Purchasing new furniture can be exciting yet very confusing, with an array of options and variety available in the market.
While there are plenty of parameters to selecting your furniture, the furniture material is a common and crucial element. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the available furniture materials is essential to deciding the best fit for you and your home.
It may seem challenging to decide even if you are clear on your requirements as there are plenty of options to choose from. But if you know the furniture materials well, you can do it quickly with minimal effort.
With this blog, we tried to explain the variety of furniture as per the commonly used and available materials and select the perfect one for your home without being overwhelmed with the full range of options.
Let’s explore the commonly used and accessible furniture materials!
Wood
Wood is one of the most popular furniture materials. It has been the leading material in furniture manufacturing for ages. It is also one of the highest demanded materials anywhere in the world and it’s still is up today. The lifespan of wood also beats many other types of material and it’s also very simple to maintain. And hence, it is preferred only when the furniture is expected to be used in the long term. Besides being a material itself, it can also be combined with other materials like stainless steel or even leather. Anything from storage units to beds and tables has been made of wood for centuries, making its integration into the interior simple as ABC. While it is widely used, it is generally a higher-priced material than most of the options available.
Wicker / Cane
Wicker / Cane is another material type that has been used for long enough now. It has become relatively less common today. However, plenty of light and stylish furniture solutions made of cane are still available. Though, the thing to keep in mind is it needs a matching decor to go within the interior space. Though it brings new beauty to the home, it is not entirely durable, and high maintenance is required to upkeep this.
MDF / Plywood
MDF/Plywood is a cost-friendly solution for modern home decors. It provides the basic look like wood, but it is a low budget option with lesser durability. Nevertheless, with recent trends of regular revamping the homes, it has definitely become one of the dominant materials in the current furniture market.
Another variant of stylish MDF furniture is to cover it with a polished and thick lacquer finish. The furniture will look bright and elegant. They combine style and simplicity, making the most suitable modern interiors solution.
Glass
Tempered glass is a modern approach to interior decoration options. There are a few types of furniture made of glass exclusively. Yet, plenty of tables, storage units, and even computer desks may be made of a combination of materials featuring glass as the primary material. While glass can add elegance and class to the furniture, it is more fragile than most materials and risky to use.
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel and other materials of the kind like chrome and metal are dominant in modern, hi-tech interior space solutions. As the name goes, Stainless Steel does not easily corrode, rust, or even stained by water which normal steel does. Most of the outdoor tables and chairs that you see today are made of Stainless steel as they are highly durable and last for a long time with proper care and maintenance. Using water jet cutting technology, Stainless steel can be manufactured in many shapes and sizes and can be stored away without having to take up a lot of space. Like glass, some furniture will be made of Steel exclusively. In contrast, most of them can have metal inserts for strength with other materials in both functional and decorative pieces. While it brings power without adding much weight, it does not give a classic look. Hence, it is not much preferred in general.
Leather
Leather is widely used for furniture upholstery to provide softness and elegance in look. It can play a part in giving you a contemporary or a classic interior look, depending on your interior theme and design. It can be of both faux and genuine leather. While genuine leather can bring the budget to the higher side, faux leather may seem affordable. However, it is quite difficult for a layman to distinguish between real leather and faux leather. This is why most people refrain from taking the risk.
Fabric
Another popular fabric, fabric furniture is often seen as a luxury and sophisticated material that is used in many upholstered furniture. However, before deciding to purchase outdoor furniture made of fabric, do check with your supplier if the chair can be easily reupholstered as it will definitely help when it comes to replacing the material of the furniture and reusing back the same frame. This will not only be cost-saving in the long run but it can also give you an entirely different look for your furniture. Some recommended fabrics include linen, cotton, velvet, jute, and cotton.
Fabric is undoubtedly a softer and mild material used for the upholstery in a piece of furniture. Mostly fabric is a part of delicacy in furniture meant for seating arrangements like a chair, sofa, stool, ottoman, etc. Unlike leather, it comes in a range of prices depending on the quality and texture of the fabric.
Combination of Materials use in Furniture
So we got the basics of the commonly accessible and popular furniture materials covered.
The interesting fact is that some of them are used alone to make the furniture at times. But more often, a combination of these is preferred to make a perfect looking durable and robust piece of furniture.
Let us learn how they work together.
Wood + Metal/Steel
Generally, wood is a costly furniture material amongst all. Also, it is not preferred due to the heavyweight as it makes the furniture very difficult to move. Unless it is not custom-made, it is a preferred choice for mass production to make the structure with Steel with a wooden platform on top to keep the cost and weight minimum without compromising the quality.
Wood/Steel/Metal + Fabric/Leather
A combination of these makes up for what is commonly known as upholstered furniture. Also, some basic furniture is made with the base made out of wood/steel/metal with a fabric or leather on the top for a better look and comfort with the sturdiness.
Choosing the Material for Your Home Furniture
Decide on Your Budget.
If you have a considerable budget for the furniture, you can consider getting a combination of wooden and leather furniture, depending on what you are buying. For the bed, sofa, stool, dining sets, tables, etc. wood furniture is excellent. And for the recliners and sofas, you may opt for leather furniture. But if you have a medium to low budget, you might consider MDF and faux leather instead.
If you are not a fan of wood and leather, with a medium to low budget, you should go for Steel or plastic furniture depending on what you buy. For the bed, sofa, and wardrobe, Steel is a good option. For chairs, dining sets, sun loungers, stools, etc., plastic can be your option any day.
Even glass is a good option for coffee tables, tv units, and dining tables.
Consider the color and interior style of your place.
You don’t want your furniture to looking out of space after you have put so much time, effort, and money. Make sure to analyze the area well in terms of size, layout, the color of walls and floor, and the other elements put in the room to find the right fit. If your room is small in size or has a darker wall or floor color, consider going for lightweight and space-saving furniture in Steel or plastic, or Plywood.
Your room would look great with wooden furniture if you have a big space with white walls as it will fill the space beautifully. You can also combine it with wicker furniture in indoor as well as outdoor settings.
Plastic furniture is an excellent option for space-saving and multi-purpose utilization as they are easy to move and goes with any background color or layout smoothly.
Cleaning and disinfecting process.
If you are a pro at cleaning and disinfecting your furniture, there is nothing you can’t go with in terms of furniture material. However, you should consider your options wisely if you are not someone who frequently likes to clean the furniture. If you have some allergic issues, you might go for plastic furniture more as it doesn’t hold on to dust like most of materials.
Be in sync with your personal style and lifestyle.
Even if the place looks great, if it does not suit your lifestyle choices functionally, it is still a waste of money. So you must consider your personal preferences while choosing the furniture materials. If you are someone who likes to revamp the look and set up every once in a while, then lightweight, easy-to-move Plastic, Steel, or Acrylic furniture would be a great option. A classic at heart with a considerable budget should opt for wooden furniture with modern variations and fabric upholstery to class it up.
In the end, whatever material makes up the furniture you decide to purchase, you need to be sure that it makes you happy. Buying home furniture for the first time or not, it is always an emotional connection more than the money you spend.
We can relate to how overwhelming finding and buying the right furniture for your home can be. We sincerely hope that we could be a small help in making the decision a little smoother.