What is oak wood and why is it used for furniture?
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Oak is hardwood species found Europe and North America. But whether your pieces are produced from European or North American Oak there are really only two basic varieties red oak and white oak. The grain is similar in both the red and white wood types, but white oak has longer rays and is the more durable of the two especially for furniture and is ideal for outdoor use!
How do i tell the difference between white and red oak? Please read on to this article for tons of great information.
Here is an interesting little fact, did you know that Oak is quite literally fit for a king? In fact, the Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which the then future King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Oak really is the choice of kings, if you ever visit a stately home or a huge castle in Europe you will find them adorned with Oak panels, doors and carvings.The wood is so tightly grained and Knott free it lends itself to beautiful craftsmanship that literally lasts for centuries.
Fun fact: The acorns of English oak (white oak) are edible and have been used by European farmers as pig feed. During times of scarcity, peasants dried the kernel inside the acorn and ground it up to make a nutritious flour. The bark of English oak has also been used as a source of tannin for tanning leather.
As further testament to its longevity is the 304 foot seagoing frigate vessel called the USS constitution nicknamed “Old Ironsides”, built in 1794 its the oldest vessel afloat, which is attributed to a three-layer wooden sandwich of live oak and white American oak just as is used in furniture today!
If you a lover of interior design especially mid-century modern, or just a bit of a furniture buff then it’s highly likely that you're a big fan of oak furniture. Despite its high price is one of the most popular furniture-making woods. Its u sed in creating just about every piece of furniture you can find- from beds to bookshelves and everything in between.
Oak furniture is incredibly versatile. It's color, grain and texture easily fits with a wide variety of decorating aesthetics, truly a choice for the connoisseur! This is the main reason that it is used for high quality furniture.
Its worth noting that if you have an active family and furniture gets a lot of wear and tear in your house, oak furniture would be a really good choice because it does not damage easily or suffer from easy splintering.
Make sure that you visit our collection of pieces on the website as we have a lovely selection of dining room furniture without breaking your bank account.
However, BEWARE! Much of the so-called Oak furniture has a thin veneer of the cherished wood and there is “no substitute” for the “real thing”, sorry these sound like tag lines for Porsche and Coca Cola but both are equally as true when talking about Oak. If you choose to buy solid Oak, it will last several lifetimes and surely become a family heirloom for generations to come!