Reasons to Choose Solid Wood Furniture Over Veneer Alternatives

Solid wood furniture is beautiful and classic. Whether you love contemporary or rustic designs, a solid wood piece of furniture will look fantastic for years.

Oak furniture is probably the most popular and has been cherished for hundreds of years.

Although it undoubtedly looks good, are there any other reasons to choose solid wood? Well yes, there are.

Solid wood is more expensive than particle board covered in a wood veneer but there's a reason for that - the quality is much higher. Solid wood is structurally stronger and will not bow like a veneer piece of furniture can - this is particularly important if you are looking for a bookcase.

Another plus point for wood is the fact that it can be repaired fairly easily if it gets damages. The broken areas can be filled and finished with wood treatments. Particleboard on the other hand is very difficult to repair. This is often due to structural failure and this sort of thing is too major a fault to patch up.

Moving particleboard furniture can be a problem because it ideally needs to be dismantled first to protect it from knocks.

Solid furniture will last for many years and can be seen as an investment. A good-looking piece also makes a great family heirloom and it can give pleasure to your relatives long after you have no more need for it.

Should you have no-one to pass your furniture on to, solid wood will have a much higher resale value than particleboard (which often has no real value at all).

There are many different types of wood such as pine, ash and oak so you can choose something that suits your needs. All of these woods have their own characteristics and charm so make sure you find a showroom to see a good selection and you will find that you are attracted to one wood over all of the others.

It can also be finished with a natural wax or a tinted wax. Stains and paints can also be applied but wood is so beautiful anyway that you should consider changing the colour very carefully, however it can always be sanded back and given a natural wax or varnish at a later date (something you can't do with veneer).

On balance, wood by far outweighs veneered particleboard as the sensible choice for any home. So long as you can afford it, invest in solid wood - you won't regret it. If the price is initially off-putting, remember that in the long run it could even work out cheaper because you are unlikely to ever need to replace it.

Copper Bakers Racks - A Beauty to Behold

Copper and bronze both helped lift mankind out of the Stone Age and into the Bronze Age, but it's only been in the last 20 years or so that this amazing metal has found its way into copper bakers racks in American homes.

Copper bakers racks come in two basic styles: all copper and other metals that have a copper finish applied over them. There are several advantages to each, depending on what you need.

Ancient man could only marvel at what we've managed to do with copper, particularly the fantastic and often highly ornate copper bakers racks that are being turned out by top designers these days. They are a far cry from the rough pieces hammered out by primitive man over campfires.

Copper bakers racks make a lovely choice for today's homes. Copper, along with its many alloys-bronze and brass among them-naturally repel microbes. Even before scientists began to understand the concept of microbes in the 1800s, primitive man fashioned copper vessels to carry their water. A study recently in Britain confirmed the amazing properties of copper. While E. coli bacteria could last up to 34 days on a stainless steel surface, it lasted only four hours on a copper surface.

This can make copper bakers racks a beautiful and healthy addition to your home. Whether you order them with polished copper or rubbed copper finishes, copper bakers racks will last a long time and continue to look beautiful for many years to come. And because they are both warm and versatile, they can easily complement any décor you have, from a modern home to one that is extremely rustic.

Of course, not all copper bakers racks are made of copper. Some may simply be finished in a copper sheen. There's nothing wrong with this and it doesn't reduce the value or strength of copper bakers racks. However, you won't get any bacteria killing benefits from these pieces of furniture.

Still, you'll be able to enjoy the gorgeous tone of copper in your home, and you can order copper backers racks in a wide range of copper finishes, from antiqued and crackled finishes to highly polished versions.

When looking for the right copper bakers racks, you first want to decide if you want an actual copper model or one with a copper finish. Copper racks cost more, but they are exquisite to behold and many homeowners prefer the look of actual copper. Others like the ability to get different copper finishes, going with a wrought iron, steel or aluminum model that is finished in copper.

The most important thing is to select a piece that is top quality. You don't want to purchase a copper rack that is not well designed and finely crafted. It will only become loose and wobbly and if it's not pure copper, the finish may start to flake off. With such a focal point of your kitchen or home, you really want to go with a model that is from a well respected manufacturer.

Knowing that copper baker racks can be hard to find in any town in America, you may want to look online first. Use your favorite search engine and enter the term "copper bakers racks" in it. This should give you a selection of retailers who handle these stunning racks. From there, you can narrow your search, shopping by price, style and features, which can range from overhead pot racks to wine storage. Some models even have a small desk or prep area where you can prepare holiday meals when the kitchen is overflowing with food. Many of these retailers represent top manufacturers and offer free shipping, an added bonus.