Decorating your dining room with solid oak furniture
For most people, furnishing their dining room is an arduous task. It’s not so much the labor involved that haunts them as the prospect of “making the right choice.†If you’re like most people, you likely hate information overload and want a quick solution, while ensuring the best possible purchase for your money. Ask any successful interior decorator and he/she will tell you right away that solid oak is the best furniture choice for your dining room. Why? Because it’s sturdy, stylish and most importantly, affordable.
The “right†wood
Few of us are so artistically inclined (and financially obese) that we need more expensive solutions like mahogany. At the same time, it’s a good idea not to be too restrictive and go for run-of-the-mill solid pine furniture. While solid pine isn’t a bad choice, oak is definitely a cut above it in terms of both durability and elegance. Speaking of durability, it’s important that you make sure to purchase solid oak furniture. There are lots of sneaky retailers on the market who buy furniture of lower-grade woods and cover them up with thin sheets of oak in an attempt to look genuine; this defeats the whole purpose of buying oak.
The finish
If you’re a little tight on funds, you can still buy solid oak furniture by saving on the finish. While an unfinished dining set isn’t recommended, you can always opt for wax if a lacquered finish looks expensive.
The oak dining furniture set
The average oak dining furniture set consists of a table and four to six accompanying chairs; however, this is often characteristic of a minimal purchase. Most retailers today offer valuable extras like cabinets with paneled drawers, dovetail joints etc. for free or at a discount when you purchase them together. These can not only make your dining collection look “complete†but will also prove useful for extra storage.
Also, you might want to purchase an extendable table with installation fixings included. This is especially important if you’re wont to moving your furniture around; instead of having to carry the entire table to another location, you can do it by parts.
Maintenance
People who buy quality furniture have either of two misconceptions: 1) The furniture will maintain itself; or 2) It needs to be dusted and polished religiously every day.
Neither of these is correct. The truth is that maintenance of your furniture is very important but you don’t have to spend hours every day doing it. In fact, it should be enough if you keep your dining set dust-free and polished once a month or so. Also, solid oak furniture is quite susceptible to scratches, dents, and damage from heat and moisture; these are some of the factors you’ll need to consider when positioning your furniture.