Buying Oak Furniture
Oak furniture is probably the most popular simply because of its rich, warm colour. Oak comes in many different hues, that it goes with any decorum. To make oak furniture, an oak tree must give its life. Known as deciduous trees, these trees can live to 200 years old and more. In fact, the largest oak tree currently on record is found in Maryland in Wye Mills. This particular tree is estimated to be 400 years old, measuring a massive 32 feet in circumference and standing 105 feet tall. Therefore, when you buy oak furniture, you are also buying a piece of history, a tree that has lived through many interesting years.
Oak furniture became popular during the 17th century. As its popularity grew, demand also increased. However, while oak furniture was originally considered a sign of class and wealth, it soon became affordable, meaning now middle class families were enjoying its beauty as well. Soon, pieces of oak furniture were given to couples as wedding gifts or in celebration for the birth of a child. The maker of the furniture would initial or brand the piece but as the piece was passed down to a new owner, new initials of that owner would be added.
Because oak is so durable and the workmanship of early oak furniture was so incredible, you can find early pieces quite easily. During the early years, guilds insisted that the apprentice provided only the best work while using the best materials. Because of this, the level of quality seen during the 17th century remained high. Over years, the surface and colour of oak furniture acquired a build up from dusting and polishing, which led to its softness that makes it a top seller today.
During the building of the colonies during the early to mid-17th century, oak was the main type of wood used by the Pilgrims. However, from the late 17th century to the late 19th century, people began to use mahogany, walnut, pine, cherry, maple, and other types of wood, temporarily forgetting about the mighty oak. Even so, there were cases when the sides of drawers or the bottoms of drawers were made from oak. However, by the 20th century, oak furniture again appeared although much was the oak veneer or "tiger's eye" an underlayment of flat cut oak.
The era of oak furniture, which started in the 16th century to the mid-17th century is called the Age of Oak. During this time, two primary styles appeared, known as Jacobean and Tudor styles. In the Age of Oak, furniture was typically made with oak and/or pine, which included painted ornamentation. Tudor oak furniture became larger in scale. Additionally, of the two styles, Tudor was the most ornate to include a lot of painted Tudor roses.
Then by 1928, another period of oak furniture began, called Renaissance Oak. This American Period oak furniture was heirloom quality with the natural beauty of oak. For this style, we saw many wonderful designs and oak lines, which were rich brown or antique effects achieved in the design. Without doubt, you cannot go wrong with oak furniture. It adds class and warmth to any home, making it a number one choice.