Commonly used woods in furniture
making are:
- Beach: very strong
wood, used in the 17th century to make upholstered furniture
and in the 18th and 19th centuries painting on this wood
was very popular.
- Cherry: Popular for
Chippendale and Queen Ann style furniture.
- Chestnut: This wood
was used for French Provincial furniture during the 18th
century.
- Mahogany: There are
several different types of mahogany,Spanish, Cuban and San
Domingan just to name a few. This wood became popular in
the 1700's
- Maple: You will see
this type of wood in colonial pieces and in modern pieces
also
- Oak: Sometimes used
a secondary wood on quality furniture , this wood was also
prominent in Britain from the middle ages to the end of
the 17th century.
- Pecan: You will find
this type of wood in contemporary pieces as well as traditional.
- Rosewood: This is
a very high quality wood used during the Victorian periods
in England.
- Teak: This wood is
used mainly for modern furniture.
- Walnut: This wood
was popular in the Victorian era and is also used in making
modern furniture.
Decorating furniture with Carvings, Inlays
and Veneering has always been popular.
Carving of wood furniture is done by hand or tool to exhibit
stylistic characteristics of that particular period. For instance,in
the mid 18th century , the Rocco styled chairs were intricatly
carved to form the " Claw and Ball feet ". Elaborate
scrolls , cupids , columns and strapwork was often found decorating
the Renaissance period furniture. Walnut and Mahogany woods
are popular for carving.
Veenering is another way of decorating furniture.Veenering
is taking a less expensive piece of wood such as pine and
covering it in a thin layer of more expensive or attractive
wood.You can have the look you want for less.
Inlay is common form of decoration.Differently
colored woods are used to create a pattern or picture.Inlaying
was popular on English and Continental furniture from the
1700's.Also, precious material such as mother of pearl can
be found on chinese cupboards and chests as early as the century. |
The
history of furniture parallels with the progress of culture.
In its gradual evolution, furniture has been made with a variety
of woods and a large array of styles. The period determines
the type of wood and the different styles. 
