Despite the colossal development of new technologies and materials in terms of quality, environmental friendliness, and durability, today’s solid wood furniture has no competitors. It is not expected, and oak was and remained among the most prestigious materials for its production. The ancient Greeks, Scandinavians, Germans, and other peoples attributed healing and even magical properties to the oak, which today, unfortunately, many have safely forgotten.
Advantages and Disadvantages of solid oak furniture
Solid wood is one of the first materials that people began to use for home decoration. Our ancestors appreciated oak for its practicality, and in modern design, appearance is no less appreciated. Oak is also worth choosing because furniture made of this material has a positive effect on health. Modern furniture production has a wide variety of materials. However, natural wood remains in the first place for several reasons: it does not cause allergies, decorates the interior, and retains all its qualities for many years. For the manufacture of solid wood furniture, oak or pine is most often chosen. Pine is a more budget option. Oak is considered a valuable, prestigious species. Solid oak furniture has always distinguished the wealthiest houses. And today, connoisseurs of beauty choose just such furniture, paying tribute to its elegance and sophistication. As a result, oak furniture remains in high demand, despite its high cost.
What are the Advantages of oak products:
- High strength and long service life.
- Reliability and safety.
- Vast potential for interior use. Solid wood has a unique natural pattern that allows you to make gorgeous furniture. They decorate it with carving since such decor looks great and retains its original appearance for a long time. Such items fit perfectly into both classic and more modern interiors.
- Solid wood furniture requires special care, but it can last for tens or even hundreds of years if all the rules are followed. You can always engage a restoration specialist to restore the wood’s integrity if it has been harmed. As a result, an oak product can become a family heirloom.
Solid oak is a unique material, the characteristics of which make all products special both from an aesthetic and practical point of view:
- The texture of the oak has light sapwood and clear heartwood. The strength of this material is so high that it is not so easy to process it. Therefore, hardened cutters are used for working with oak.
- Oak is one of the most complex types of wood. This characteristic is determined by the Brinell method: using a hardened steel ball with a diameter of 10 mm, pressure is applied to the surface with a force of 100 kg.
- Also, oak is a unique combination of strength and flexibility. Due to the plasticity of this material, several decorative processing methods can be used: this is carving, and staining, and bleaching, and texture with the help of the brush. And despite any processing, solid oak furniture will still support a lot of weight while maintaining its shape.
- One of the essential features of oak is its resistance to decay. The wood will not deteriorate from high humidity or temperature extremes; therefore, the operational capabilities are expanded. Now furniture with an oak facade is made not only for the bedroom or living room but also for the kitchen and even the bathroom.
Interestingly, with prolonged contact with water, the oak does not crack or wrinkle but only changes color to dark purple with a green tint. This wood color is the rarest of all that can be obtained naturally, and therefore the most expensive. This example clearly illustrates to us the strength and reliability of solid oak.
What are the Disadvantages of solid oak furniture?
- High quality also entails the high cost of products. And since usually we are not talking about purchasing one piece of furniture, but about decorating, at least, an entire room, the costs can be very high.
- Solid wood is a dense material and, therefore, relatively heavy.
- Reliable wood products look pretty massive. Accordingly, this material is not very suitable for small rooms: there will be a feeling of space congestion.
Types of solid oak furniture
Oak may be used to create a wide range of furniture, each of which will become a valid focal point in the room. In particular, the following products are trendy:
- Tables dining models for the living room or dining room and options for offices and work areas. Stable, simple shapes are adorned with a neat hand-carved pattern.
- Elite kitchen sets. It is possible to place such a piece of furniture art only in a spacious room, with the obligatory presence: this will protect the tree from moisture.
- Bedroom furniture. A bed, bedside tables, and a chest of drawers, decorated in the same style will decorate your bedroom now and will be no less fashionable when your children inherit them.
- Walls for classic and modern living rooms. In their manufacture, oak is often combined with mahogany and glass, and even precious metals.
Oak furniture as a source of strength and energy
Each tree has energy, but the oak is mighty. It accumulates light energy over the years of its long life and gives it away for centuries, embodied in the decoration of residential buildings or its furniture.
Tired after a hard day, it is worth sitting on a chair or lying down on an oak bed, as the body is filled with new strength. People living surrounded by oak furniture are less sick. It’s no surprise that the Russian language has a clear analogy – “strong as an oak.”
Oak furniture as a defense against dark forces
What was previously called the evil eye and evil spirits, today many interpret as energetic vampirism? In the old days, rich houses were built from oak wood, tables and beds were made.
This choice of wood was explained by its practicality and the magical properties that protect dwellings from the penetration of negative energy. Those who could not afford to live in such an environment carved a talisman from an oak plank and carried it with them.
Solid oak – the choice of connoisseurs of a conservative lifestyle
Oak is a male tree. It is somewhat brutal, and not all women like it and everyone who appreciates everything modern and technological. Instead, such products are suitable for connoisseurs of a conservative lifestyle.
Oak furniture, with all the desire, cannot be called elegant. Heavy and massive, it symbolizes power, strength, and masculinity. It also gives the interior a touch of luxury and nobility. That is why it is mainly chosen by men, furnishing the interiors of offices. Here tables and bookcases from solid oak are especially organically fit.
It is believed that oak furniture contributes to its owner’s authority, success, and career advancement. But ladies, especially unmarried, should not get carried away, surrounding themselves with oak furniture. From such a neighborhood, women become too self-sufficient, which does not contribute to romantic relationships. But if the head of the family is a man, oak furniture will only strengthen the marriage bond.
Oak table – a piece of furniture out of fashion and time
The dining table is considered a sacred place in every home. At the tables, people meet and communicate with family and friends.
If the table is made of solid oak, this place, taking into account all of the above, takes on a much broader meaning. A high-quality oak table does not rot or deform. It will stand like new for a hundred years and more, becoming a symbol of comfort and hospitality for the family.
