There are those who care so deeply about the quality of their furniture that they’ll spend years searching out a single piece at a time in view of that ideal living space somewhere in the future. Others would rather simply pay a large sum of money up front to have a well-known manufacturer fill their house all at once with identical looking items.

For those of us who identify with the first type, slowly hand-picking custom-made furnishing one-at-a-time just seems to provide more overall personal satisfaction with the resulting home décor. The reasons for this are many. For one, furniture sets made to accommodate an entire house with the same style, while sometimes of very fine quality, usually don’t really compare to the quality or originality of custom-made home furnishings.

For example, we carry lots of dining room tables – like the Bergen Glass Dining Table or the Austin Reclaimed Wood Dining Table – that are designed to incorporate a number of materials to reflect the influence of more than one era’s design themes. That’s due to contemporary designer choices that you just don’t get in mass-produced sets, no matter how fine their quality.

Another reason people might buy each piece of furniture in their home separately is that they want to wait to get the absolute best quality they can afford. After all, spending less on a number of different purchases is easier on the monthly budget, and ends up increasing the overall value of your long-term investment.

Buying a whole dining room and living room set to match an identical style might initially seem to make economic sense despite the large price tag that comes all at once. In the long run, however, it’s easier to buy a one of a kind reclaimed wood coffee table now, and then find sideboards and bookcases to match later on.

A different reason that people buy each piece of furniture separately is for creativity’s sake. When all of the furniture in your house is from a single set, there’s really no room for your individual personality to shine through – and in that case, what’s the point of interior decorating?

When each piece of furniture you own is hand-picked at your source for dining tables in Toronto to meet your exact personality and your interior design plan, you’ll get to decide exactly how it fits the pre-existing style of each room and the house as a whole. At that point, the interior of your house will suddenly start looking remarkably more interesting.

And that’s the real (yet endless) objective in the back of the minds of those of us who acquire fine pieces of furniture one by one; that’s what separates a true furniture and home design aficionados from those who regard buying furniture as a chore that must be accomplished so it is over and done with, once and for all.

You might buy various pieces of furniture at different times for many reasons, but the outcome is always the same: the need to determine whether a new item that looks great on its own will fit into your pre-existing home décor. While it may be difficult to match various types of furniture – especially when they’re not sitting side-by-side for comparison – for some, this problem provides an exciting design challenge.

Winter is just around the corner and many people are beginning to consider their plans for the upcoming holiday season. Very few pleasures of the season can equal that of hosting dinners for family and friends. With your loved ones gathered around the same table, there’s no better time to create cherished memories, share stories and show your appreciation to the people that matter most.

In anticipation of the season, it pays to consider the very table that will soon become the centrepiece of all this wholesome activity. Will it manage to accommodate the guests you intend to invite into your home? Is it, perhaps, a little worse for wear? Do you suspect that the elbow-to-elbow squeeze of last year’s holiday dinners might not cut it this year? Is it a table you feel proud to gather your family and friends around?

If you suspect that your current dining room table may not be an ideal setting for your upcoming time with your family and friends, we’re here to help. As your source for dining room tables in Toronto for over 40 years, we believe that a dining room table should be as unique and memorable as the people gathered around it and that a good table should last you a lifetime.

In choosing the right dining room table for your family, we have no shortage of options to offer. At Woodcraft, we carry lots of dining room tables and have no shortage of unique centrepieces to choose from. From the timeless beauty of our “Woodcraft Classic,” to the rustic, one-of-a-kind elegance of our Jackson Reclaimed Wood dining tables, each of our pieces is custom built to fit your space, your budget and your style.

To ensure that you choose the table that will fit your home best, consider:

• The ideal size – Consider how many guests you’re expecting for the holidays. Then measure the size of your dining area. In addition to the size of the table, you should ideally have three feet of room on all sides (more is better) to comfortably accommodate the people at your table. If you’re looking to make extra space for the holidays, you might be interested in tables with end extensions, or extension leaves. Incorporating bench seating may also add space around the table.

