Types of Wood for Your Custom Furniture
Choosing the right wood type for your new piece of custom furniture is an important aspect of the design process.
Different wood species and finishes each carry their own aesthetic appeal, so you want to make sure you select the right one that best complements your space.
This guide will help you understand the differences between hardwoods, softwoods, and plywood, and when each type of wood is recommended.
Our team at D3 Woodworks collaborates closely with our clients to help them select the right type of wood, ensuring your new custom woodworking piece matches your style, space, and needs.
Hardwood for Custom Furniture
Hardwoods are strong, dense wood species that serve as great options for custom furniture.
The wood’s durability helps extend the life of furniture while mitigating the amount of nicks and scratches it receives over time.
On custom hardwood pieces, we recommend using natural finishes or pigments that showcase the lumber’s woodgrain patterns.
Common types of hardwood used in custom furniture pieces are listed below.
White Oak
White oak is an extremely hard and resilient wood species with a tan grain that is a popular choice for countertops and custom indoor furniture.
Because of its density, white oak is a heavier wood that will add weight to your custom piece.
White oak’s water-resistant qualities also make it a good option for outdoor furniture.
Top view of a walnut end table made by D3 Woodworks
Side view of a walnut coffee table made by D3 Woodworks
Walnut
Walnut offers a natural, darker hue to custom pieces while providing strength and stability.
Cherry
Cherry has unique coloration and grain features. In the right lighting and finish, cherry will show a nice light pink pop of color within its reddish-brown grain pattern.
Ash
Ash appears similar to white oak in color and grain pattern, providing a lower-cost and lighter-weight alternative for a custom piece.
Side view of a dining room table and bench made by D3 Woodworks; the primary wood is cherry with an ash accent in the middle of the bench and a white oak foot rest spanning the lower section of the table
Top view of the cherry and ash bench, with the ash in the center and the cherry on the outside; a nice pink flourish pops out of the cherry on the right side of the image
Sapele
Sapele is an African mahogany with a warm, medium-brown pigment for your custom indoor woodworking piece.
Its natural water-resistant properties also makes Sapele a good option for outdoor furniture.
Purpleheart
Purpleheart’s distinct purple hue makes this species a unique option to add a pop of color to your piece or space.
This species is most often used as an accent on custom furniture rather than as the primary wood.
Teak
Teak is another water-resistant hardwood that acts as a favorable option for custom outdoor furniture.
Its natural color ranges from golden to darker brown and tends to darken and fade to gray with prolonged exposure to sunlight.
Softwood for Custom Furniture
While softwoods are an available choice for custom furniture, we recommend that our clients avoid using these species.
Softwoods’ open grain patterns make this lumber more susceptible to movement and warping, while also being easily prone to blemishes such as dents and scratches.
Softwoods are often used for outdoor furniture because of their weather-resistant properties; however, we recommend using a stronger wood, such as teak, sapele, or white oak, for your custom outdoor pieces.
Common softwoods include
cypress,
cedar,
and pine.
D3 Woodworks entertainment center using plywood as the primary wood with white oak shelves and countertop
Using Plywood for Custom Woodworking Pieces
Plywood offers a lightweight, cost-efficient alternative for the structure of a custom piece, supplemented with hardwood for trim, cabinet doors, drawer faces, and/or the top. It also serves as an excellent solution for a piece you want painted.
At D3 Woodworks, we frequently use cabinet grade plywood, paint grade birch plywood, or hardwood veneered plywood - depending on the custom piece’s design and the client’s desired finish.
D3 Woodworks Custom Woodworking in Denver
Our team at D3 Woodworks works closely with our clients in Denver to help them customize their spaces with our handmade furniture, cutting boards, and built-in units.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you tailor your space to fit your needs with one of our custom woodworking pieces.