Use Appropriate Materials For Furniture Items

Furniture can be made of different materials. They are intended for different uses. Availability, durability and cost of each type vary widely. This article is a study about these factors.
There will not be a household which does not have at least a piece of furniture. Furniture can be anything ranging from a simple stool to elaborate modern bedroom furniture sets. There are different materials used for making furniture. According to the materials used we have wooden furniture, steel furniture, molded furniture etc. Here an attempt is made to spell out different types of furniture depending on the material used for manufacturing along with its cost, durability and suitability to various purposes.

Wood is the most important material and is traditionally used for making furniture. Even today most of the furniture we come across is made of wood. Wood is a soft material and so can be easily worked with. The finish obtained is very good and polishing it once in two to three years can keep it like new at all times. It can be carved easily and beautiful objects can be created. Carved living room furniture can give a royal look to your living room. Cost of wooden furniture depends on the type of wood used and the decorative work involved. Furniture made of certain type of wood like oak, teak and rosewood are very durable and so, are costly. Wooden furniture is best suited to homes as these provide elegance and durability.

Metal is another important material used for making furniture. Painted or electroplated iron furniture was only made in earlier times. This used to get rusted and so started the use of aluminum and stainless steel. We will be tempted to believe that these are highly durable, but practically are not so. These are generally not suited to make bedroom furniture but are commonly used for making chairs. Attractive furniture made of stainless steel is specially suited for offices and lobbies.

Plastic is extensively used for making furniture and these are known as molded furniture. Even though plastic can be molded to any shape, its use, as far as making of furniture is concerned, is mostly limited to making chairs and light tables. Such furniture is best suited for small time restaurants and auditoriums because of its low cost of setting up and ease of storage. Durability of molded furniture is comparatively low.

Cane and reed are also used for making furniture. They do not possess great strength and so should be used carefully. Durability is also low. These are suitable only to homes. These materials are available only in certain pockets of the country. A word of caution here, cane and reed furniture works best in high humidity areas, and may crack in excessively dry ones.

All types of furniture will be available in one of your nearest stores. One can also get to know about modern trends in furniture at a furniture exhibition.

Make an informed choice once you step into the furniture gallery. Pick the right material as per your interest, and you will never regret it!

By Sarika Kabra
Published: 6/4/2008
 
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