Furniture made from Hardwoods v. Softwoods

Furniture made in wood is often overlooked. Most pieces are made up of the elegant hue of hardwood or softwood trees. Beams, cabinets, cupboards, outdoor decks, staircases, tables, wardrobes and more all come from these types of trees.

Here at Kansas City Exotic Woodworks we use both types of these woods. But hardwood and softwood aren’t ready-made pellets of timber waiting to be chopped up into a random piece of furniture. There are different trees for a more less different purposes.

All trees produce seeds, but each seed comes with a different built-in structure. Hardwood trees give off seeds with a covering or coating that either takes the shape of a fruit or a shell. While softwood’s breed seeds that don’t have a coating and usually fall to the ground.

Whenever you think hardwood think oak trees, maple trees or walnut trees. And when someone mentions softwood think of evergreen conifers with needle-like leaves such as pines, spruce or cedars.

But what’s that got to do with making furniture ?

Both types of wood are used for many of the same purposes but each piece of furniture requires specific qualities for its making. It’s the density of the trees wood what makes all the difference. At Kansas City Exotic Woodworks we strive to find some of the best version of all types of these hardwood’s and softwoods.

Hardwood’s are usually denser making them well known in the market for their endurance and durability. While hardwood’s denser profile is better for more structural use they also have some of the best grain views after it is cut. While, softwoods are less dense and are easier to handle, more malleable for craftsmanship. This lends it self quite well for carving. Softwoods are also used for more delicate applications. While the strength is lacking generally softwoods are cheaper than their hardwood counterparts. 80% of the wood used in the world is softwood timber. So, as you can imagine, the amount of woodwork and carpentry built in softwood is probably much more than those built in hardwood. Typical applications for softwood are windows, doors, studs, joists, furniture (of course) and as you might have guessed it, Christmas trees. Oh, and paper too.

Price

Being the market favorite, softwood is commonly less expensive than hardwood. Softwood trees have a faster growth rate and are evergreen all year long.

With that said, hardwood is less common to be found and in exchange becomes an exclusive type of wood. Of course, exclusive means more expensive. But the pricing is justified. Hardwood trees shed their leaves in autumn and winter and have a slower growth rate. It’s often used for flooring, heavyweight construction, decks and high-quality furniture.

Long story short…

The standard for making furniture all comes down to the density of the wood you’re required to build the furniture piece you want. Densities among softwood and hardwood aren’t all that exclusive, both have exceptional densities that don’t necessarily make them better or worse. But rather make them more fitted for the furniture pieces wanted. The general idea is that furniture that is expected to last long is made with dense wood, frequently hardwood. Lighter pieces are usually made with less dense wood, usually softwood.

At KC Exotic Woodworks we'll be at your complete disposal to help you select the best wood for that new live edge table, end tables, coffee tables, waterfall edge tables or islands you've been planning to build or remodeling that old staircase you've been wanting to change for years. Our selection of hardwood's and softwood's is everything you need to make all your woodwork ideas come to life for the right price with the right craftsmanship. 

Leave us a message in Let's chat, with the details of the furniture pieces you're looking for.  And don’t worry if you don't find anything in our catalogue, we can custom build any piece of furniture you have in mind.