Popular Wooden Furniture Designs For Your Home

Make your homes more sustainable for future generations by opting for eco-friendly and modern wooden furniture design ideas.

Even though there are many modern furniture options, the demand for wooden furniture designs is still rising because of its timeless appearance, versatility and high durability. Wood is one of the most sustainable furniture design materials because it has a minimal environmental impact and is recyclable/renewable. 

Let’s address a few FAQs regarding wooden furniture designs before moving ahead.

How Do You Design Wooden Furniture With Sustainability In Mind?

You can design wooden furniture while keeping sustainability in mind by using manufacturing processes and design techniques that are energy-efficient and innovative at the same time. Many designers have also started resorting to alternative materials that mimic the look and feel of natural wood and are comparatively less costly. 

Based on innovation in materials and techniques, the alternative materials are:

• Engineered Wood ( Plywood/Particle Board)
• Cold-Pressed Wood/Hot-Pressed Wood
• Bamboo (Neither Hardwood Nor Softwood)
• Reclaimed Wood/Recycled Wood/Upcycled Wood
• Low-VOC Finished Wood 
• Indian Rosewood (Hardwood)
• Acacia Wood (Hardwood)
• Mahogany Wood (Hardwood)
• Mango Wood (Hardwood)
• Oak Wood (Hardwood)
• Cherry Wood (Hardwood)
• Cedar Wood (Softwood) 
• Deodar Wood (Softwood)
• Pine Wood (Softwood)
• Teak Wood (Hardwood)

If you are willing to focus on the ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ mantra while furnishing your home, sustainable furniture may be more expensive than non-sustainable furniture. It is a win-win case as sustainable wood furniture has more benefits than alternatives. Wooden furniture is healthy for the climate as it prevents the greenhouse effect and has zero waste during production. It is also highly resilient as it can have multiple lifetimes through refinishing and refurbishing and scores high on the life cycle assessment (LCA).  

The life-cycle assessment typically covers all or some of the following environmental impacts: 

• Acidification potential
• Global warming potential 
• Resource depletion
• Primary energy demand from resources 
• Photochemical ozone creation potential 

Factors To Keep In Mind While Choosing The Right Wood For A Specific Furniture Design:

• The perfect balance between wood’s density and beauty (hardwood = more dense, softwood = less dense).
• The resistance to natural decay (hardwood = less prone to decay, softwood = more prone to decay).
• The kind of appearance you visualise for your home and the existing colour theme that has been applied. 
• The weight and toughness of the wooden furniture design (hardwood = heavier, softwood = lighter).
• The market value of the wood and its quality as per your specific furniture requirements.
• The degree of fire resistance (hardwood = high resistance, softwood = low resistance).
• The longevity and sustainability of the wooden furniture pieces. 
• The degree of water permeability and termite resistance.

How Do You Ensure The Structural Integrity Of Wooden Furniture Design?

Structural integrity is an engineering field that ensures that either a structural component or the entire structure itself is ‘safe and fit for a purpose’ under normal operational conditions through its predicted lifetime. To practically test and maintain the structural integrity of wooden furniture, you can:

• Check if the structure is being used appropriately for the environment it was originally designed for.
• Check if the structure has been built according to the appropriate standards, designs and procedures.
• Recommend and design modifications to the wooden furniture design to address the areas of concern. 

Do You Need To Balance Form & Function In Home Wooden Furniture Design?

‘Form v/s Function’ has been a long-standing debate in the interior design community. A perfect balance between both form and function is required to ensure that homes look visually appealing and extremely practical for everyday use. 

What exactly is form and function?

• Form means a 3-dimensional outline which represents an element of art and refers to the aesthetic aspects of design. It encompasses textures, patterns, shapes, textiles and colour harmony.  
• Function means clearly laying out the open plan according to the intended functionality/practicality of the space rather than just focusing on its design aesthetics. It encompasses ergonomic/utilitarian design layout, furniture size and placement for space optimisation, user-centred approach, proportion and scale.

