Oak Furniture – Style, Durability and Value for Money

People buy oak furniture for many reasons. Some buy for the sheer style that oak brings to any furniture item. Others love the durability of the wood and how with a little care and attention any oak furniture item will last for decades. Then there are those who look on buying oak furniture as an investment that gives great value in the long term. Lastly, of course, there are those smart people who buy for all these reasons. Let’s consider them each in turn.

First, let’s look at the style factor.

What wood can match oak for sheer style? No other material radiates that ‘aged’ quality that oak has and brings such warmth to any room it graces. It’s a versatile beauty, too. With its deep lustre, seductive grain and natural brown finish, oak furniture can compliment any style of home from a futuristic downtown apartment to a Victorian country cottage.

Whatever type of home you live in, you’re sure to find the perfect pieces of oak furniture to fit in. Consider the Vancouver furniture range. Crafted from solid European oak this range offers everything a complete range of stylish furniture including lamp tables, wardrobes, chests, desks and bookcases  all in a rustic finish featuring tapered legs and heavy gauge rustic brass plate handles. The wood is finished in a blend of wax and oil. This gives the items a measure of shine without sacrificing the rustic charm.

The great thing about the Vancouver range is that not only is it extremely stylish, it’s also made from reclaimed oak. This means you’re getting quality oak wood reclaimed from such sources as wood flooring from old houses. Vancouver furniture offers the finest range of bedroom furniture, home office furniture, and living room furniture.

Durability is another major reason people but oak furniture. Oak is a very hard wood and is resistant to temperature, knocks, spills and stains.

For durability, let’s consider the dining table. This is one item of furniture that gets repeated heavy use for year after year. If you’ve ever bought a dining table made from pinewood or some similar material, you probably know if gives up the ghost after a few years or even worse collapses on you. For that special daily occasion of the family breakfast, you really need something that will give you faithful service for a lifetime and beyond. If you invest in a oak breakfast table, you’ll be getting a stylish piece of furniture that will provide decades of use for your family morning gatherings.

In fact, durability is not restricted to items made of solid oak. Furniture featuring oak veneer also offers both style and the strength to give a lifetime of happy use. Consider the Atlantis breakfast table as an example. This features a polished reflective granite top set into laminated wood frames with panels of oak veneer. These dining tables look great in any setting and blend in with any decor. A choice of optional leather or slatted back chairs gives you all the options you need. They come packed up ready for easy assembly.

Finally, let’s consider the important topic of the value of oak furniture. One factor that puts some people off buying oak furniture is the cost. It’s no secret that oak commands a premium price. But remember, when you buy oak furniture, you’re making an investment.

So is there such a thing as cheap oak furniture? It depends on how you view ‘cheap’. When you buy oak you’re getting decades of quality use; if you but an ordinary table, you’ll have to replace it every few years and it may give up on you at any time. If you look at things from this perspective, then yes, there is such a thing as cheap oak furniture.

So if you’re looking to buy oak furniture for style, durability or value, or all of these things, check out the great deals available online. You can browse the web sites of vendors and peruse their extensive illustrated catalogues. Most reputable online merchants offer swift free delivery to destinations in the UK mainland for the ultimate in convenience and value.

The Magic of Oak Furniture

With its dark, gleaming beauty and long lasting strength, oak furniture brings a touch of magic to every home. Why settle for ordinary furniture when you can transform you home with the magic of oak furniture?

No other material brings that touch of magic to your home that oak does. With its dark gleaming lustre and famed durability, oak furniture is an asset that will bring you a lifetime of pleasure and functionality. Why is oak such a magical wood?

When buying oak furniture for your home, you’re tapping into a tradition that goes back many centuries. Oak furniture was first made back in the 16th century and the amazing thing is that items of furniture made in those days are still around today – now as prized antique items. Carpenters in those days would have been amazed at today’s furniture creations – such items as a Brooklyn dressing table mirror, for example, of the light oak furniture available nowadays.

The fact is that oak is one of the most durable of hard woods and with just simple maintenance will last you a lifetime and be fine heirlooms long into the future.

Oak is also a highly versatile material. It comes in many colours and grains allowing considerable choice to match various interior designs. For example, you can get loose grains and tight grains, with a different appearance and mood.

You have a choice of tones, too, ranging from light to dark and creating warmer and cooler atmospheres as you desire. You can get oak as golden brown or a vibrant shade of auburn. Just one item of oak furniture brings warmth to a room. And if you don’t want the classic heaviness of regular oak, you can opt for light oak furniture.

The actual colour of oak varies considerably from light golden shades to medium browns. You can get oak furniture in a wide range of popular finishes with such evocative names as golden oak, cinnamon, cognac and tobacco.

Of one oak’s magical properties is that is can be fashioned into furniture of any style for any setting. While oak is best known as a material for classic and traditional furnishing, it can be used to create pieces that complement any environment. For example, for the ultimate in relaxation you can opt for lounge oak items which feature smooth solid oak furniture in a range of stylish designs for the laid back lifestyle. Many of these modern furniture items, which include cabinets, coffee tables and wall shelves and shelf units, are multi-functional.

