How to Choose the Right Wood for Your Furniture Project
Most people commissioning a piece of furniture know roughly what they want it to look like but haven't thought much about what it should be made from. That's normal. You shouldn't need a forestry degree to buy a dining table. But the wood you choose affects everything: how the piece looks, how it ages, how much it costs, and how long it lasts. This guide covers the four timbers I work with most often, honestly, so you can make an informed choice when the conversation comes to materials.
Oak (Quercus robur / Quercus petraea)
Oak is the default for a reason. It's strong, it's beautiful, it takes a finish well, and it lasts for centuries. Most of the oak I use is European oak (English or French), kiln-dried to furniture-grade moisture content.
Properties
- Grain: Pronounced, open grain with visible medullary rays (the tiger-stripe flecks you see on quarter-sawn boards). The grain is the star of the show; oak looks best with a finish that lets it through.
- Colour: Pale gold when fresh, darkening to a warm honey-brown over years. Can be fumed with ammonia to produce a rich, dark brown without stain.
- Hardness: Hard. Janka rating around 1,120 lbf. Resists dents and scratches well. Good for dining tables, worktops, and anything that takes daily wear.
- Workability: Pleasant to work with sharp tools. Can be tricky around knots. Takes nails and screws without splitting (with pilot holes). Glues well.
Best for
Dining tables, refectory tables, sideboards, bookcases, fitted cabinetry, kitchen islands. Oak is the all-rounder. It suits both traditional and modern designs.
Cost
Mid-range for hardwood. A 2-metre dining table in solid oak typically costs £1,800-£2,800 depending on the design and thickness. Cheaper than walnut, more expensive than ash or pine.
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
Ash is the hardwood I recommend most often when clients want something lighter in colour and weight than oak but still genuinely hard-wearing. It's been hit hard by ash dieback disease across the UK, which has reduced supply and increased prices somewhat, but it's still available from managed sources.
Properties
- Grain: Straight, clean grain similar to oak but without the medullary rays. Looks cleaner and more uniform.
- Colour: Cream to pale tan. Lighter than oak. Some boards have a dark heartwood that can be striking or distracting depending on taste.
- Hardness: Slightly harder than oak (Janka ~1,320 lbf). Exceptionally strong for its weight. This is why it's historically used for tool handles, sports equipment, and steam-bent furniture.
- Workability: Excellent. Machines cleanly, bends well under steam, takes stain evenly. One of the most pleasant hardwoods to work by hand.
Best for
Tables, chairs (especially those with curved elements), bed frames, and any piece where you want a light, modern look with genuine hardwood durability. Windsor chairs have been made from ash for hundreds of years for good reason.
Cost
Slightly less than oak in most cases, though ash dieback has narrowed the gap. A dining table in ash typically runs £1,600-£2,400.
Walnut (Juglans regia)
Walnut is the luxury option. It's darker, richer, and more expensive than oak or ash. When people picture "fine furniture," they're often picturing walnut without knowing it. European walnut is what I use; American black walnut (Juglans nigra) is darker and easier to source, but I prefer the subtlety of the European variety.
Properties
- Grain: Complex, often wavy or figured. Walnut boards with interesting figure (crotch walnut, burl walnut) command a premium and make stunning table tops.
- Colour: Rich chocolate brown with lighter sapwood streaks. Lightens slightly over decades (the opposite of oak, which darkens). European walnut is lighter and warmer than American.
- Hardness: Moderate (Janka ~1,010 lbf). Softer than oak or ash. Will dent more readily under impact but is perfectly adequate for most furniture applications.
- Workability: Cuts beautifully. Takes a finish like butter. One of the finest furniture timbers in the world for hand-tool work.
Best for
Dining tables (especially live-edge slabs), writing desks, sideboards, display cabinets, and statement pieces. Walnut says something in a room. It's the timber people choose when the furniture is the focal point.
Cost
The most expensive of the four timbers here. European walnut boards cost roughly twice what oak costs per cubic metre. A dining table in walnut typically starts at £2,800 and can go considerably higher for figured or live-edge pieces.
Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Pine is the affordable option, and there's no shame in it. Scandinavian redwood pine (which is actually what most "pine furniture" in the UK is made from) is a perfectly good timber for many applications. It's soft, which means it dents and scratches more easily, but it's also cheap, widely available, and has a warmth that suits country and cottage interiors.
Properties
- Grain: Straight with prominent growth rings. Knotty. The knots are part of the character in rustic pieces; they can be a nuisance in more refined work.
- Colour: Pale yellow when fresh, darkening to a warm amber over years (especially in sunlight). Takes stain well but can blotch without a pre-stain conditioner.
- Hardness: Soft (Janka ~490 lbf). Will dent from dropped cutlery, chair legs, and children's toys. This is either charming or annoying depending on your expectations.
- Workability: Easy to work but can be resinous, which clogs sandpaper and affects some finishes. Sharp tools and patience required around knots.
Best for
Built-in shelving, alcove cupboards, children's furniture, mudroom benches, kitchen dressers in cottage-style homes, and any project where budget matters more than hardness. Not ideal for dining table tops that will see heavy daily use, unless you're comfortable with the piece acquiring dents and marks over time.
Cost
Roughly a third the price of oak by the cubic metre. A pine bookcase or fitted alcove unit can come in under £1,000 for a piece that would cost £1,800+ in oak.
How to decide
The honest answer is: tell me what the piece is for, what room it's going in, and what budget you're working with, and I'll recommend a timber. Most of the time it comes down to three questions:
- How hard does the surface need to be? A dining table used daily by a family with young children needs oak or ash. A display bookcase in a study can be anything.
- What colour and character do you want? Dark and rich: walnut. Light and modern: ash. Classic and warm: oak. Rustic and affordable: pine.
- What's the budget? Timber cost typically accounts for 25-35% of the total piece price (the rest is labour, finishing, and delivery). Choosing pine over walnut can halve the material cost.
I'm happy to talk through options before any commitment. Email the workshop at [email protected] with what you're thinking about and I'll give you a straight answer about which timber makes sense.