There is something quite exciting about visiting a furniture store, choosing pieces that harmonize with your taste and décor, arranging for delivery then going home to picture how the items will look. It seems like an eternity before the furniture truck arrives, followed by a flurry of activity as the pieces are brought into the dwelling and arranged just so. The feelings of excitement and anticipation are replaced with a satisfied glow as the new furniture takes pride of place. At this point, the homeowner would feel much more secure about the purchase if the furniture was made from solid timber, rather than a veneer.

There is nothing wrong with buying veneer furniture, provided the purchaser knows what they are getting. Veneer furniture has its place and can be manufactured to a level of style and quality that suits a large section of the market. When buying furniture Brisbane customers can weigh up the options, look at the pros and cons of solid timber vs veneer, then make their choice.

The term "veneer" in woodworking refers to the practice of producing panels for furniture pieces from chipboard, particle board and medium density fibreboard, which have been covered with a thin strip of timber less than 2mm thick, giving the appearance of a solid piece of timber. Much of the furniture we purchase today is either fully or partly veneered.

Veneering dates back to the Egyptians, whose work in veneer can been seen on their furniture and sarcophagi. Throughout the ages, veneering was performed by hand by skilled craftsmen, but in today’s market, veneers are mass produced and are usually employed as a cost-saving measure. As it’s difficult to tell the difference between veneer and solid timber just by looking at it, anyone buying furniture who wants a solid piece needs to ask the retailer outright if there is any veneer in it. The customer can then make an informed choice.

The major considerations for preferring solid timber over veneer are the quality and longevity of solid timber pieces, which, when properly cared for, last for many decades. Another reason is that a solid timber piece is much more likely to be handmade or custom made by quality craftspeople, rather than in a production line process. This gives the owner the opportunity to have custom furniture Brisbane that is unique, a "one-off", designed and made just for that owner. In this mass-produced world, that is a very desirable feature for many people.

Veneer furniture does have its place in the market, and there are varying degrees of quality available, depending on the budget. However, the owner of a finely crafted, stylish solid timber piece will always have the satisfaction of telling an admirer, "No, definitely not veneer – it’s solid timber."