Nothing beats a quality piece of wood furniture. Nothing. Good looking and durable wood is king. Here in Durango, we know that not all woods are created equal. If there’s one common benefit to wood furniture, it’s the timeless appeal of its natural beauty.

So how do you know if the piece you’re interested in is quality? What kind of wood is it, and does it matter anyway? How can you be sure that it’s from a sustainable source? Wood may be omnipresent, but the education around it is often lacking. Today, we want to fix that by giving you everything you need to know about wood furniture.

Wood by Any Other Name

When shopping for new furniture, chances are you’ll be looking at pieces made of wood. Whether it’s a sofa, dining room table, or desk, your furniture will likely consist of wood in some form. There are of course other materials out there, but many manufacturers choose to take advantage of wood’s natural beauty and durability.

The kind of wood used is one of the deciding factors in how well your piece will age, and how long it will last. There are a large variety of trees furniture can be made from, and their wood is classified as either hard or soft.

Hardwood vs. Softwood

Though it may seem obvious, it’s the tree species your wood originates from that determines whether it’s a hardwood or softwood — not necessarily its durability. True, most hardwoods tend to be well, hard, but there are exceptions! Hardwood derives from angiosperm trees that are deciduous (like oak, maple, mahogany, teak, walnut, cherry, and birch). Softwood derives from coniferous gymnosperm trees (i.e. trees with cones).

Generally speaking, hardwoods have a higher density making them more fire and scratch-resistant. Although hardwood is more common, nearly 80% of all timber milled is softwood because of how easy it is to work with. Softwood-producing trees also tend to grow straight and fast, making them cheaper and more sustainable than hardwoods.

It's possible to find high-quality softwood furnishings, but they may require more care because softwoods are easier to scratch or dent.

Sustainability

As the population grows, deforestation becomes a larger concern. It’s important to choose quality furniture from responsible manufacturers.

What is Live Edge Wood?

While we’re on the topic of sustainability, let’s talk about live edge wood. The live edge refers to the process of keeping at least one side untouched or natural.

Live-edge milling is more sustainable than standard milling. Standard milling results in 20-25% waste, whereas live-edge milling leaves the tree's natural lines, yielding a higher number of usable cuts with just 5-8% waste. Also, many live edge pieces are cut from felled trees or reclaimed sources that would otherwise have been left to waste.

At Supernova, we proudly offer HTD’s Live Edge Custom Tables. Crafted from sustainable hardwoods, each of their one-of-a-kind tables reflects the individual characteristics of the unique tree it was harvested from.