North American Wood Furniture for Every Style

North American wood furniture is a treasure trove of styles to suit every taste. From rustic to modern, there's a piece to match your unique flair.

You can find wooden furniture with a natural finish, showcasing the beauty of the wood grain, or opt for a stained finish that adds a pop of color.

Oak is a popular choice for its strength and versatility, often used in traditional and rustic designs.

For a more modern look, consider furniture made from maple or cherry wood, which offer a sleek and sophisticated aesthetic.

Whether you're going for a cozy cabin vibe or a sleek urban loft, North American wood furniture has got you covered.

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Vermont Woods Studios handcrafts solid wood furniture in Vermont, embodying a legacy of quality and sustainable craftsmanship. Their collections offer a range of styles, from timeless Mission and Shaker to contemporary Mid-Century designs.

The company uses sustainably harvested North American wood to make each piece, designed and built to last forever. This commitment to excellence is evident in every detail of their American-made solid wood furniture.

Vanguard Furniture, based in North Carolina, employs over 600 people and manufactures a wide range of furniture, including living room, bedroom, and dining room sets. Their customizable programs, such as the "Make It Yours" custom design program, offer customers a nearly limitless selection of style, finish, and hardware choices.

Vanguard Furniture's hand-crafted pieces are built to last, featuring hardwood frames and a multi-step hand-finishing process that creates a solid and enduring piece. Their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction is evident in their focus on continuous improvement.

Daniel's Amish furniture is handcrafted in the U.S.A., using tried and true manufacturing techniques from generations past. Their custom furniture design experience offers an incredibly wide range of style, finish, hardware, and size choices, all sourced and constructed within the United States.

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Vermont Woods Studios is based in Vermont, where they've been making furniture since 2005. They started this company to source materials locally and reduce the destruction of the rainforest.

Their furniture is handcrafted in Vermont, using sustainably harvested North American wood. This means that the wood used for their pieces is not only locally sourced but also eco-friendly.

You can find a range of styles at Vermont Woods Studios, from Shaker to Mission to Art Deco, all of which showcase the beauty of the wood grain. These styles are timeless and can blend in seamlessly with any home decor.

One of the benefits of shopping at Vermont Woods Studios is that they offer sets, making it easy to complete an entire room with their furniture. However, be aware that their prices can be a bit steep, especially when you factor in shipping costs starting at $199.

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American Made Furniture is all about embracing the classic styles that have been around for centuries. Brown Maple is a popular choice for contemporary and shaker styles due to its smooth grain pattern.

Brown Maple furniture is also found in Victorian style homes as a more affordable alternative to Cherry wood.

Furniture construction is a crucial aspect of choosing high-quality North American wood furniture. A well-made piece can last for decades, while a poorly constructed one may fall apart in a few years.

Jane Henry, a furniture restorer, emphasizes the importance of construction details. She notes that there should be no gaps in the joints and no visible glue.

Dovetail joinery is a tell-tale sign of sturdy and long-lasting furniture. If the drawers are dovetail, it's a good indication that the piece is built to last.

Nails and staples may hold for a while, but they can weaken under weight and wear. A high-quality piece will use specialized joinery designed to wiggle, move, and support weight.

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The Joinery is a company that's been around since 1982, starting as a small one-person refurbishing and furniture repair business in Portland, Oregon. It's now a much bigger company that still relies on individual builders to create high-quality furniture.

Their focus is on using joinery techniques to build pieces that last, and they're not afraid to take their time to get it right. A simple website lets you browse their selection of bed frames, nightstands, dining tables, and more.

The Joinery uses hardwoods to create durable furniture that lets the wood speak for itself, without any extra pops of color. They provide a lifetime warranty on residential furniture for the original owner, which is a testament to their commitment to quality.

Their build times can take between 20 and 25 weeks, so be prepared to wait a bit for your new furniture to arrive. But trust me, it's worth it – their pieces are designed to last for generations.

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Furniture construction is more than just slapping some fabric on a frame. The materials list is a crucial part of the puzzle.

Fast furniture is typically made with particle board, fiberboard, or other blends of material, which are designed to last only a few years at best.

Solid hardwood is the way to go for truly durable furniture. Wood is quite durable, but the type of wood matters.

Henry tells us that veneer and solid wood are good options, but be cautious of anything built with medium-density fiberboard (MDF). MDF can be easily damaged and swell in humidity.

Plywood or solid wood is a better choice than particle board, and pressboard is one to avoid because it tends to swell when water touches it.

Solid hardwood can survive typical wear and tear and won't become damaged with water, weight, or other common scenarios.

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Reclaimed barnwood is literally pulled from an old barn, giving it a unique story with rustic character.

The wood is often Oak with a distinct character it's gained throughout its lifetime, and the aged texture and grain patterns give it a one-of-a-kind appeal.