• The ideal shape — For tighter spaces, an oval or circular shape may be ideal, allowing for greater use of the surface area.  They are also great for facilitating conversation! Solid top options, such as our St. George Dining table are also available with two or three center leaves, allowing you the choice between compact everyday use and a larger size option for special occasions. If space is less of a concern, and your dining area allows for a rectangular dining table, you may want to consider classic options, such as our handsome Long Island Dining table shown below.

• The ideal supports – The choice of the base will affect how many guests you will be able to accommodate around your dining table. A pedestal or trestle support will make for greater flexibility in your seating arrangement.

For those of you expecting family in town for a few days, or simply wanting to update your living room space for quiet time with a book, we also offer an array of unique coffee tables. A one of a kind reclaimed wood coffee table can really pull a living space together. Our Mercer Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table is a rural-chic option that will add a touch of charm to any living room.

There’s still plenty of time to make sure that all preparations are in order, so if you suspect that your dining room table may not be the ideal setting for your seasonal feasts, or are looking to update your morning nook with a coffee table, perhaps it’s time to consider a Woodcraft option.

Buying Christmas presents for that special someone usually goes one of two ways: either the perfect idea immediately hits you or you have no idea what to give the person no matter how hard you try. Getting stumped over a gift can make even the most joyful holiday seem unbearable as you count down the days remaining – that’s when you’ll want an option that absolutely everyone can enjoy.

Wood Furniture is Perfect for Everyone

Luckily, hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind furniture from Woodcraft – your source for solid wood furniture – provides you with exactly that type of gift. Whether you’re buying a romantic gift for your partner, an appreciative gift for parents or in-laws, or a unique gesture of thanks to your employer, custom wood furniture gives you an option that’s both universally appreciated and wholly individual. Anyone of our designs will make an exceptional new addition to someone’s home and will represent a meaningful gesture of your care in selecting the perfect gift.

A Personalized Gift

Not only is a piece of custom furniture a gorgeous addition to any home, but it can be personalized exactly as requested to suit individual tastes. Your personalized gift will hold tremendous value for whoever receives it because they’ll know there’s only one like it in the world. Just about any home can use a new beautiful reclaimed wood table and we offer a wide variety of materials and styles to choose from, including maple, oak, vintage cherry and pine.

The Beauty of Reclaimed Wood

Not only will your gift be custom made to fit the personality of the special person you have in mind, but it will also be crafted from the gorgeous reclaimed wood of your choosing. Using reclaimed wood to make designer furniture is environmentally friendly since the manufacturing process does not require the need to harvest new trees. Using an epoxy finishing technique to rejuvenate reclaimed wood results in a beautiful and durable finish, capable of rivalling any newly crafted piece of furniture.

A Variety of Options

If you’re buying for a family, our solid wood dining tables will make a well-appreciated gift that can last generations with proper care. For a regal table with a timeless look that will suit any interior design that incorporates antiques and vintage styles, consider our Thornbury Dining Table. This table is available in the smooth finish usually associated with classic mid-century modernist wood furniture. It can also come in more unique rough sawn, random plane or rough cut textures, which will accentuate the raw look of our source material – perfect for someone with a more creative or stylish personality.

We also offer a wide variety of other types of designer wood tables, including coffee tables, end tables and sofa tables. A sofa table or a sideboard Christmas gift is well-suited to those who already own a dining room table since these items are often overlooked or acquired later on. This means that they can be ordered to match existing furniture.

Reclaimed wood makes a wonderful Christmas gift because it is universally appreciated, absolutely unique and offers stunning quality. Once you’ve settled on custom wood furniture as your gift of choice, the only remaining difficulty will be to choose the perfect piece of furniture from our large selection. Why not take a look today and be sure to be ready in time for Christmas?

Craftsmen and costumers alike have always been attracted to the natural beauty, durability and rustic appeal of wood. Wood is a versatile material, perfect for any space, style or purpose. Find new solid wood furniture for your home or workspace by investing in something that will last a lifetime and look better and better through the years.

People who invest in solid wood furniture understand that, unlike the particle-board used for cheap, mass-produced imitations, custom solid wood furniture is built to last.

