The Beauty of Unfinished Furniture

What is unfinished furniture?

We field, read, and see a lot of questions about unfinished furniture.  In this post, we’re giving you the 101 on Unfinished Furniture, with tips on finishing techniques, unique modern designer’s takes, how to choose unfinished antiques and some resources for in-depth study.

A modern designer’s take on raw, unfinished furniture lets the original material speak for itself. Image via Fopple.com

Unfinished furniture is generally sought after for its construction:  handmade of quality durable solid wood, these pieces can stand the test of time.  With unfinished pieces, buyers can be sure of the quality of wood and craftsmanship by virtue of flaws being visible on inspection.  Plus with the ability to choose stains, paints and hardware, buyers have a hand in creating the perfect piece for their home.

Others opt for the rawness of unfinished furniture – antique and modern -that let the materials share their histories. These pieces, unique in design, can be used in outdoor living spaces with the right sort of sealant.

Image courtesy of Dornob

Fabien Capello created his natural wood furniture directly from pine trees discarded in the post-Christmas trash. A modern twist on unfinished furniture.

A traditional unfinished pine dresser. Image via Wood Craft Unfinished Furniture

Finishing Techniques

Have a do-it-yourself attitude?  Great design sense? Unfinished furniture can be personalized by those who wish to create their own heirlooms or are simply looking for a creative outlet – staining, painting and stenciling furniture to create one-of-a-kind pieces that uniquely suit their décor.

A beautifully finished dresser by a talented DIY-er makes a stunning one-of-a-kind statement piece. Image courtesy of isfive

A sideboard finished in a silver metallic. Image courtesy of J Covington Designs

Consider yourself warned: many of these techniques take time and a level of skill.  So if you’re a novice, do yourself the favour of completing your research and start with a small and simple project.  You can also opt to have the furniture finished professionally as many retailers of unfinished furniture also provide these services if your vision is beyond your level of commitment.

For those of you up to the challenge, some DIY finishing resources:

Barewood Furniture’s Idea Book showcases some of their clients’ creativity along with how-to instructions

How-to Guide from Refinish Furniture covering everything from preparing the food, sanding and cloth tacking techniques to how to get the right density of colour from your stain

All About Stencils is, well, all about stencils

TLC’s How Stuff Works offers tips on how to assess and distress your unfinished furniture for the antique look

Raw – The Modern Designer’s Vision for Unfinished Furniture

Contemporary designers have updated the traditional designs of unfinished furniture, shifting the focus to the story organic materials, particularly wood, can tell.  Creating well-built functional pieces in interesting shapes these unique designs engage the rawness of the wood to let the grain, knots and imperfections inform the finished piece.

Image courtesy of Fopple.com

Take this bench by Adrian Swinstead:  using a raw log with minor adjustments he creates a comfortable sitting surface.  The sleek modern design marries a reverence to the natural world.

While not true unfinished furniture, it is an evolution of the process. Here design firm Art with Function uses discarded raw materials to just that. The final product is furniture with such whimsy it feels right out of a bedtime story. Image via Sub-Studio

What about unfinished antiques?

There are those who look for antiques that have unique distressed looks, with the beautiful patina only time can provide. Many of these tell a rich stories about the era in which they were built – lines, engravings, weathering patterns can all reference design periods, cultures and environments.

Greentea Design’s Shanxi Sideboard’s simple organic form with a beautiful grain was handpicked by Greentea Design’s owner on a trip to an antique market in China. Image via Greentea Design

Beyond aesthetics, there is additional benefit to using aged woods for certain design elements.  According to Whole Log Lumber, unfinished antique and reclaimed woods have lower moisture content making them more solid and stable,  particularly important if you’re thinking of investing in a mantle.  Unfinished antique mantles won’t shrink when exposed to the heat of a fireplace as newer woods can.

An antique fireplace can be a better option than new woods due to their lower moisture content that reduces the chances of shrinkage. Image via La Belle Nouvelle Orleans

Image via Greetea Design

This antique Harbin Elm from Greentea Design has a rustic design that highlights the finely textured wood grain. This Harbin elm console table evokes the culture of its origins in North East China; simple, serene, and yet full of character.

This rustic dining table from Greentea Design combines rustic farmhouse nature with clean lines. Image via Greentea Design