cherry wood, for instance becomes darker; walnut on the other hand, tends to become lighter. However, protect wood from external forces that change its natural look, like long exposure to sunlight, which can fade and dry the wood. To maintain furniture finished in oil and wax, re-wax it every six months. Waxing covers small scratches and removes accumulated grime. If the pieces look too dry, you could re-oil them with linseed oil and then re-wax.
Tip: If your favourite wooden table looks as if it has been scratched, rub a walnut (after it’s taken out of the shell) over it. The oils from the nut will make the scratch disappear.
Dealing with an infestation
This is possibly one of the scariest things to happen to your furniture as it can destroy good pieces in no time. And sometimes the infestation is so bad that the furniture needs to be tossed out.
Termites, carpenter bees, ants, powderpost beetle larvae, and other insects can tunnel through the wood and eat their way to the surface. Watch out for piles of insect excrement and wood dust, called frass, under or on your furniture, which may indicate an active infestation. In such cases, separate the piece immediately so it does not spread to all your furniture. Fumigation will be essential if an infestation is confirmed.
Read more:
Revealed: Simple Steps to Keep Your Home Pest Free
How to Do New Things With Old Furniture
Tell us:
How do you maintain your wooden furniture? Share in Comments.
This is possibly one of the scariest things to happen to your furniture as it can destroy good pieces in no time. And sometimes the infestation is so bad that the furniture needs to be tossed out.
Termites, carpenter bees, ants, powderpost beetle larvae, and other insects can tunnel through the wood and eat their way to the surface. Watch out for piles of insect excrement and wood dust, called frass, under or on your furniture, which may indicate an active infestation. In such cases, separate the piece immediately so it does not spread to all your furniture. Fumigation will be essential if an infestation is confirmed.
Read more:
Revealed: Simple Steps to Keep Your Home Pest Free
How to Do New Things With Old Furniture
Tell us:
How do you maintain your wooden furniture? Share in Comments.
You can choose from hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods are made from deciduous trees like teak, Indian rosewood, marindi (also called mindi, Chinaberry or white cedar), oak, birch, maple, mahogany, pecan, walnut, and black cherry while softwoods come from cone-bearing trees such as deodar, juniper, pine, cedar, cyprus, spruce, fir, yew and redwood. The former have finer, tighter grains making them good for carving and intricate detailing. The latter have grains that are more open in appearance; these woods are more affordable.
Veneers consist of a thin slice of grained wood that has been bonded to plywood, and gives you the look of solid wood. Inlays consist of metals, ivory, shells, stone or another type of wood inserted into a base wood in decorative designs. Laminates are not really wood, but may mimic it. They are specially finished layers of paper and plastic sheets that are applied to plywood. Kitchen countertops or shelves are often made of this as they can easily be cleaned with soap and water.