Wood Furniture Key Terms

Know wood furniture key terms to make smart shopping decisions

Wood furniture is a lasting investment in your business. It not only says you have good taste, but the furniture itself is durable and classic no matter what style or finish you choose. Before you purchase wood furniture, you should have a good knowledge of common key terms. Whether you are buying desks, chairs, tables or other pieces of furniture, this basic knowledge can help you find the right pieces for your business.

 

Wood grain

Wood grain refers to the cut used to make the furniture. Different cuts create different wood grain effects. The most common cut is with the grain or parallel to the axis of the tree trunk. Wood grain also gives a piece of wooden furniture its distinctive appearance. Different woods produce different grain effects.
Try: See different wood grains at logsplitters.com.

Solid wood

A piece of solid wood furniture is just that. It doesn't have any veneers or particleboard in it. Considered to be top quality furniture, a piece of solid wood furniture usually costs more than other types. In return, you can expect long wear and durability from a piece of solid wood furniture.
Try: Furniture.com offers a number of solid wood furniture pieces.

Particleboard and chipboard

Particleboard wood furniture cost less to make because it doesn't have the solid wood element to it. Particleboard is wood shavings cemented together with a glue binding. A machine extrudes the particleboard product. Particleboard furniture often has a wood veneer finish.
Try: HomeFurnish.com has an article about particleboard furniture.

Veneer

Wood veneer is a thin layer of real wood placed over particleboard. This layer of veneer gives the wood furniture the look of solid wood furniture at a fraction of the cost.
Try: Find information about veneers at Pop’s Unfinished Furniture.

Inlaid

Inlaid wood furniture is decorative as well as functional. The woodworker places the wood of different natural grains in such a manner as to make designs. Inlaid wood furniture pieces often become heirlooms because of their value.
Try: See a chest of drawers as an example of inlaid furniture at Laurel Crown.

Case goods

Case goods are wooden furniture pieces designed for storage. Examples of case goods include desks, bookcases and cabinets. Typically case goods do not have any upholstery or padding on them.
Try: As you can tell from the Gunlocke, the possibilities for office case goods are endless.

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