When purchasing wooden items of furniture for our homes we typically have two types of wood to choose from – oak and pine. Other than the pieces themselves and the various finishes on offer, it’s hard to know what the difference is between these two beautiful materials. With this in mind, let’s look at the advantages of oak and pine in more detail and investigate the advantages and disadvantages of having each in your home.
The biggest and most significant difference is that pine is a softwood, while oak is a hardwood. This means that one is more suited to making certain pieces of furniture than other and as a result will be more commonly found in certain rooms of the house.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pine Furniture
- Being a softwood, pine is very easy to work with and can easily be manufactured into furniture of varying shapes and detailed patterns
- Pine can be easily worked to provide a more traditional or rustic feel
- It can also be finished in many different colours as it absorbs paint and stains easily
- Pine furniture is generally more affordable thanks to its versaility
- You will typically find pine furniture in the bedroom as it is normally used to construct beds, wardrobes, chest of draws and cabinets. This is because it’s much easier to shape
- However, pine’s softer tendencies leave it prone to marks, and it isn’t the strongest wood available
Oak Furniture
- Oak furniture is very strong and hard wearing
- Being a hardwood, oak is heavy and can be difficult for manufacturers to cut and carve
- Oak items are typically more expensive than pine because of the points mentioned above
- This type of wood is normally suited to pieces of furniture that are used a lot, such as dining tables or kitchen surfaces. As it’s especially durable, oak tables will not be scratched easily and are less susceptible to damage
- Hardwood will typically be used when creating pieces of furniture that hold heavy household items, such as TV stands or shelves.
While the above points give you an idea of where you are likely to find each type of wood in a household, it is by no means definitive. There are many oak beds and pieces of bedroom furniture in circulation, but as mentioned, these are usually much more expensive than their pine counterparts.
You will also see plenty of oak tables or kitchen worktops. This may be because people like the rustic feel and believe that any additional marks will only add character to its appearance.
BC Discount is one of Europe’s top suppliers of Corona Mexican pine furniture.