Is oak furniture is more than just a pretty face?

The grain of real solid oak, with its subtle variegation that hinges around a distinctive sumptuous light golden colour, is not just a thing of beauty. The tightness of the grain is a clue to its strength and durability. It also means that it can be worked into intricate forms without causing weakness.

Again, these intricate details needn’t be purely decorative. A feature of truly high quality wooden furniture is the use of hand crafted dovetail joints. Usually hidden away in drawers, these joints are traditionally very strong, and can only be made using high quality wood. Oak is perfect for this kind of joinery.

Is oak furniture easy to live with?

In a word, yes. In fact, as long as you steer clear of poor quality furniture (which is built using oak veneers, not solid oak), then you will find oak furniture is one of the easiest types of furniture to care for.

Simply dust your oak furniture without using spray cleaning products (these will crack the timber), and give it a light coat of Danish oil every so often and you don’t have to do anything else at all! Simple.

 

Cotswold Furniture is Steeped in History

The Cotswolds have a rich history of design, especially in the fields of Cotswold furniture, arts and crafts. Inspiration is said to be due to the stunning scenery and beautiful architecture of the area. There is one person who should also be given credit for the reputation of high quality Cotswold furniture: Ernest Gimson (1864 – 1919).

The Forefathers of Cotswold Furniture

Modern Cotswold furniture owes much to Ernest Gimson, as he helped kick-start the movement. Born in Leicester and trained as an architect, he moved to the Cotswolds in his early thirties “to live near nature” where it is said his creative stimulation was at its highest.

After a brief stay work took his to Somerset, but it wasn’t long before he moved back to Cirencester in Gloucestershire where he set up a Cotswold furniture workshop to indulge in his true passion of Cotswold furniture design. This Cotswold furniture was hand crafted from solid hardwood by highly skilled craftsmen under the renowned cabinet-maker, Peter van der Waals.

Cotswold Furniture has an Exceptional Reputation

The Cotswold furniture that he designed in this time was highly structural and obviously drew on his architectural experience. A reputation quickly grew that Cotswold furniture was strong, well crafted, high quality and attractive. This reputation lasts to this day with original pieces fetching thousands of pounds at antique auctions.

Oak Furniture Land Continues the Cotswold Furniture Standards

Oak Furniture Land is based very close to where Ernest Gimson set up his Cotswold furniture workshop. Our designers are influenced by the same idyllic scenery and the history of the Cotswold furniture industry. We use this to blend Cotswold furniture traditions with other international and modern designs to create a vast choice of unique designs and ranges.

The legacy of beautiful, sturdy, high quality hand crafted Cotswold furniture runs through the company and our staff.

 

Create the perfect environment with hardwood living room furniture

In the first half of this two part blog special on living room furniture we will be looking at what your choice of living room furniture says about you and what you need to consider when looking to buy.

It is important to create an atmosphere filled with comfort and class when choosing living room furniture. The image that your living room furniture portrays is something that you need to be happy with, as it will say a lot about you to your friends, family and any other guests. The living room is where you will be entertaining, hosting events as well as just relaxing as a family. Because of this, it is vital to have pride in its appearance. Along with your carpets and curtains, your living room furniture is what will effect the environment the most and therefore high quality living room furniture is essential.

Choosing Your Living Room Furniture

There is a wide variety of choices for living room furniture, but none can compare with high quality solid hardwood living room furniture. The only real choices you need to make are which hardwood furniture suits you best, and what style you like.

The most popular solid hardwood living room furniture is without doubt oak living room furniture. This long-established timber is available as contemporary modern furniture, classic traditional furniture and even country cottage style rustic furniture.

I’ve Considered Oak Living Room Furniture, But What Else Is There?

Solid oak living room furniture is not the only option when it comes to solid hardwood living room furniture. More exotic hardwoods include mahogany furniture, or Indian furniture crafted from mango wood - which can be naturally finished, have a dark stained finish applied, or even a stunning teak oil finish.

When choosing solid hardwood living room furniture you must always ensure that it is hand crafted using the highest quality timber throughout. This means that all doors, drawers and back panels should have the same high quality solid hardwood as the rest of the furniture. You should only ever buy living room furniture that has been manufactured using dovetail joints, as glued butt joints will fail in time. This ensures that your living room furniture is sturdy and there is no reason why (with the correct care) it shouldn’t last a lifetime.


Coming soon, in the second half of this two part special on living room furniture we will be looking into various pieces of living room furniture you will need.

What is interior design?

Interior design is a term that has recently become synonymous with the rich and famous bringing in professional designers to makeover their mansions, or daytime TV programmes that often come up with some questionable ideas!

The idea of interior design should not be ignored though. It’s always good to have a final goal and a plan to work to. By doing this you are being an interior designer. There are some simple steps that need to be thought about before you even think about picking up a paint brush, so here I’ve laid out a few tips: It’s not just choosing a theme or a colour scheme for a specific room that is important when designing your house. An equally vital ingredient is the choice of furniture, making sure that it blends succinctly with your aspirations and purpose for the room in question. Solid hardwood furniture is an excellent investment, majestic, aesthetically pleasing, yet robust enough for every day use for years to come. Never compromise on quality when designing the room of your choice. Install superior quality solid hardwood such as oak, mahogany or mango (both light and dark should be considered) for a varied but complementary effect. Whether you select from modern bedroom furniture to help transform your personal space into a stylish sanctuary, rustic furniture for a relaxing feel distinct individual pieces such as a magnificent bed or a stunning sideboard with its dovetailed joint drawers, there is sure to be a special piece that compliments your design perfectly.

It’s not all about paint and cushions

Whilst interior design can be described as the art of selecting and organising room furnishings such as curtains, carpets and corresponding comfy cushions, not forgetting some unusual ornaments, a major aspect that ‘pulls’ the room together is the furniture itself. Whether it is the geometric shapes of cubism, fresh charm of rustic country cottage designs, or an exotic Asian style that you aspire to, with such a wide selection of solid hardwood pieces to choose from, there is bound to be a furniture item that will give your room the wow factor. All Oak Furniture Land pieces offer solidity and longevity, with solid hardwood backs and intricate dovetail joints for the drawers. Practicality and an attractive room lay out is a major consideration when developing a successful design, in order to achieve a simple balanced living environment is created that is suitable for the type of room.

Take it one room at a time

Choosing complimentary furniture that is solid, strong and hard wearing yet elegant and beautiful too, is a vital ingredient to creating your perfect room. Care needs to be taken when choosing the correct colour and style of a piece of furniture – an airy room or where light is important, such as in a hall or a conservatory would best suit simple, light furniture, whilst if it is a sense of elegance that is desired, notably in a dining room or bedroom, chunkier pieces in darker hues might be more suitable. This is always a personal thing, and you’re often drawn to a certain design. No matter what you choose, don’t be tempted by flat-pack furniture or furniture that is built using veneers. Always ensure that you are buying high quality, even if it means buying in stages or taking advantage of interest free credit.