Most interior designers today focus primarily on the function of wooden furniture design and then concentrate on its design/form aspects. There are a few reasons behind it, such as:

• The functionality remains unchanged with time even though the aesthetics keep evolving. 
• It helps you to reduce the expenditure on unnecessary ornamentation.
• It does not visually clutter the space and makes it more appealing to visitors.
• It makes the space more usable and liveable.
• It increases the resale value of your home. 

What Are Some Common Mistakes To Avoid In Wooden Furniture Design?

Wood is one of the most highly preferred materials for building home furniture as it lends character and weightage to the space. If the quality of wooden furniture is not maintained properly, then it may lead to faster wear and tear. 

Here are a few common mistakes that you can avoid to increase its longevity, value and timeless appeal which are:

• Exposing the wooden furniture directly to the outside elements like sunlight, dust and rain can make the wood expand, swell, crack and rot faster than usual.
• Ignoring insect infestation (carpenter ants, termites, powderpost beetles, fungus) when buying a new piece of wooden furniture. In case you detect any infestation, call pest control immediately. 
• Not making the bare minimum effort to protect and handle your wooden furniture. Do not place sharp objects directly on the wooden surface to avoid scratches, and use placemats/coasters to keep the cups and glasses to avoid discolouration and stains. 
• Not reading the regular care and cleaning instructions for the wooden furniture you purchase. Each wood is different and needs a specific chemical/organic solution to clean it. Use only mild soaps and detergents, minimal water and a soft cloth to wipe the surface of the wooden furniture and avoid using acidic cleaning products and all-purpose sprays.
• Using the wrong type of oil/finish to polish the wooden furniture and seal its original properties. You can apply two types of wood finishes: oil finishes (deep absorption, easy to refinish as you don’t need to sand the surface) & urethane finishes (surface-level absorption, not easy to refinish as you need to sand the surface first). The oiling routine should take place once or twice a year, and dusting should be done weekly.  

Read more on interior design mistakes that you need to avoid at home.

It is now time to scroll through the most popular wooden furniture designs for your home. 

Mini Wooden Office Desk Furniture Design 

This mini wooden office desk furniture design helps you make optimum use of smaller spaces in the living room area. It has been smartly integrated around the sofa set to make it look like a single unit. This office desk has side shelving for your favourite books and magazines that you can pick up and read during your leisure time. 

Wooden Furniture Design Bedroom Set Gives Rosy Vibes

This wide wooden furniture design bed with a uniquely carved headrest instantly gives a very soft and feminine touch to the bedroom space. The light red-toned bed covering, cushions and the large area rug also add to that vibe. The green plant against the window helps connect the indoors to the outdoors.

Teakwood Kitchen Cabinet Furniture Design Acts As A Zone Divider 

This teakwood kitchen cabinet furniture design visually demarcates the dining and kitchen areas. The glass doors on the kitchen cabinet help you to easily view the kitchen crockery, bowls and dishes placed inside, while the surface of the kitchen cabinet serves as a display area for home decor items.    

Blend Tradition and Modernity With Wooden Dining Table Set Furniture 

Decorate your dining room area with this wooden dining table set furniture. The grey-cushioned dining chairs accompanying the dining table give it a royal, sophisticated and formal look. The yellow pendant lights above highlight the structural intricacies and beauty of the dining table. 

Modern Wood Coffee Table Furniture Design For Your Living Room

This modern wood coffee table cum mini-library furniture design is the perfect choice for your living room because it complements the wooden sofa set. The wrought iron frame enveloping the sides of the wooden centre table lends additional sturdiness and support to it. 

All in all, wooden furniture designs have always stood the test of time and have an authentic and royal touch, instantly elevating the overall appearance of their space. Want to take a leap of faith and make wooden furniture a part of your home if it isn’t yet? Contact the interior design team at DesignCafe, and they’ll handhold you through the transformation process and resolve all your queries. 

Also, check out Teak Wood Furniture Ideas