Many new modern and synthetic products were introduced in the 20th and 21st century, leaving much of the traditional ways of finishing wood long forgotten. However, woodworking and finishing is an ancient craft and the oils, waxes, and resins historically used, still produce beautiful results that are hard to achieve from most any other process. Whether you are restoring an antique or building a new piece of furniture, consider using a traditional finish.

Following are finishing techniques dating from the mid-1600′s to the mid-1900′s.

OIL FINISHES

Linseed and tung oils are most commonly used, but other oils include walnut, soybean, sunflower, safflower, perilla, oiticica, and poppyseed. Linseed is pressed from the seed of the flax plant while tung oil is obtained from the nut of the tung tree. Oil finishes bring out natural characteristics of the wood and are relatively easy to apply. While it generally produces a satin sheen, applying many coats can produce a high gloss.

VARNISHES

When natural resins produced from plants, trees, and insects are added to the oil or to alcohol (spirits) a varnish is created. In most cases, spirit varnishes are more transparent and colorless, but an oil varnish is tougher and more water-resistant. Oil varnish is difficult and dangerous to make due to the hazards of heating a mixture of highly flammable materials, so consider ready-made traditional varnishes. Shellac is by far the best of the spirit varnishes and is much more flexible and durable.

FRENCH POLISH

Earlier recipes used other combinations and natural resins, but since the 1800′s, shellac, dissolved in alcohol, has been the main ingredient in a French polish. Applied with a pad, a good French-polish finish is very desirable and closely associated with fine furniture.

Shellac is made from the secretions of a lac bug and varies in color. Since it is solvent in alcohol, be careful of wine spills.

STAINS

Classic stains consist of dyes or pigments derived from plants, trees, and insects and are used to color the wood. Dye stains are transparent and soak deep into the wood, while pigment stains contain crushed minerals resembling very thin paint. Colors will fade with prolonged exposure to sunlight. However, the newer developments of synthetic aniline dyes are more lightfast and often cheaper.

Stains which chemically alter the color of the wood have also been used for centuries. These stains can be very beautiful and enhance the natural beauty of the wood, rather than obscure the grain patterns, but dangerous chemicals are used such as ammonia and tannic acid.

WAX FINISHES

Wax can be used alone as a finish or as a final protective coat. It is the most impervious to water compared to other natural products, but is relatively soft and damages easily. However, it is quickly repaired by adding another coat, protects against humidity, and produces a beautiful finish that is still preferred by many woodworkers.

Types of wax include beeswax, paraffin, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, lac wax, japan wax, and other waxes produced from trees, petroleum, minerals, and insects.

MILK PAINT

Paint has been found on early Egyptian furniture and used for centuries to protect, decorate, and to hide crude joinery. Milk paint is one type from ancient origin that is very durable and has a distinctive look not easily replicated. Colors will fade with exposure to sunlight and the natural pigments of the earth are more subdued than other types of synthetic paint.

The main ingredients in milk paint are milk, lime, and earth pigments. You can purchase milk paint in dry powdered form with authentic pigments and correct coarse texture.

While there are advantages and disadvantages to each type of finish, it is these characteristics together that help make an antique look and feel old. Before disregarding a finish based on what you might think is an undesirable effect, remember that the faded colors of a stain, the dirt embedded into wax, or the rougher texture of milk paint is was gives furniture the distinct feeling of character, age, and patina.

There are many types of wood to be constructed into furniture. Regardless to the costly price of each piece of furniture, yet people love to fill their home with the wood one. Wood furniture creates an impression of natural and warmth atmosphere to home or office concept.

Solid wood

Solid wood is a full timber crafted into furniture. There are types of solid wood like hardwoods an softwood.  Hardwood like teak is known as an anti-termite. For one timber, teak is valued expensively. It reaches almost $20.000 depends on where the wood comes from. The softwood has less durability compared to the hardwood ones.

Plywood

Plywood is used as furniture material. Usually it is made up of multiple layers sometimes including particle wood and solid wood. The layers are not very thick and they are layered in different directions to make it stronger. Its thickness is only about a few millimeters varied from 3mm, 4mm, 9mm and 18 mm. It is some called of inexpensive wood may cost to the furniture in living room, dining room, bedroom or kitchen set.

Particle wood

Particle wood is made of a mixture rough wood particle and of special chemical substance which bond with the glue and dry in high temperature. Particle wood can be created into furniture which is not the best result to pick. In long term particle wood will change its form. It doesn’t water proof and can’t hold too much weight.

Veneers

Lastly, although usually frowned upon, veneer is not as bad as it is made out to be. It is great for pieces that won’t get much use and can be very good-looking. Many times what causes veneer to be of poor quality is the construction of it. It is recommended to purchase furniture that does not require assembly. If you notice that the furniture is constructed of veneer and only features that decorative layer of veneer on one side, be prepared to not have that piece for very long. When moisture is absorbed by wood unevenly on one side only, it will swell and the board will warp. Even solid wood needs to be finished on both sides to prevent warping.

Nowadays, people are concerning about global warming which is can be seen the impact to man kind life. In understanding this issue, human should use natural product wisely including for wood as furniture. The solution to meet the market demand is reducing the usage of solid wood with the other alternative to choose.

Over the past few years a number of boutique hotels have come up all over the world. These hotels have become the number one choice of leisure as well as business travelers because of the quality of the service offered and above all, the unique experience that these hotels strive to provide to their guests. In fact boutique hotels are constantly trying to out do each other on who gives their guest the more exquisite atmosphere during their stay and this means each and every aspect of a boutique hotel is carefully examined and only the best quality accessories are approved by the management.

 

One of the most crucial decisions that a boutique hotel management has to take is what kind of furniture do they want for their guest rooms, spas, lounge area, gardens etc. From the time that a guest enters the boutique hotel, the first thing that strikes anyone, is the furniture. Whether it is the reception, the chairs and decorative furniture in the lobby, to the guest rooms and even the restaurant – each and every piece of furniture is exclusively hand picked and also carefully crafted to go with the overall ambience of the hotel.

 

Furniture being such an important decision, most boutique hotel managers would tell you that one type of furniture that you just can’t go wrong with is wood furniture. Different people have their own unique tastes and preferences and hence modern materials such as glass or metal will attract only a specific type of guest but not all. At the same time, wood furniture has such a rare appeal that each and every person absolutely loves the look and feel of this type of furniture.

 

The great thing about wood furniture is that it can go with any kind of ambience that the boutique hotel is trying to create. Whether it is to give the hotel an old world charm, a retro look or even make it modern and exclusive, wood goes with everything and helps interior designers to match and mould the furniture as per the requirements of the hotel. And of course, since boutique hotels strive to create an absolutely fashionable and elite atmosphere, wood furniture fits the scene perfectly in all respects. No other type of furniture can give the sense of class and refinement than what wood furniture provides to a place.

 

From amazing super king sized beds, to beautiful hand crafted wardrobes, dressing tables etc, the guests of the hotel are pampered with the finest in luxury wood furniture which does not stop in their room alone. Even the restaurants, spas and other activity centers inside these boutique hotels, boast of the best and the premium in wood furniture. Wood furniture gives the guests a feeling of living in absolute luxury even though the costs are much nominal as compared to an experience in a five star hotel. It is not surprising then that more and more boutique hotel managers are betting on wood furniture as their preferred choice of furniture. Even customer surveys and feedback received from the guests in these hotels; reveal almost all of them prefer having the finest quality wood furniture throughout the hotel and it goes a long way in enhancing the experience that they receive while staying in these hotels.