The choice of material largely depends on the desired function of the piece of furniture you have in mind. Each choice of wood has its own merits.

Maple is perfect for high-use functionality. Maple takes all finishes well, but dark stains can be particularly appealing with this type of wood. Maple also has the added benefit of being moisture-resistant, which guarantees long-term durability. Maple is a great material for cabinets and living space furniture: it is dense, strong, highly functional and finishes well.

Cherry is another highly decorative choice, known for its attractive and distinct grain. The timber is strong and has good wear resistance. The distinctive warmth of Cherry wood, which starts off light-brown and ages into a deep reddish-brown colour, has timeless appeal.

Oak has optimum durability, able to withstand constant use. Oak is known for its beautiful open-grain markings, making it one of the most requested timbers.  If you’re looking to get a new coffee table or dining table, the rustic charm of oak, its durability, and its ability to withstand heavy use may just make it the ideal choice.

Pine is a lower density wood. Pine has been used for hundreds of years, thanks to its availability. It is softer, light-weight and affordable, and adds an element of coziness to any room. Pine is an ideal choice for bookshelves, armoires, and beds. It takes the strain and finishes beautifully. It is an affordable choice and is lighter in weight than hardwoods.

It is also important to consider the right finish for your furniture. A finish must account for how much protection and durability the piece requires, as well as the aesthetic you’re hoping to achieve. Natural oils are a penetrating finish, which will sink deep into the wood and help to achieve a natural-looking colour.

All solid wood furniture from Woodcraft is built to last for generations. Should your furniture need additional care in the future, our refinishing services will bring new life into well-loved pieces and make them look as good as new.

All our products are handcrafted, and we are able to customize the size, stain and finish to suit your space and style. We guarantee solid craftsmanship and impeccable customer service at every step.

We offer cross-Canada and U.S. delivery, with white-glove, door-to-door service. So, you can be confident that your beautiful new solid furniture will arrive in perfect condition.

The rugged and elegant beauty of our furniture is perfect for everyday use, special occasions or professional workspaces. The purchase of handcrafted wood furniture is an investment that will remain in your family for many years to come.

For many, the coffee table just might be the piece of furniture used the most but talked about the least. Sure, there’s an entire industry of coffee table books and charming boutique coaster sets all focused on this item; we gather near it, place our drinks and tea trays on it – but while we talk around it, how much do we really think about it?

Here at Woodcraft we have noticed that the coffee table seems to garner little attention in comparison to bedroom sets, heirloom dining room tables and even office furniture. Part of the reason may be that it’s so ubiquitous that it’s become innocuous – to put it another way, it gets used so often that it’s ever-present and becomes no more noticeable than the very air we breathe.

Perhaps the reason has to do with the fact that its use often isn’t so much about entertaining as much as the private comforts of our entertainment sets. True – we sometimes invite afternoon guests around the coffee table for, ahem, actual coffee, and if you’ve taken the time to hunt for a beautiful, unique – or lovingly handcrafted – coffee table, then there comes a time when you’ll want to show it off.

It’s not hard to tell that wood coffee tables make gorgeous centerpieces, but how much do they really capture everyone’s attention?

A coffee table is designed for everyday use, rather than to be set aside for special occasions. It’s very much an everyday piece of furniture and that means it gets used the most when we’re left alone or are among the intimate familiarity of our families.

So let’s pretend no one is home. You’re just getting in from a long day at the office. You’re relaxing the belt and any confining straps. You’re headed to the living room, looking to ease the tension of a busy day. Where are you sitting? Likely, near the coffee table.

When it comes time to buy a new coffee table, what are the most important factors to consider? The easy answer would be that it matches the rest of your living room décor satisfactorily.

But you’re going to use this piece of furniture on a day-to-day basis, so you’ve got to think beyond merely matching colours and styles. We may not readily acknowledge it to guests, but coffee tables double as an ottoman in a pinch – or even as a dining table.

