Source: Kirsten Eisele via Pinterest

One of the most daunting tasks of commissioning a piece of fine furniture is to determine what type of material that it should be constructed with. If you are interested in wood furniture, there are so many different types of wood to consider, and each have their own pros and cons.

I often use my design blog to highlight the types of wood that are ideal for making furniture, and one type that I would like to feature today is hard maple. This material has been a popular choice by furniture craftsmen since the colonial days, most particularly because it is easy to work with and can be stained to an outstanding finish. People also seem to love hard maple because of its durability and high resistance to abrasion and wear.

The best way to describe hard maple is that it is typically straight-grained with a fine, uniform texture. In some cases, however, the grain can appear to be “curly.” While hard maple is readably available, the maple with curly or figured grains is generally only available commercially as veneer.

It is not uncommon to see hard maple used to construct tables, fine furniture, kitchen cabinetry, stairs, moldings, and flooring. To see some of the pieces that I have created using hard maple, please be sure to browse through my online gallery.

If you have any questions about the types of wood to use for your custom piece of furniture, please contact me, Richard Oedel, Fine Furniture Master. I will be more than happy to talk you through the advantages and disadvantages of each type of material to help you create a piece that you will be truly happy with.