TYPES OF WOOD

Ready-to-finish furniture is available in many types of wood, each with special characteristics. And because each tree yields lumber with its own grain patterns and character markings, each piece of genuine wood furniture has a unique personality.

OAK is the wood most commonly used for ready-to-finish furniture. It is a very hard, open-grained wood that comes in red or white varieties. Red oak, which has a pinkish cast, is the more popular.

MAPLE is especially abundant in the eastern U.S. It is a very light-colored hardwood with a very even grain texture. Eastern maples are generally harder than western maples because of the colder winters and shorter growing seasons. Both are very durable and take any color stain well.

PINE is a soft wood that comes in many varieties from various parts of the world. In the U.S., Eastern white pine, ponderosa pine and sugar pine are some of the varieties used to make furniture. All have yellow coloring with brown knots and are excellent for staining.

PARAWOOD from the Far East is used for much of the furniture made in that part of the world. The wood is as hard as maple or ash and takes a very even stain. It is yellow in color, with a grain similar to mahogany.

Finish it Your way

The beauty of ready-to-finish real wood furniture is that you can have itfinished any way you want. Would you like to have that new customized media center match your living room furniture? Or maybe you would prefer to make the piece a focal point, painting it in a shade of bright red or sea blue? Thinking of a more refined look? Say, a stately antiqued finish in a rich wood tone, showing just a hint of age? All you need to do is ask for it. When it comes to ready-to-finish furniture, the options are unlimited.

Once you've selected a piece of ready-to-finish furniture, there are three ways to get the finish you want, and three price levels to get you there.

Do It Yourself
This is the most cost-effective and personally rewarding option. If you have done some furniture refinishing, you know that painting, glazing or staining furniture is not difficult. For novices unsure of their finishing skills, there is help at hand.

Choose an Existing Finish
A mid-price alternative is to opt for a factory-applied wood-tone or color finish. These handsome finishes, offered in a wide choice of treatments, will complement most decors and are often readily available for delivery. You can see samples of these finishes at our store in Cary, NC.

Select a Custom Finish
The most distinctive way to go is to have a custom finish professionally applied to your ready-to-finish furniture. After deciding the look you are after, Wood Quarters will provide the best craftsmen to finish your piece. And the choices here are practically limitless.

And if you are purchasing a specialty piece such as a kitchen island or dining room buffet, it can normally be ordered without a top so that you can match the surface of the new piece to existing granite or laminate counters in your kitchen.

When it comes to ready-to-finish furniture, you can, indeed, have it finished just your way.