Hardwood sourced from old buildings has spent its life air drying, adding strength, stability, and durability that new wood doesn't have.

This natural process makes reclaimed barnwood ideal for furniture that requires long panels of wood, as it's more durable than wood harvested from old growth trees.

A light to natural stain is recommended to keep the natural character of the wood, which has a natural wooden patina shade.

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Vanguard Furniture is based in Hickory, North Carolina, and employs over 600 people in North Carolina and Virginia. They manufacture a wide range of furniture, including living room, bedroom, dining room, bathroom, and office furniture.

Their customizable programs, like the "Make It Yours" custom design program, allow customers to create unique pieces that fit their style. Hand-crafted with pride and made in America, Vanguard Furniture is built to last.

Vaughan Bassett, on the other hand, is a Virginia-based company founded back in 1919 by two men whose names became the company name. They employ about 700 people who make all of the furniture within the United States.

Stickley is a brand that values legacy, quality, and craftsmanship, and its collections are some of the highest quality furniture on the market.

Vanguard Furniture employs over 600 people in North Carolina and Virginia, and their hand-crafted furniture is built to last with hardwood frames and a multi-step hand-finishing process.

Stickley furniture is designed to showcase the quality of the wood used during the manufacturing process, and it's offered in oak or cherry hardwoods with five to seven different types of stains available.

Many brands, such as Vanguard, offer customizable programs that let you choose or build the perfect furniture for your home, including the "Make It Yours" custom design program offered by Vanguard.

Stickley furniture is made in upstate New York and North Carolina, with over 90 percent of its furniture being made in the United States.

If you're looking for a brand that allows you to browse quality furniture right from home before making an in-person purchase, Stickley is a great option, although you'll need to purchase from a retailer.

Stickley furniture is a great investment, as it's built to last and can be passed down for generations, making it a worthwhile choice for those looking for high-quality, heirloom-quality furniture.

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Daniel's Amish is a furniture brand that's been around for over 20 years, and what sets them apart is their commitment to traditional manufacturing techniques passed down through generations of skilled woodworkers. They're based in Ohio, specifically in Holmes County, which is home to the largest Amish community in the country.

Their furniture is handcrafted in the USA, using northern American hardwoods that are incredibly strong and have a stunning natural beauty. These hardwoods are sourced and constructed within the United States.

Daniel's Amish takes pride in offering a highly customizable furniture design experience, with a nearly limitless selection of style, finish, hardware, and size choices. This means you can get a piece of furniture that's tailored to your exact needs and preferences.

Their bedroom furniture, for example, is constructed from these strong and beautiful hardwoods, ensuring a high-quality finish that will last for years to come.

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Bernhardt is a furniture company based in Lenoir, North Carolina, with eight manufacturing facilities and over 1500 employees.

They primarily use teak and white oak in their furniture, and also feature premium materials like petrified wood, gypsum, German silver, and bone inlay.

Their construction methods include dovetails, mortise & tenon joints, and corner blocks.

Bernhardt offers a wide range of furniture collections that cater to almost every design aesthetic.

With an extensive custom program, they have a massive catalog of upholstery fabrics and leathers, including performance fabrics.

Napa is a great choice for those looking for high-quality, solid wood construction. They use a 17-step process to ensure their furniture is both durable and beautiful.

Their pieces are made from solid wood sanded and finished by hand, giving them a unique, handmade quality. This attention to detail is a hallmark of Napa's craftsmanship.

Napa is also committed to sustainable timber harvesting, returning the materials they take from the land to keep the forests thriving.

Vaughan Bassett is a Virginia-based furniture company that's been around since 1919. The company was founded by two men whose names became the name of the company.

Vaughan Bassett employs about 700 people who make all of the furniture within the United States. They're the largest manufacturer of wooden adult bedroom furniture in the United States.

The company's number one priority is providing customers with unmatched service, quality, and value. They want to make it easy for customers to feel at home.

Vaughan Bassett manufactures most of their furniture using wood solids and wood veneers grown and harvested near their Southeast plants. They use a variety of wood species, including pine, oak, maple, cherry, ash, poplar, birch, and beech.

If you're looking for a furniture brand that's committed to quality and value, Vaughan Bassett is definitely worth considering.

Choosing a Species can be a daunting task, but don't worry, I've got you covered. Brown Maple, Cherry, Hard Maple, Hickory, Oak, and Quarter Sawn White Oak are all popular hardwood options for furniture.

Douglas-fir is another great option, known for its hardness and versatility. It's easy to work with, stains well, and holds adhesives well too.

Elm wood is a beautiful choice, with a prominent growth ring pattern and interlocking wood grain that adds to its toughness.

Black Locust is one of the strongest and stiffest domestic woods, competing with Hickory for the title of strongest, but with more stability and rot resistance.

Black Locust is moderately easy to work with, but its high density and hardness can make it difficult to machine.

