How Stain and Wood Type Affect your Furniture Color

Most home furniture stores in West Palm Beach offer a wide selection of stain and wood types. If you’re not familiar with the different types of stains and wood, you probably only know the difference by lightness and darkness. But stains and wood type can have a real impact on the durability and aesthetic of your home décor in West Palm Beach. While in some rooms pine furniture might work, for another room you might want to go with a solid oak. For kids furniture in West Palm Beach you might want light colored furniture but for your bedroom, you might want darker colored furniture. So just how does wood and stain type affect your furniture color?

Hardwood vs Softwood

The major difference between hardwoods and softwoods is botanical. Hardwoods are made from flowering trees and softwoods are made from conifers. Hardwoods are typically found in higher priced wooden furniture, decking, flooring, and construction materials. However, most timber comes from softwoods. You’ll find that most window frames and other building components are made from softwoods.

Veneer, Combination, or Solid

Did you know that not all hardwood furniture is solid? Some furniture stores, in order to make the furniture less expensive, will use a hardwood veneer over a composite board. Veneer furniture does look beautiful but it’s not built to last. Any scratches in the veneer cannot be buffed out. Some furniture is made from a combination of different woods, so that your hardwood furniture may not be all one type of wood. Finally, another technique used is using hardwood on the surface while using softwood on interior surfaces. It’s important to look at all aspects of the wooden furniture.

Different Colored Stains

* Cherry Stains

Cherry wood darkens and warms slightly with age. So, keep this in mind when choosing a stain color to match the furniture in your room. Cherry stains come in a variety of colors from lighter harvest color to a much darker briar. Darker wood stains will look even darker with age on cherry wood.

* Black Walnut Stains

Black walnut stains, like other darker stains, helps to bring out the beautiful natural grain. You can add this reddish, vintage look to furniture with a darker stain. Natural walnut furniture will have this reddish, vintage look.

* White Oak Stains

White oak stain is a lovely lightly colored wood. This stain looks best in rooms that you want to keep the mood light and airy. It also looks great in children’s bedrooms. White oak has large pores in the early-wood and will soak up a lot of the stain much faster. You can also choose a white oak stain in a darker color like golden brown or burnt umber.

How to Mix Different Wood Stains in the Same Room

* Contrast Furniture and Flooring

Break up the monotony of color by pairing light furniture with flooring that has a darker stain or vice versa. Matching is cool but sometimes, especially when using just one color, it can make a room seem different. For example, lots of dark wood and dark floors in a room may make a room seem too small.

* Create Balance

If you’re set on using dark stained furniture, pick the furniture fabric in a lighter color. This will help balance out the dark staining. It will allow the lighter fabric color to have a greater contrast effect and create an airy, relaxed feel.

* Pick a Dominate Wood Stain

Not big into mixing and matching? Pick one stain that you love and run with it! Of course, use fabrics, accessories, lighting, and mirrors to balance out the darkness. Especially for rooms like the living room or sitting room where you want people to feel relaxed and not oppressed. Badcock’s Furniture store in West Palm Beach can help you pick the perfect living room furniture in West Palm Beach. With a wide selection of styles, colors, fabrics, and a team full of helpful individuals, shopping for your home has never been easier. Find your favorite styles and some trend-forward pieces all in one place. Whether you’re shopping for a new home or redecorating your current home, we have it all. Shop online or in store.