What this all boils down to is that your coffee table shouldn’t be merely elegant, it should be durable. If you’re going to invest in the best in style, why not also invest in the best in craftsmanship, to guarantee your new table stands the test of time.

All of our coffee tables at Woodcraft are one-of-a-kind designs, made from strong, long-lasting solid wood. When ordering one of our tables, you can choose from woods like wormy maple, oak, pine and a variety of others to best suit your home. If you’re looking for a more durable, yet beautifully designed coffee table, we suggest starting out by viewing our Turnbuckle, Rustic, Tofino and Newport models.

The fall is just beginning to make way to the coming winter. This means that Thanksgiving has long passed by – unless you’re in the U.S.A.! – and Christmas is coming soon. Through it all, there’s one thing that unites these colder seasons and their holidays, and that’s the feasting!

During colder months, we tend to listen to our bodies telling us that it’s the time of year to stay indoors, get cozy with our loved ones, and enjoy an abundance of rich and delicious foods! When it comes to the experts in the world of furniture, we know where all eyes will be focused: on the dining room table.

If you’ve been putting off trading in that old, worn out hand-me-down dining room set, wait no longer. You’ll soon regret the waiting when the in-laws arrive expecting to be fed in comfort and style.

Luckily, you’ve been following the advice of our blog and have a pretty good sense of why Woodcraft solid wood furniture is the best option available. In this installment, we’re going to remind you of a few of the basics about reclaimed wood dining room tables that anyone who’s looking for a new one-of-a-kind family heirloom should keep in mind.

It’s becoming more common to hear that children and grandchildren are no longer interested in hand-me-down items from prior generations. What you don’t hear as often is that this has largely to do with how much mass-produced furniture was sold in the latter half of the twentieth century. When it comes to furniture, hand-crafted items always have been and always will be valued by a vast majority of people.

Woodcraft’s reclaimed wood dining room tables are never duplicated and are impossible to recreate. When this is the case, furniture can only appreciate in value and will never go out of style. If you’re interested in a dining room table made of reclaimed wood from Woodcraft, there are many styles available.

The Jackson Reclaimed Wood Dining Table borrows elements from one of Woodcraft’s most popular designs but incorporates a metal base. You can choose from a variety of sourced reclaimed wood to match your home’s décor, including pine, wormy maple, maple, oak and cherry.

The base is customizable with powder coated metal, polished steel or chrome. With an ability to blend our design with your specific tastes, you’ll take part in creating an absolutely unique piece of furniture, perfect for hosting a large holiday celebration with your loved ones.

The Austin Dining Table blends Canadian-sourced reclaimed wood with a Texan-style design for an elegant and distinctive look. Alternatively, our Lakefield Dining Table blends elements of the old and the new, incorporating reclaimed barn-wood boards onto a metal double base. Each of these exquisite hand-crafted dining room tables is customizable with all of the same options available for the Jackson table.

Why not call us to learn more about your options for unique, reclaimed wood dining room tables?

Holidays aren’t just about exchanging gifts and enjoying scrumptious feasts – they’re a celebration of traditions, old and new. While you’re preparing your home for this year’s holiday season, consider whether your current style of furniture reflects the home you want to live in.

Everyday, your house is becoming more of a home. As this process continues, you’ll find it more and more important that your home includes something of the nostalgic rituals that you grew up with and want to continue to share with your family everyday – but holding on to the past too dearly can also hold you back.

Family traditions aren’t just about recreating old memories year after year; they remain vibrant and exciting because new memories are formed and old memories are reshaped as they get shared and revamped by your family.

Just like a refinishing a fine wooden antique family heirloom, there’s a great satisfaction to be had in revitalizing what we hold dear and seeing it become valuable for new generations. When we see how little changes hold to the kernel of what’s important, they can be exactly what keeps a tradition living – and fun!

Changes in style function in the exact same way as changes in tradition. Our furniture is an important part of our personal culture and reflects who we are and what we hold dearest in our lives – and why shouldn’t it? When you recognize this, you’ll think twice about that old second-hand dinner table you’ve been passing off as a family gathering place! This year, the perfect holiday gift could be one of the many wooden dining room tables available at Woodcraft!