It has a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges, but responds very well to both lathe turning and steam bending.

Elm wood has a Janka Hardness rating of 830 and is classified as a soft hardwood, making it quite durable and tough, but softer than other hardwoods.

Elm's interlocked grain adds to its toughness and makes it resistant to splitting, making it a great choice for outdoor furniture.

Black Locust has exceptional strength and decay resistance, making it the species to use in outdoor applications where structural integrity is important.

It is tougher than white oak and offers better longevity in outdoor environments, making it a great choice for long-lasting outdoor furniture.

Elm wood has a beautiful, bold, and unique grain pattern with heartwood colors ranging from light to medium reddish-brown and a paler sapwood that is tan to off-white in color.

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Wood is a great choice for outdoor furniture, but not all wood is created equal. Black Locust and Bois D'Arc are two species that rot slower than others due to their physical barriers that prevent moisture from penetrating the wood.

For outdoor projects, it's recommended to use heartwood rather than sapwood. Heartwood is the stronger, inner-most wood of the tree, which often consists of the majority of a stem's cross-section.

Cypress wood is rot and insect resistant due to its natural oils. It weathers to a silver gray over time if left unfinished, similar to cedar.

Cypress is a great option for outdoor furniture because it's a light wood with a pretty grain pattern, making a great visual impact. Cypress stains very well, so your choice of stain will really pop once the wood has been coated.

Some wood species, like Cypress, are softer but still suitable for outdoor furniture. They're often a great choice for those who want their garden furniture to stand out.

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Douglas Fir is a popular choice for outdoor projects, offering great wood character in terms of grain and texture. It's also relatively easy to work with and holds adhesives well.

This species is one of the hardest softwoods commercially available in the U.S. Douglas Fir is widely available and used predominantly for construction and building projects.

White Oak is a popular choice for furniture due to its durability and beautiful grain pattern. It's often referred to as the counterpart to Cherry.

The grain pattern on White Oak is characterized by tight and deep horizontal "flakes" known as tiger stripes. This unique pattern is a hallmark of the quarter-sawn milling process.

White Oak is extremely hard, with a rating of 1335 on the Janka Hardness Scale, making it one of the hardest domestic species. This means it will last for generations with proper care.

The most popular style of furniture made from White Oak is the mission style, but it also looks great on traditional and shaker styles. You'll find this grain pattern on furniture dating back to the turn of the century.

There are two types of White Oak: regular and rustic. Rustic White Oak allows for more grain variation, including small grain imperfections and knots, which can be a cost-effective option.

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Some wood species are better suited for outdoor projects due to their ability to resist rot and insect damage. Black Locust and Bois D'Arc are two such species that have physical barriers called tyloses, which prevent moisture and organisms from penetrating the wood.

Woodworkers recommend using heartwood over sapwood for outdoor projects, as heartwood is stronger and more durable. Heartwood is the inner-most wood of the tree, whereas sapwood is the living, outermost segment.

Walnut is a hardwood that rates 1010 on the Janka Scale, making it one of the harder wood species available.

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The Janka Hardness Scale is a measure of a wood's resistance to wear and denting, determined by the force needed to embed a steel ball into the wood. This scale is used by the hardwood industry to gauge how effective each type of hardwood will be.

The Janka Hardness Scale is a test that measures the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball up to half its diameter into a piece of the wood. This indicates how much effort it will take to nail and saw a specific wood type.

The higher the number on the Janka Hardness Scale, the tougher the wood. This is important to consider when choosing a wood species for outdoor furniture projects. Black Locust and Bois D'Arc, for example, have high Janka Hardness numbers, making them good choices for outdoor use.

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Quarter Sawn White Oak (QSWO) wood has been popular in a broad spectrum of finishes over the years.

Current trends on QSWO are more toward the medium brown and red tones.

Hard Maple is a wood species known for its smooth and feminine grain pattern.

It has a very high rating on the Janka Hardness Scale, with a score of 1450, making it one of the hardest woods available. This means furniture made from Hard Maple is guaranteed to be very heavy.

Hard Maple looks excellent in any finish, and is commonly used on kitchen cabinets with a Natural finish due to its clarity and lack of grain imperfections.

It's a great choice if you want a light and consistent color, and popular finishes include Natural, Michael's, Asbury and Rich Tobacco.

The smooth grain pattern in Hard Maple lends itself well to contemporary and shaker styles, making it a versatile wood that can fit in with any style of furniture.

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Oak is a popular wood choice due to its beauty, durability, and relatively low cost. It's been widely used for decades for furniture and other applications.

The Red Oak variety exhibits a strong grain pattern known as "Cathedral" due to its large arch patterns. This unique pattern is a key reason for its popularity.

Red Oak is extremely hard, with a rating of 1290 on the Janka Hardness Scale, making it one of the hardest woods available. This hardness score is a 9 out of 10.

