Spotlight On: Pine Wood Furniture

Deciding on what type of wood to choose for your furniture can be challenging. Are you looking to invest in a quality premade piece, or do you plan to commission a signature custom piece of furniture that integrates seamlessly into your home? Either way, there’s lots to consider, including the price, aesthetic preferences, and the durability of the wood — which is an essential consideration for busy households with young children.

If you are weighing up your options for your new piece of handcrafted wood furniture, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more about pine wood furniture in particular so that you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.

About Pine

Pine wood is a lower-density wood; that means it’s lighter in weight than its counterparts. Commonly seen in furniture pieces across the globe and always in style, pine looks slick and stylish in modern apartments and eases seamlessly into century homes. It’s both adaptable and beautiful!

Such aesthetic flexibility means that if you buy a piece of quality pine wood furniture, it will integrate and blend flawlessly with your home — even as your interior design styles shift and evolve for decades to come.

The Perks of Pine Wood Furniture

Generally speaking, it’s a more affordable choice than other types of wood. This isn’t because the wood is of a lesser, or subpar, quality, but because the wood is more commonly available: pine grows more readily and faster than many other trees. In fact, it takes fewer than 10 years for a pine tree to reach full maturity.

Another bonus for pine — especially in climates across North America where temperatures and humidity levels can fluctuate — is that it’s more resilient to environmental change than some other woods. Pine will experience minimal swelling and shrinking in humidity.

Pine’s lighter weight might be a huge perk if you move frequently or like to rearrange your furniture and your home regularly.

Also, if you’re interested in refinishing pine wood furniture or choosing a stain, pine stains beautifully; this is because the grain is relatively straight, and the finish is quite smooth. Such flexibility makes it easy to colour coordinate and match to other pieces of furniture in your home.

Some Challenges with Pine Wood Furniture

Most pros have a con — but know that the pros far outweigh the cons of pine wood furniture. Further, many of the cons are completely personal — what’s a con for one might not be a con for another.

While pine furniture is strong, the softer nature of the wood makes it slightly more susceptible to bumps and nicks. But many furniture enthusiasts believe that minor imperfections can tell a story and add to a piece’s rustic charm.

Pine does have more obvious, swooping knots and a deeper contrasting grain than other types of wood. Whether these visual elements are desirable is totally a personal choice. Some people enjoy the rich texture of pine, while others prefer a wood that makes less of a statement.

How Does Pine Compare to Other Woods?

While there are many, many types of wood that can be used to make wooden furniture, here we’ll contrast pine to just a few other varieties to give you a sense of how it compares.

Cherry Wood

Cherry is a strong wood with a high resistance to everyday wear. It’s commonly chosen for its rich, warm colour and attractive grain.

Maple Wood

Like cherry, maple is an ideal choice for high-traffic functionality — it works well for living space furniture as it’s relatively heavy and resistant to bumps and nicks. And like pine, it’s somewhat resistant to damp environments.

Oak Wood

Oak is an incredibly heavy, strong and durable wood — most oak trees live to 200 years, while some can exist for thousands! Visually, oak is gorgeous in its natural state. Its uniquely open-grain, wavy markings have a broad appeal. It’s ideal for pieces of furniture that experience everyday use, like dining tables and coffee tables.

Walnut Wood

A dark wood, walnut is dense and hard — making it very durable and somewhat impervious to everyday wear. Aesthetically, walnut wood has a tight grain, and over time as it ages, the wood creates a striking patina.

This is a brief rundown of just a few of the different types of wood that handcrafted wood furniture can be made from. Each varies based on strength, colour, and resistance.

How to Care for Pine Wood Furniture

Looking after pine wood furniture is simple. With regular cleaning and by taking some protective measures, you can easily keep your pine wood dining tables, beds, bookshelves and armoires in like-new condition for years (or even decades).

For Everyday Care

You look after pine furniture much the same as you would with other pieces of wooden furniture.

• First, wipe your pine furniture regularly using a soft, micro-fibre cloth — dust can cause furniture to dull and may even scratch the surface.
• Take care of spills quickly.
• If you’ve chosen pine for a coffee table or dining table, use coasters, placemats, and runners to protect the surface and prevent unsightly watermarks.
• If you’ve picked pine wood for a sideboard or dresser and you’d like to display pictures or ornaments, adhere felt or stoppers to the bottom of all knickknacks.
• When possible, keep your solid wooden furniture away from direct sunlight and direct sources of heat — like a radiator, heat vent or fire.

Taking Time for a Deeper Clean

You can do a simple deep cleaning with household products. Every now and then, using a soft cloth, fill a bowl with warm water and add a drop of dish soap. Submerge the cloth and ring it out completely, then wipe the furniture down in the direction of the grain. Go over the piece again using a dry cloth to remove any residual moisture.

One of the main benefits of handcrafted furniture is that it’s made with longevity in mind. With that, whatever wood you opt for — whether it’s pine, cherry, maple or otherwise — will depend on your aesthetic preference and on the piece of furniture and its desired function. Whatever your choice, you’ll have a signature piece of quality furniture in your family for years of enjoyment and appreciation.