Why You Should Consider Antique Pine Furniture

In colonial era America, there was no shortage of pine and furniture makers naturally used this, the most plentiful of woods around. A lot of antique pine furniture is still out there; a testament to the craftsmanship of colonial furniture makers. Some of these pieces are made from softer varieties of pine; others are crafter of the more durable yellow pine.

Hardwoods, particularly oak, were the wood employed by the majority of furniture makers and were requested by the people commissioning the furniture. However, pine was useful for many pieces due to it being an easy wood to work with - and lower in price as well. At one time, most furniture was made especially for the wealthy. However, the fact that there is antique pine furniture out there is evidence that those of lower social standing would also have furniture made for their homes.

When a nomadic lifestyle was the norm millennia ago, furniture was not generally considered a high priority. As people began to lead a more settled lifestyle, furniture began to be more and more common.

Shifting To the Softer Pine

With other hardwoods like cherry and chestnut becoming popular alongside oak for furniture construction, pine trees were still widely available. A lot of pine furniture pieces from long ago have shown us that the word workers of those times had the necessary skill to work with softer woods such as pine and still create from them pieces which could last. Pine furniture is believed to have been easier to make due to the softness of the wood when compared to oak.

There is much antique pine furniture from the colonial period. As settlers spread west, they would create furniture from whatever woods were in abundance. This in many areas of the country meant pine - and the antique furniture of today was the latest, state of the art furniture in its day. Furniture then, however was made more for function than for form.

Since closets were uncommon in that time, wardrobes, dressers and chiffarobes were instead used to hold clothing. Armoires and dressers were for the wealthier (or those skilled enough to make them on their own). These antique pieces demonstrate to us the skill of these craftsmen of a bygone era.