Buying oak furniture for your home is the ideal way to give your residence the blend of style and durability that only oak can provide. It's no wonder that oak has been the furniture wood of choice for carpenters and craftsmen for hundreds of years. Imagine the charm of a Brooklyn dressing table mirror gracing your bedroom. Or some fine lounge oak tables and chairs in your living room. The fact is that both dark and light oak furniture can look wonderful in every room in your home.

First, let's look at what oak is. I is the wood from the hardwood oak tree, a genus native to the northern hemisphere. It comes in two main varieties - red and white. Both have a similar grain but white oak features longer rays.

Light oak is known for its toughness and resistance to rot and moisture. This makes it more suitable outdoor use, in patio furniture, for example. Popular light oaks include Orly, Shaker, Cambridge, Dorset, Mobel Oak Range, Hereford, Atlantis, and Timberland.

So why should you choose oak furniture for your home? The answer can be explained in the two words 'beauty' and 'durability'.

The beauty comes from its colour and grain. It has a timeless, classic beauty. This means that an item such as a Brooklyn dressing table mirror looks as good in a sleek apartment at Canary Wharf as it would in a rustic cottage deep in the countryside. The colours range from light golden shades to a medium brown. It is known for its unique grain, which is especially pronounced when it's quarter sawn.

As for durability, hardness protects it from the knocks of everyday life. It also has tannin acid present in its grain which makes it resistant to insects, mold and fungus. In fact, most damages results from hot, corrosive or dirty objects placed on the surface of the wood. The durability makes it perfect for homes with active children - it's very impervious to blows and scratches.

You have two main options when buying it: solid and veneer. In the latter, a layer of solid is glued to a less valuable wood such as pine, plywood or particleboard. Oak veneers can look very nice and are often strong and durable through being made by overlapping pieces. However, low quality veneers can peel, warp or bubble up and this is difficult to repair.

You can also choose the dark or light. Your decision will depend on such factors as the size of your rooms and the colours of your walls, floors and existing furniture. The Dark look heavier so might not be suitable in a small room. The Light create an ambiance of light and space.

Oak furnishings are a major purchase but you should look on them as an investment. Buying quality oak furniture for your home will bring you decades of use and pleasure and you'll be joining a tradition that dates back centuries.

When looking to buy oak furniture, you can find an array of online retailers that offer full details of their products including high resolution images on their websites. Look for an established retailer with a wide range of products with detailed descriptions and a long history of customer recommendations.

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Article Submitted By: Michiel Van Kets
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