Get Rustic with your Furniture: Go Pine

Do you like the outdoors? Are you fascinated with trees, flowers, wild game, and other things that can be found in nature? You do not need to be outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature. Bring a touch of nature into your home.

For that simple, country-look, and homey atmosphere, choosing the right furniture is on the top of the list. It is the furniture that gives character to a room, more so to the house.

Why choose pine over oak?

Wood is the soul of rustic furnishing. Think wood and you have a log cabin or a country home in mind. But not all woods are created equal. Pine wood is more versatile between the two. It can be used for floorings, paneling, and furniture. Moreover, its fascinating swirling and round patterns give pine its interesting character which is not evident in other woods. Its warm and light color allows you to choose from different shades of brown: plain to stained dark mahogany as you please. Moreover it has a refreshing pine scent that constantly reminds you of the outdoors. For these reasons, pine furniture is the better choice.

Eight Things to Consider in Choosing and Caring for your Rustic Pine Furniture:

These tips are applicable to all wood furniture and not just for pine.

1. Assess the interior design of your home.

This is a basic tip. Make sure that when you consider getting pine furniture to give your room or house a rustic feel, it will blend with whatever is already in place. If not, how much adjustment are you willing to make in redesigning your home?

2. Match the pine furniture with the other elements of the room.

In accessorizing any room, matching or coordinating furniture and other decorations is important. Coordinating does not mean that there is only one pattern to see but rather all the elements in the room should contribute to the rustic design you have in mind.

What is the color of the walls of the room? If your room has dark wood paneling, neither dark-colored nor light-colored furniture would match with it. To give some contrast, a light-colored carpet should be added before choosing tables, chairs, and cabinets in the room. White or cream-colored walls offer more options in choosing the type of finishing of your pine furniture.

What kind of lighting does the room have? If the room appears dark with the lighting, maybe more lights could also be added to make the room brighter or the pine furniture to be used should be lighter in color.

3. Prioritize the furniture to buy.

Tables, chairs, cabinets, and shelves are the most prominent fixture in any room, whether in the bedroom, living room, or kitchen. But these also cost much. Assess the state of all the furniture in the room or house that you are decorating. Prioritize the furniture that needs to be replaced.

4. Choose the type of finishing for your pine furniture.

The purpose of finishing is to protect the wood of the furniture, as well as enhance its appearance. The following are available for most wood furniture:

Lacquer – This is the most popular to furniture makers because it dries quickly. It is applied in several coats to seal the places where air and water can get in contact with wood and cause rotting. This finishing also requires low maintenance.

Varnish and Polyurethane – This is the finishing preferred by people who make their own furniture. Varnish gives a good glow and sometimes some staining (colored varnishes) to the wood.

Oil and Wax – This is the cheapest of all finishing but also offers the least protection to the furniture. They cannot give the same protection as that of the two finishing mentioned above. This kind of finishing is also causes the wax on wood to turn white when in contact with water.

5. Check your budget. There are three ways to obtain the furniture.

a. Purchase online or in stores.
This is the most convenient way since call transactions can be done from the comfort of your home if you go online. Either way, you may be able to bargain for lower prices for brand-new furniture.
 
b. Visit flea markets or garage sales.
This is the most inexpensive way to buy pine furniture for your rustic house. Although there is no warranty for furniture bought this way. You might also need to restore pine furniture bought in this way.

c. If you have the carpentry skills, make your own furniture.
This is the most labor-intensive way of getting the furniture you want. And it may cost more in the long run. But, this also offers the most creative expression since the design is all yours.

6. Use the internet.

The internet is a convenient way of canvassing for designs and prices among different on-line stores. Several sites provide catalogs of the products, plus links to accessories that go with such furniture.

7. Consider production time and shipping costs.

Consider the shipping time and actual cost of the furniture (including labor). Compute for the total cost including shipping. Sometimes, the low price of the furniture can fool you. They may cost less but the shipping cost is too much.

8. Use the appropriate care product.

Wood furniture need to be cared for since they can deteriorate with time. But the appropriate product to use will depend on the kind of finishing that the furniture has. Consider the following:

For lacquer finished – Use paste wax occasionally on lacquer-finished furniture.
For varnish or polyurethane finished – Use a mild soap with water to clean and rub with a little paste wax.
For oil and wax finished – Use water sparingly, but coat with more wax.

Add character to your country-inspired home by choosing your furniture wisely, and the wisest choice is to go for pine wood.