Four Corners News

28 Jan 2013

Solid Oak vs Oak Veneer


When you are considering whether to choose solid oak or oak veneer for your furniture pieces or kitchen, there are a number of factors to take into account.

The main difference between solid oak and oak veneer is that solid oak is made of solid parts of wood, guaranteeing a consistency. Oak veneer, on the other hand, features wood slices that may be glued onto cheaper wood or fibreboard.

The process of making veneered wood involves slicing the timber to a thickness of between 2 and 3mm and then gluing it to panels in order to produce furniture or flooring. Veneered wood can also be peeled, rather than sliced.

Veneers are useful for large panels that are reasonably priced and for furniture which does not have a particular emphasis on style or design. Veneered wood can also be made to appear distressed and aged.

Solid oak is made entirely of solid wood (doing what it says on the tin, as it were). It gives an overall appearance of quality and style, with the grain of the wood visible throughout the furniture it is used to make. Solid oak has a great deal of character and weight to it.

Solid oak furniture tends to be very stylish and well designed and also highly durable because of the quality of the wood.

FourCorners Trading is a family business that handcrafts solid wood kitchens and furniture, with the emphasis being on the craft itself and strong design. They use traditional techniques to craft their furniture and create furniture that will last a lifetime in the home.

Four Corners have two showrooms, including a large one in Stratford on Avon and customers can come along and see the quality furniture for themselves.

The company offer home visits for designing kitchens and other rooms and they have their own professional fitting team.

Four Corners create their solid oak furniture in a workshop in Romania, surrounded by plentiful forests and where felling is licensed. They choose trees for their individuality and these are carted away by horses.

Their craftsmen will use the wood with interesting grains and knots to produce truly unique furniture from solid oak that oak veneer would not achieve.

Four Corners offer a bespoke service to customers and love the challenge of designing a special cabinet or bookcase to fit an awkward space or an uneven wall.


Image Courtesy: chilternmills.co.uk