Objective 2.02: Selecting Furniture

Understanding furniture construction will help you choose the highest quality furniture for your money

USING WOOD IN FURNITURE

A wood grain, or pattern, is formed as a tree grows Wood grain influences the construction of furniture.

SOLID WOOD: Whole pieces of the same wood used to make exposed furniture surfaces.

HARDWOODS Deciduous trees lose leaves in the fall: maple, oaks, walnut Can be sanded and refinished Expensive

SOFTWOODS Coniferous trees remain green all year: pines, cedars, firs Inexpensive

VENEERS A thin layer of expensive wood over inexpensive wood Allows you to get the look of more expensive wood at a lower price.

PRESSED WOOD (particle board) Wood shavings, chips, and sawdust mixed with glue May be used as the base for veneers.

BASIC FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION

Joint – the place where one piece of wood is connected to another The joint determines the furniture’s strength.

Mortise-and-Tenon Strongest of all joints Cannot wobble and difficult to pull out Joins legs and rails in chairs and beds  Difficult to mark and cut out.

Dowel (can be single double, triple) Quick and easy to make  Drilling accurate holes difficult.

Dovetail Very strong joint and resists being pulled apart Good for joining all sides of drawers  Difficult to mark and cut out.

Tongue and Groove Easy to measure and cut; invisible Used for table tops and floors  Tongues can break easily; cannot be disassembled.

Butt Easiest to make  Weakest type of joint.

Corner Blocks Added to make joints more secure, such as the frames of chairs and tables.

Mitered Aesthetically pleasing  Not very strong.

FURNITURE FINISHES

Furniture finishes protect wood, and enhance or change the wood color.

Stain: adds color without covering the grain.

Varnish, lacquer, or polyurethane: clear and adds protection.

Paint: covers the wood and is the least expensive

UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE

Upholstered Furniture Components Hard wood frame secured with a corner block Hand-tied springs to prevent sagging Padding Cushions Fabric.

OTHER FURNITURE MATERIALS

Plastic Inexpensive, lightweight, easy to clean.

Metals: wrought iron, steel, aluminum, and chrome

Rattan, Wicker, and Bamboo combine natural wood frames with woven stems or branches.

Glass should be tempered - break into small pebbles instead of sharp pieces.

Wood Plastic Metal Rattan Wicker Bamboo Glass