Unfinished wood furniture is appealing for many people. Some people enjoy the ability to take an unfinished product and create a unique look with their own hands. Others appreciate the selection of unfinished furniture and the ability to have it professionally finished to their specifications.

Whether you’re looking for unfinished furniture to outfit your office or to resell to consumers, there’s a high demand for unfinished furniture because it’s generally high quality. There are no factory finishes to hide blemishes or defects in the wood. Consider the following when buying unfinished furniture:

1. Choose from a wide variety of pieces, including unfinished office furniture.

2. Pick a wood that will hold up to the expected furniture use.

3. Offer finishing services to customers, or finish the product out yourself.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine what type of unfinished wood furniture pieces you need

Whether you're looking for tables, chests, chairs or accent pieces of unfinished furniture--there are plenty available. There are unfinished furniture outlets which specialize in this type of furniture and many regular furniture stores have discount unfinished furniture sections.

I recommend: Buy unfinished furniture from #1 Unfinished Furniture. They sell all types of unfinished pieces and ship for free. Unfinished Furniture Giant sells unfinished pine furniture, unfinished oak furniture and unfinished maple furniture in several styles, including shaker, mission, contemporary, traditional, country and colonial.

Consider the many varieties of wood used to make unfinished furniture

You've probably heard of unfinished oak furniture or unfinished pine furniture, but furniture can be made of ash, birch, cedar, cherry, walnut, mahogany and maple hardwoods, just to name a few. Some woods are harder than others, so take into account the furniture's use when selecting the wood.

I recommend: Furniture Gallery Unfinished Furniture's includes a selection of pine, oak, maple and beech woods. View a variety of favorites, or design your own. Unfinished Furniture Expo sells alder or pine unfinished office furniture, including storage solutions like built-in bookcases. Select the one that's right for you.

Make unfinished wood furniture into a masterpiece

If you're buying furniture for your office or showroom, you'll probably want to stain it to compliment your other furniture. If you're reselling unfinished wood furniture, you may want to offer finishing services to your customers.

I recommend: View a selection of oil-based and water-based finishing products from Sam's Unfinished Furniture in Burlington, Vermont. They also offer professional finishing services if you purchase unfinished furniture from them; if you’d rather have someone do it for you. American Unfinished Furniture offers finishing tips on preparing the surface, applying the stain and topcoat and maintenance. The Sherwin-Williams Company offers a variety of finishes and stains, including environmentally-friendly options. Find a store near you for product availability.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use a gel stain on unfinished wood furniture. It's easy to work with and already contains one coat of polyurethane.