Now that we’ve got you thinking about your furniture, perhaps you’re considering how you’ve got the “old” part covered entirely but not so much the “new.” At Woodcraft, we’ve seen many new families in this exact situation – they’ve held onto a worn-out, mass-produced antique for so long, knowing it’s practically worthless but just can’t bear to let it go. Usually, their attitudes change dramatically as soon as they see the reclaimed wood dining room tables we offer at competitive pricing.

When choosing a new dining room table for your home, it’s always a good idea to find something that will work in the same way as a tradition – it brings a fresh style into your home, while holding onto aspects of the past that matter most. A hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind reclaimed wood table is one of the easiest and most luxurious ways to achieve the perfect balance of bringing the old and the new into your home.

When cared for properly, these designer items will turn into cherished family heirlooms of their own, because artisan furniture never goes out of style. They also make good investments, since they’ll only appreciate in value.

Woodcraft offers a large selection of styles that will help guide you to the new table that you’ll help design. By picking out the exact materials you want, you can help craft a piece of furniture that’s perfect for your home. Right now, you can check out our current specials on wooden furniture available at Woodcraft – there’s still time before Christmas to order a new dining room table to give to your family!

Have you ever thought of turning that barely used space in your basement into a cozy little hangout spot? Of course you have! Whether you have dreamt of creating your very own den, smoking room, or ‘man cave,’ decorating with reclaimed hardwood will turn it into a beautiful, personalized space you won’t be able to wait to show your friends! Many people believe that having a room in your house that you can escape to for a little ‘me’ time can help you relax, refocus, and ameliorate your mental health.

Reclaimed wood furniture is precisely what it sounds like: furniture that has been built using wood that has been reclaimed and repurposed from its original form. Barns, fences, warehouses, bridges, and old homes – 50-plus years ago, structures like these were commonly built using old growth wood. Here at Woodcraft we ‘reclaim’ that wood and use it to create brand new, one of a kind pieces of solid wood furniture that will undoubtedly add to the ambience of your private space.

Now, you may be worried that this furniture will be old, rotting, and flimsy – nothing could be further from the truth! Structures like the ones mentioned above were, as mentioned, often made with wood from old growth trees. Today, old growth trees are off-limits to loggers, meaning that most modern wooden furniture is built using fresh, young wood. And while it might be beautiful, it is most certainly not nearly as strong. Our expert woodworkers only use wood that is sturdy enough to stand the test of time.

At the heart of your den will be a gorgeous reclaimed wood coffee table – a piece that adds a rustic, old world charm to your space. A coffee table like this will be perfect whether you plan on keeping the space to yourself – a relaxing little escape in which you can read and listen to music – or inviting your friends in for Scotch and cigars. We undoubtedly carry something that would fit your space like a glove. It is simply up to you to decide what style of table will fit your space. Do you want something modern like our Portland or Adelaide reclaimed wood coffee tables? Or something more ‘rustic-chic’ like our Jackson and Mercer models? Depending on how you’ve painted and decorated the rest of the room, these tables can be stained any colour your heart desires. Here at Woodcraft we carry beautiful coffee tables that would look great in any room of your house… but never better than in your own private den.

All our reclaimed wooden furniture pieces are one-of-a-kind, impossible to duplicate or be recreated. Each one is handcrafted on order, meaning that your table is truly your table, just as your private space will be your private space. Contact our woodworking experts for tips on upkeep and care, and get building that beautiful, comfortable personal space that you have been dreaming of all these years.

Turn around and take a look at your bedframe. Are you hearing that little voice? The one that has been urging you again and again to upgrade to something new, sturdy, and elegant? It’s a common feeling. Many people do not feel that their bed is good enough for them, yet they balk at the cost and effort required to procure a new one. And who can blame you for putting it off? There are thousands of furniture manufacturers out their clamoring for your attention. Bedroom sets are expensive; there is nothing more heartbreaking than paying out the nose for something that’s just going to break down, wear out, or put kinks in your back.

