Add the beauty of wood furniture and accessories to a home
When you consider how our natural resources are strained to the limit, using alternative materials allows our forests to re-seed and recover. Take a look at the hardwoods available for furniture manufacture and you will discover the high price of these materials due to their rarity.
For me, it makes sense to use more sustainable and affordable materials. Having said that , I still love the beauty of natural wood and love stumbling upon a piece that can be given TLC and lovingly restored.
I am always harping on about finding beautiful secondhand pieces at auction sales. More often than not many of these pieces have been well cared for and only require a little attention. Others have been stored away for many years and require more work.
You will find plenty of tips and tricks in our Decorating section to aid and assist in restoring, painting or finishing these pieces. At the end of the day, adding a few pieces of beautiful wood furniture to a home adds character and warmth.
Even if you decide not to do anything will beautiful wood pieces that you find, they still add unique charm to a home and can be repurposed in different ways than for which they were original intended.
Buying vintage reproduction or secondhand furniture allows you to bring pieces into your home that you normally couldn't afford, or probably wouldn't be able to buy. You're also investing in furniture that will eventually become priceless as wood species becomes even more protected.
Natural wood furniture is not only beautiful on its own, it has become trendy when mixed with a variety of other decor styles. These days you find traditional wood furniture mixed with contemporary glass and plastic pieces.
Even a single piece of wood furniture has the ability to transform a room. In South Africa you will stumble upon pieces made of Cape Beech, Imbuia, Kiaat, Oregon Pine, Oak, Rosewood, Stinkwood, Yellowwood and Teak.
Scaffolding planks might not be considered designer decor, but sand them down, add some stain and give them a few coats of polyurethane varnish and they add the perfect finishing touch to a plain wall in a modern home. Plus, who doesn't need shelves!
Mix up styles and designs for an eclectic look. There's nothing wrong with combining reclaimed furniture, or mid-century pieces with other styles... it's all about personality and charm.
hearthomemag.co.uk
The next time you get offered hand-me-down vintage or reproduction furniture, think twice before you turn down the donation. That chest of drawers handed-down through generations could become a collectible piece, or a hand-me-down to the next generation - perhaps a generation where wood furniture can not be bought at any price.