Whether you're after a solid piece of furniture that will last for generations, or something inexpensive and functional- wood is always a good choice. Ideal for tables, chairs, beds, cabinets and much more- there are few materials that are quite as practical. Here are a few tips for choosing wooden furniture!

Decide on The Theme of Your Room

Wooden furniture comes in a range of colours, choosing the right shade for your space will hugely affect how the finished room looks. For example using lighter colours is always beneficial in smaller rooms, and so you could opt for a white wood. Decide on the overall theme you want in the room (modern, industrial, shabby chic etc) and choose the right shade and pieces to tie everything together. Whitewashed wood can have an excellent relaxed effect for a beach-style home whereas contemporary oak furniture will look very traditional. Solid wooden furniture will cost a lot, and so you're after sturdy pieces without breaking the bank try checking out auctions and antique shops. You can either keep them in their vintage condition to bring some rustic charm into your home, or modernise and upcycle them.

Mix and Match With Other Materials

In order to prevent a room from looking overwhelmed with wood, you could try mix and matching with items in different materials. For example, a wooden dining table could be teamed with industrial looking metal chairs for a really effective look, or a wooden dressing table could be put with a clear acrylic ghost chair. Including furniture made from other materials will soften the look and add interest, especially useful if you also have wooden floors as well- as too much might look a bit full on.

Care for Your Wooden Furniture

Wooden furniture needs to be cared for, and doing so means it will last you for a lot longer. Much of the time it will only need a dust and wipe down, however sometimes you might need to repair marks or other damage, or even revarnish a piece. Try to use wood cleaners, oils and polishes especially for wooden furniture. If you find any scratches, you can fix them with wax or even a pen the same colour as the wood.