One way to transform you home with the magic of oak is through the use of oak bathroom furniture. Perhaps you never gave much thought to the furniture in your bathroom. But your bathroom is a special place where you spend much of your time. This means you need to give as much thought to its furnishing as you would to any other room.

Adding some choice oak furniture such as vanity units with sinks, bathroom mirrors and bathroom cupboards and cabinets in a variety of sizes, can transform your bathroom into an attractive functional space. You can get great results by incorporating sophisticated sink units into oak frames. Another option to get a chic bathroom is to use floor standing cabinets with marble tops.

As for the living room, one way to add magic is with an oak TV unit. As the focus of your home entertainment, you need to give a lot of thought to your TV unit. You need one large and strong enough to bear your TV, wide enough to contain all your accessories and home theatre, and having enough storage space in the form of shelves and draws.

Another factor that makes oak magical is the ease of looking after it. How you look after your oak pieces depends on the finish. Your furniture may have a lacquered or oiled finish. Sometimes, you may have untreated oak finished with a colourless wax. For the former, just dust your furniture with a soft dry cloth. For the latter, you should add a coat of beeswax a few times a year to help maintain its lustre.

Oak furniture has a warm inviting feel that allows you to create a home of classic beauty that will draw admiration from all who visit. Oak furniture is not cheap but you should regard it as an investment that will give you a lifetime of service and beauty. That’s the magic of oak furniture.

Complete Guide to buying Oak Furniture

Buying oak furniture for your home is the ideal way to give your residence that blend of style and durability that only oak can provide. It’s no wonder that oak has been the furniture wood of choice for carpenters and craftsmen for hundreds of years. Imagine the charm of a Brooklyn dressing table mirror gracing your bedroom. Or some fine lounge oak tables and chairs in your living room. The fact is that both dark and light oak furniture can look wonderful in every room in your home. Here’s you complete guide to acquiring the best oak furniture.

First, let’s look at what oak is. Oak is the wood from the hardwood oak tree, a genus is native to the northern hemisphere. Oak comes in two main varieties – red and white. Both have a similar grain but white oak features longer rays. White oak is more durable that red and is, of course, lighter in colour.

Red oak wood is popular for flooring, furniture, and kitchenware among other things. It’s a carpenter’s dream being easily sanded, stained and finished.

Light oak is known for its toughness and resistance to rot and moisture. This makes is more suitable outdoor use, in patio furniture, for example. Popular light oaks include Orly, Shaker, Cambridge, Dorset, Mobel Oak Range, Hereford, Atlantis, and Timberland.

So why should you choose oak furniture for your home? The answer can be explained in the two words ‘beauty’ and ‘durability’.

The beauty of oak furniture comes from its colour and grain. Oak has a timeless, classic beauty. This means that an item such as a Brooklyn dressing table mirror looks as good in a sleek apartment at Canary Wharf as it would in a rustic cottage deep in the countryside.

When it comes to colour, oak has few peers. The colours of oak range from light golden shades to a medium brown. Oak wood is known for its unique grain, which is especially pronounced when it’s quarter sawn. And oak is a porous hardwood which means that it stains well.

As for durability, oak’s hardness protects it from the knocks of everyday life. Oak also has tannin acid present in its grain which makes it resistant to insects, mold and fungus. In fact, most damage to oak results from hot, corrosive or dirty objects placed on the surface of the wood. Oak’s durability makes it perfect for homes with active children – it’s very impervious to blows and scratches.

When it comes to buying oak furniture, your two main options are solid oak and veneer. In the latter, a layer of solid oak is glued to a less valuable wood such as pine, plywood or particleboard. Oak veneers can look very nice and are often strong and durable through being made by overlapping pieces. However, low quality veneers can peel, warp or bubble up and this is difficult to repair.

If you’re buying solid oak furniture your choices are dark or light oak. Your decision will depend on such factors as the size of your rooms and the colours of your walls, floors and existing furniture.

Dark oaks look heavier so might not be suitable in a small room. Light oaks create an ambiance of light and space. Light oak furniture also has a more chic and modern look.

Whatever type of home you live in, you’re sure to find the perfect oak furniture to blend in and enhance your lifestyle. Perhaps you’d choose a stylish lounge oak coffee table in your living room or a classic dining table for marvelous meals in your dining room.

You’ll be pleased to know, too, that oak furniture is very easy to look after. Clean up spills immediately and just rub down the oak surface about once a month.

Oak furnishings are a major purchase but you should look on them as an investment. Buying quality oak furniture for your home will bring you decades of use and pleasure and you’ll be joining a tradition that dates back centuries.

When looking to buy oak furniture, you can find an array of online retailers that offer full details of their products including high resolution images on their websites. Look for an established retailer with a wide range of products with detailed descriptions and a long history of customer recommendations.