Reforestation is a keenly held ideal of the modern furniture manufacturing industry, principally because of the need to have a continuous supply of new lumber with which to make new products. Planting one or two trees for every tree that is cut down is widely acknowledged to be a very effective conservation policy but there are other ways of answering the needs of the environment while also addressing the long standing need for wood furniture. One such way is reclaimed pine furniture.

Pine trees are amongst the fastest to grow, so there is generally little alarm when so much of this type of wood is available. Forests of a variety of types of trees are conserved but the speed at which pine tree populations regenerate themselves, means that there is plenty of scope in which to harvest them. In this way, furniture for every corner of the home, be it children’s bedroom furniture, stained kitchen furniture and even white painted furniture for the master bedroom, is available at affordable prices.

While reforestation is a relatively modern concept, having been championed in a major way over the last half century or so, there is a much longer history in reclaiming wood to make new items and tools.

Wood reclamation does not refer to buying and repairing antiques, or the sale of furniture that is second hand. It actually refers to the use of old wood in the manufacturing process. In a sense, the reclaimed wood is reborn. For example, oak beams from a condemned old mill can be recut to be used in the roofing of a new home, or mahogany panels on an old country manor can be used to make a dining room table.

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Pine is an ideal wood for reclamation. It is a softwood and therefore easy for carpenters and craftsmen to rework, while also being durable so that even the oldest wood can retain its strength. It is not unusual, for example, for old pine flooring to become a sideboard or a chest of drawers, or perhaps a damaged pine bed to become a set of pine chairs. The variety of possible reincarnations is almost endless, and only really depends on the amount of good reclaimed wood that is available.

It is not difficult to understand why wood reclamation is so good for the environment. By reusing existing timber or furniture, and simply turning it into something new, the number of trees felled is reduced.

However, there are some other advantages, with the quality of wood from bygone eras generally recognised as being of higher quality. This is because the effects of global warming and other ecological changes were not factors that affected trees of 100 years ago or more. So, floor boards that are 150 years old will generally have tighter grains and greater strength. This means the reclaimed furniture can be higher quality than the newest models.

There is no shortage of furniture made of reclaimed pine, but many of the items reborn can be found amongst the ranges of bedroom furniture for children. The reason for this is that often the amount of reclaimed wood is less than the original piece, due to cutting. After all, a dressing table for a child is lower than one for an adult, a bed is shorter, a stool or a chair, meanwhile, has narrower seats and shorter legs.

Also, the fact that furniture made specifically for children is usually painted in bright colours means that blemishes that may exist on the wood can be covered up easily. Children like dramatic colours like, red, blue, pink and white, with coloured detailed carvings and edges also popular.

The same goes for upholstery, with colourful patterned materials placed over seats. In this way, plain white painted furniture can be made attractive in the eyes of a child, enlivening a room and making it more suitable for their playful minds.

There is no doubt that helps to make a difference to the environment, but there is more to it than that. Depending on how old the wood is, can be better quality than modern alternatives, while the specific needs of can be easily catered to.

In this video we explain how Woodbury House make’s great quality furniture. Woodbury House Furniture www.woodburyhousefurniture.com.au is an Australian business that trades online and also in retail. The first retail store opens in December 2010 in NSW in Castle Hill Home Hub 18 Victoria Ave. We specialise in making furniture from fine quality timbers such as teak and mahogany. We also make and sell very high quality cane wicker furniture. All our furniture is very attractive, practical and durable so come by and have a look at some of our “hierloom” furniture.
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