Oak wears well over time and hides minor dents and wear due to its wide and thick grain pattern. This makes it a great choice for high-traffic areas.

In the past, Oak was often finished in light colors like Natural, Light, and Medium. However, there's now a trend towards medium to dark color tones, with finishes like Fruitwood and Rich Tobacco being popular choices.

The Oak grain pattern lends itself well to Traditional styling.

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Walnut is the only dark brown hardwood grown in the USA, and its lovely grain pattern is usually straight, but can be irregular.

Walnut has a medium texture and moderate natural luster.

One of the harder wood species, Walnut hardwood rates at 1010 on the Janka Scale.

Walnut's rich, chocolate color with hints of black, gray, and even dark blue or purple makes it a beautiful, complex wood.

Over time, walnut turns slightly golden brown, but the change is so small that it often goes unnoticed.

Walnut makes an impression, and its unique characteristics make it a popular choice for many woodworking projects.

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Construction details are key to durability. A well-made piece of furniture should have no gaps in the joints and no visible glue.

Nails and staples on butt joints are prone to failure under tension. A high-quality piece of American-made furniture will use specialized joinery that's designed to wiggle, move, and support weight.

Dovetail joinery is a tell-tale sign of sturdier and longer-lasting furniture. If the drawers are dovetail, it's a good indication that the furniture is built to last.

Brown Maple, with a hardness score of 6 out of 10, is a good choice for furniture that will take a beating.

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Durable construction is key to furniture that will last for decades. Look for furniture with no gaps in the joints and no visible glue.

Jane Henry, a furniture restorer, recommends avoiding nails and staples on butt joints, as they don't withstand tension. Instead, opt for specialized joinery that can wiggle, move, and support weight.

If the drawers are dovetail, that's a tell-tale sign of high-quality construction. Dovetail joinery interlocks the components of a drawer, making for sturdier and longer-lasting furniture.

Brown Maple has a hardness score of 6 out of 10, similar to Cherry. If your furniture takes a beating, you may want to consider upgrading to Hard Maple, Brown Maple's more durable sibling.

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Regular cleaning can help maintain the durability of your furniture, as dirt and dust can cause wear and tear on surfaces.

The recommended cleaning frequency varies depending on usage, but a good rule of thumb is to clean high-traffic areas every 1-2 weeks.

Dusting with a soft cloth can help remove loose dirt and dust from surfaces, preventing scratches and damage.

For tougher stains, a gentle cleaning solution made from equal parts water and white vinegar can be effective.

Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners, as they can damage finishes and harm the environment.

Cleaning in the direction of the wood grain can help prevent scratches and damage to wooden surfaces.

Some wood species are better suited for outdoor projects than others, due to their ability to resist rot and insect damage. Black Locust and Bois D'Arc are two examples of wood species that rot slower than others, thanks to their physical barriers called tyloses.

Heartwood is generally stronger and more suitable for outdoor projects than sapwood. Heartwood is the inner-most wood of the tree, whereas sapwood is the light-colored, living outermost segment.

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Cedar is a soft, light, and easy-to-work-with wood, but it has poor screw-holding capabilities due to its overall softness.

It's resistant to rot, termites, and Powder Beetles, making it a great choice for outdoor furniture. Most native North American cedar species offer excellent resistance to rot and most insects.

Cedar can last for years without maintenance or treatment, but it's softer and more brittle than other species on this list. It weathers to a gray color if left untreated.

The natural resins in cedar make it a hardy timber, and it doesn't need to be painted, stained, or treated. However, doing so will enhance its lifetime against the elements.

Cedar is a softer, lighter, faster-growing wood, so it won't last as long as hardwood.

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Redwood is a popular choice for outdoor furniture due to its natural insect and moisture resistant qualities. It's a beautiful wood that cuts very well and has minimal movement.

Redwood trees grow slowly and are in limited supply, making it an extravagant wood that can be expensive to source. This might not be ideal for those with an environmental conscience.

Redwood holds finishes extremely well due to its structure, which has little pitch and resin. This is a significant advantage in woodworking projects.

Hickory is a hardwood species that's known for its deep grain pattern and exceptional hardness. It's available in two main types: Rustic Hickory, which features visible knots and grain variation, and regular Hickory.

Hickory wood is extremely durable, with a Janka Hardness Scale rating of 1820, making it one of the hardest wood species available. This means furniture made from Hickory will be very heavy and long-lasting.

King Hickory, a manufacturer based in North Carolina, has been producing high-quality upholstered furniture using solid wood since 1958. They use kiln-dried hardwood solids and modern innovations like 3D modeling to create exceptional pieces.

Rustic Hickory with a Natural finish is a popular choice for those who want a distinct, rustic look. It's also a great fit for homes with a traditional or masculine style.

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