You need a product you can rely on. The way to go when it comes to your new bedroom set is hardwood. Solid wood products can last a lifetime… and longer. If properly cared for, you can rest assured – literally! – that your hardwood bedframe can be passed onto your children. Custom wood furniture built with reclaimed old growth wood – wood that grew over hundreds and hundreds of years – stands the test of time.

But more importantly: it is beautiful. There is solid wood furniture from Woodcraft to fit the style of any bedroom. The Great Lakes Bedroom Set has a rustic, cottage-inspired charm that will bring you right out onto the coast of Lake Ontario. A matching nightstand and dresser are just the pieces needed to round out a bedroom that will immediately bring to mind the beauty of nature. Canada has a storied woodworking history and, aside from being a beautiful set in its own right, the Great Lakes Bedroom Set is a celebration of that.

Perhaps austerity is more to your taste. Take a look at our Ottawa Valley Collection, an elegant set that would be right at home in either an Antebellum Mansion or a historical country manor in the English countryside. Your bedroom will be highlighted by a hardwood queen panel bed and might be rounded out by matching dressers, a six-drawer lingerie chest, or 78-inch armoire — and all of Woodcraft’s wood furniture can be stained any colour you want.

With our wide range of wood and design options, here at Woodcraft we’re confident that there is a solid wood bedroom set out there for you. But if none of those sets jump out at you, our experienced and talented team of woodworkers have the ability to create just about any piece your heart desires, to your exact specifications. The only limit is your imagination. Visit our website or contact our furniture making experts today to explore your options.

A hardwood bedroom set might be expensive in the short-term, yes; but it is a long-term investment. These are pieces of furniture that are going to be in your life for a long time. You will be using these products each and every night, very possibly forever! So make sure you invest in something worth investing in, something that reflects your personality and adds beauty and comfort to your life. Invest in a hardwood bedroom set.

The big day is rapidly approaching. You have been doing everything in your power to make your dream day come true… but something about the reception is missing. You’re not quite sure what it is. The ceremony is beautiful, the rehearsal dinner is sure to be a great night, and the memories you make on your honeymoon in the Caribbean are going to last a lifetime. But you can’t shake that nagging feeling that something about the reception is going to underwhelm. Here is a quick checklist of last minute things you can do to make the reception even better.

Food & Drink 

Well, of course. The meat-and-potatoes of any good wedding reception are… the literal meat-and-potatoes. If you have not yet organized a caterer and gotten on the horn with a bartender, you need more help than this list can offer! But this is important to keep in mind: at a wedding, you can never have too much to eat and drink. If wine and beer are left over, trust us – someone at your wedding will give it a good home. Extra food just means extra leftovers; you probably don’t want to put much effort into dinners for a few days after your wedding anyhow. Cost is, of course, a consideration, but if you are careful, you can easily make this work.

Wood Is Your Friend

Do you suspect that nagging feeling in the back of your mind has to do with décor? Nothing captures the magical ambience of two souls coming together eternally like wood furniture at your wedding reception. There is a certain elegance to decorating with wood. Consider getting a custom-built table made especially for the bride and groom up there on the dais. Again, the cost might give one pause, but something like a reclaimed wood table looks great in any home; consider it a wedding gift that’s doing double duty!

You can decorate with wood elsewhere, too. Woodcraft offers a wide variety of custom furniture options that ends only with your imagination. How about a large wooden wedding sign? Or hardwood coasters and trays the guests can take home with them to remember the special day? Come down and visit our Whitby location to check out your options today.

Great Music = Great Times

You do not want to skimp on the music at your wedding. Don’t just go with a boring wedding cover band. Go check out a bunch of bar bands and professional local acts. You will inevitably find a band you really like (and you’ll have fun doing the research too!). Most local bands will be more than happy to be asked to perform at a wedding. It is flattering and fun. And most will be more than happy to accommodate any requests the happy couple can think of!

Follow this last-minute checklist to ensure that your wedding reception is memorable for you and your guests. This is not a time to cut corners and pinch pennies. You are making memories that have the potential to last lifetimes.