5 Most Common Material For Furniture | The Pros and Cons

Probably choosing the fittings for your home is one of the most enjoyable processes in designing your space. Whether you are a new homeowner or just remodelling your bedroom, shopping for the right luxury furniture in Singaporeneeds a lot of contemplation, consideration, and scraping and crafting of the plan.
We consider the material, the advantages and disadvantages of the material, and its maintenance whenever we choose a coffee table or console table in Singapore.
There are five most common materials used in luxury furniture in Singapore. These are wood, metal, stone, plastic, and leather. Before you shop for a marble coffee table in Singapore, here are the things you need to consider for the materials:
5 Most Common Materials Used By Furniture Makers
Wood
Wooden furniture has been around for more than centuries. One of the basic commodities in building a shelter is wood. Hundred years have passed, wood is still in demand as a material for furniture. Every house certainly has wooden furniture, from a vintage wardrobe to a modern dressing table in Singapore.
There are three main types of wood in the market today commonly used inluxury furniture in Singapore– solid wood and engineered wood.
Hardwood is probably the best solid wood material for furniture. Hardwood trees have broader leaves, produce fruits and flowers, and grow slower. Hardwood has high density, making it a suitable material for luxury furniture in Singapore. Hardwood is an expensive wood material for furniture. A few examples of hardwood are oak, maple, mahogany, walnut, beech, and teak.
Another type of solid wood is softwood. Softwood is a coniferous tree that produces cones and naked seeds for reproduction. Softwood trees are lighter, less dense, grow faster, and much easier to cut than hardwood. Examples of softwood are pine and spruce.
The cheapest type of wood is engineered wood. Engineered wood consists of wood fibres, chips, particles, veneer, and thin wood boards bonded together. Manufactured wood was introduced to address the scarcity of lumber. Plywood, high-density fibreboard, and particleboard are examples of engineered wood.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The prime advantage of wooden furniture is its durability. With proper maintenance, your wooden dressing table in Singaporecan last for decades. Wooden furniture complements well with different interior designs, too.
Wood’s disadvantage is mainly water. It is sensitive to spills and moisture.
Maintenance
Using varnishes like wax and wood oil provides an extra layer of protection to your furniture and retains the colour and appearance.
Metal
Metal is a widely used material for furniture, commonly for lighting fixtures, outdoor chairs and tables. Because of its chic and sleek appearance, it is a favourite for luxury furniture in Singapore. It is often mixed with other materials as well, like in aglass coffee table in Singapore. Furniture uses different types of metal and finishes.
The most common types of metals are stainless steel, aluminium, wrought iron, copper, and brass.
On the other hand, metal finishes provide surface protection to the metal and an aesthetic look to the furniture. A few examples of metal finishing are antiqued, polished, brushed, hammered, and satin.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The primary advantage of metal furniture is its resistance to any damages such as pests, fire, and water. They are easy to clean as well.
Metal’s main disadvantage is its weight. It is not very flexible when it comes to blending in several interior designs. Depending on the type of metal and finish, metal furniture can be prone to rust.
Maintenance
Using soft polish, paste wax or clear metal varnish can prevent rusting. Abrasive cleaners corrode the metal on your glass coffee table in Singapore.
Natural Stone
Natural stone is one of the most expensive materials for luxury furniture in Singapore. Natural stones are mostly used in the kitchen and bathrooms. They are also popular outdoor furniture, often combined with metal furniture.
Marble, granite, basalt, limestone, and slate are few natural stones used for furniture. Natural stones are usually cut into various shapes, sizes, and thicknesses depending on the need.
Advantages and Disadvantages
A console table made of natural stone in Singapore is made to last. Stones are highly durable, require little to no maintenance, and highly resistant to water, fire, and environmental damages.
Its prime disadvantage is its high price. It is heavy and prone to accidents when wet.
Maintenance
Annual sealing of natural stones prevents stain and discolouration. Natural stones are sensitive to acidic liquids such as vinegar and lemon. Avoid direct contact with acid.
Plastic
One of the cheapest furniture materials is plastic. Tables and chairs made of plastic are popular. They are often combined with other materials like metal, wood, and sometimes leather. Synthetic plastics are used to mimic other materials such as rattan.
Types of plastic furniture are nylon, polycarbonate, and polyethene.
A plastic console table in Singapore is child-friendly due to its curved edges and soft material.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The prime advantages of plastic are its low price, colour selection, and low maintenance.
Plastic can’t withstand heavy weight and pressure. Plastics are not heat-resistant as well.
Maintenance
Plastic is not very selective when it comes to the cleaning agent. Bleach, detergent, and dish soap can be used as cleaners.
Leather
Leather is one of the most popular luxury furniture materials in Singapore. Leather furniture is commonly seen in offices and living faces. Leather usually comes from animal skin, mostly sheep, cattle, pigs, ostrich, and stingrays.
There are seven types of leather finish. These are full grain, top grain, split grain, bonded, nubuck, bi-cast, and faux leather. The quality of the leather depends on its finish.
Leathers are usually used in the sofa, couches, and chairs.
Advantage and Disadvantages
Leather is highly durable and resistant to water and surface damages. It is not affected by fungus and humidity. However, the colour choices for leather are quite limited. The material stretches over time and makes the original colour lighter.
Maintenance
Leather is a bit sensitive to cleaning agents. A clean cloth damped with distilled water is enough to wipe the leather. There are leather cleaning kits available in the market as well.
Snow Globe provides a wide range of furniture material that suits your taste, interior design, and budget. From wood to plastic, Snow Globe has it for you. Visit the Snow Globe today.
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