Information on Wooden Furniture
What You Should Know About Buying Wood Furniture
Our hand-crafted furniture collection features thousands of wood furniture offerings for every single room of your house, in virtually any decor you can imagine. You can browse our many styles wood furnishings by type of furniture or by brand, such as Bernhardt, Century Furniture, Hickory White, and Hooker Furniture, to name a few.
- Furniture Terms Part I
- Furniture Terms Part II
- Primary Wood Species
- Care and Maintenance of Wood Furniture (new page will open)
- Return to the Knowledge Database
Furniture Terms Part I (Courtesy of Fine Furniture Design)
|
Furniture Terms Part II (Courtesy of Bernhardt Furniture)
Veneer Characteristics
Veneers have long been used in fine furniture making and are stronger and more durable than solid wood. They resist shrinking, swelling, warping, and cracking due to humidity and other environmental changes.
Veneer Selection
Premier woods are hand-selected and matched in color and wood grain to give a consistent look to each piece while enhancing the natural beauty of the wood grain. Unusual veneers and “fancy face” patterns are often used to add decorative detail.
Finish Steps
An extensive, multi-step finish process gives each piece of furniture depth, accentuating the wood grain pattern and producing a range of finish looks from a high sheen to a natural “aged” appearance.
Mortise & Tenon Cabinetry Details
Traditional mortise and tenon construction is used to securely fasten pieces of wood, creating a stronger joint for lasting stability.
![]() |
Door & Drawer FitDoors and drawers are constructed with a precise, tight fit to prevent gaps and sagging, enhancing their appearance and structural strength. |
Table Locks & Guides
Hidden metal locks are used to reduce gaps on tables with leaves, giving the table a clean, smooth appearance and ensuring durability over time. Premium quality table glides are used to secure the piece, reducing warping and sagging and resulting in a sturdy table frame.
Corner Blocks
Table legs are constructed with strong corner blocks glued and screwed with lag bolts, increasing the overall strength and rigidity of each leg.
Drawer Construction Materials & Finish
All wood sides and backs with veneer bottoms are used to create a durable drawer that is less likely to warp over time and humidity changes and to produce a smoother, more consistent drawer function. Each drawer bottom is stained and sealed, creating a smooth interior that is less likely to snap or damage clothes.
Stop Blocks
Wooden blocks are nailed and glued behind each drawer to ensure that the drawer stops solidly and in the proper position when closed.
Dovetails
English dovetail construction is featured in the front and back of each drawer (French dovetail is incorporated where design indicates) to deliver a durable drawer box that will remain solid over time.
Drawer Stops
Wooden stop pins are provided for each drawer with a silver tray to prevent the drawer from falling out of the case when pulled open.
Drawer Box
A full-size drawer box is used to offer increased drawer volume and maximum storage capacity. Full-size wooden guides are also used to support more cubic feet of storage.
Silver Trays
A silver tray with a tarnish-resistant cloth cover is custom fitted into a drawer in select dining room pieces to provide a protective, convenient space to store silverware.
Hardware
Materials
Heavy duty solid metals are used to create hardware that adds beauty and durability while reducing rattling, rusting, and breakage.
Custom Design & Finish
Each collection has its own signature hardware that is custom-designed and finished using a multi-step process, adding distinction and a rich appearance to each piece.
Techniques
A range of methods such as the ancient Egyptian lost wax casting, die-casting or sand casing are used to create hardware with unique shapes, subtle markings and jewel-like details.
Primary Wood Species
Species |
Characteristics |
---|---|
Alder |
Western alder is a fine-grained hardwood similar to cherry, birch and maple. It has a density or hardness comparable to Appalachian soft maple |
AD Maple |
Grade of Maple defined as being free of worm holes and surface defects |
American White Ash |
Best match to oak, a little wilder grain |
Aromatic Red Cedar |
North American wood with aromatic smell. Used in some applications as deterrent to insects and moths for clothing storage as deterrent to insects and moths for clothing storage. |
Caribbean Pine |
Harder than US pine; very few knots |
Cherry |
Fine wood grain with character |
China Oak |
a good substitute for US oak |
Chinese Ash |
Chinese substitute for American Ash |
Chinese Birch |
European Birch While plain, white birch is known for its creamy, white-to-tan color and faint grain, masur birch is the name for wood that has been affected by insects. |
Hackberry |
Similar specie as Ash and Elm w/ some color variation |
Lenga |
South American substitute for Cherry (called Fireland Cherry) |
Linden |
Chinese hardwood similar to White Poplar/Aspen/Cottonwood |
Mahogany |
Beautiful hardwood with distinctive wood grain. Has a medium to coarse texture with open pores. The grain can be straight, irregular, or interlocked. |
Mango |
Has a fine to medium texture, with straight grain though the grain can also be interlocked and/or figured. Curly and spalted Mango is frequently seen. |
ND Maple |
Grade of Maple defined as having worm holes considered as no defect |
Poplar |
Universal hardwood known for ease of use in a variety of woodworking applications |
Red Oak |
North American Hardwood. Similar to White Oak but with a pinkish cast and more open grain characteristic. |
Russian Birch |
Russian substitute for ND Maple w/ less surface defects |
South American Taeda/Eliotis |
Harder than US pine with smaller more frequent sound knots |
Sunkai |
Indonesian lumber similar to Oak |
White Oak |
North American hardwood |
The information below is required for social login
Sign In
Create New Account