If you’re shopping for furniture and you keep seeing terms like “solid wood”, “real wood”, “veneer”, and “engineered”, you’re not alone. They’re often used loosely, and it can be hard to tell what you’re actually paying for.
If you’re ever unsure what something is made from, feel free to contact us and we’ll happily talk you through it.
Solid wood furniture (the real thing)
Solid wood furniture is exactly what it sounds like. It’s made from real timber all the way through, not a thin decorative layer on top of something else.
It’s the traditional way furniture has been made for generations, and when it’s built well, it’s the kind of thing you keep for life.
What to know:
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It’s strong, long-lasting, and built to take real use
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It can be repaired, refinished, and restored years down the line
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It ages beautifully and develops character over time
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Each piece is genuinely one of a kind
Veneer furniture (the “looks like wood” option)
Veneer furniture is a thin layer of real wood stuck onto a base material, usually MDF, plywood, or chipboard. The surface is timber, but underneath it’s a different story.
From the outside it can look convincing, but it’s a very different type of product, and it’s worth knowing the trade-off before you buy.
What to know:
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The surface can chip, peel, or lift over time
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Once veneer is damaged, it’s extremely hard (and often impossible) to repair invisibly
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You can’t just sand it back and refinish it like solid wood
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Many veneer pieces are built on cheaper core materials that don’t hold up long-term
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Edges and corners are especially prone to wear
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Often designed to be replaced rather than repaired
Why veneer often looks “perfect” (and why solid wood doesn’t)
Veneer has one big advantage, and it’s purely visual.
Because it’s produced and applied in a controlled way, veneer can be made to look identical across every piece. The grain can be “matched” so it looks clean, consistent, and almost too perfect. The same pattern, every single time.
Solid wood is different because it’s natural. Grain, colour, knots, and variation are all part of the material. No two boards are the same, so no two finished pieces are either. That’s not a defect, it’s what real timber looks like.
If you want something that looks uniform and factory-consistent, veneer delivers that.
If you want something with depth, warmth, character, and real presence, solid wood wins every time.
What should you buy?
If you want a piece that lasts, feels substantial, can be repaired, and looks better as the years go by, solid wood is the obvious choice.
If the priority is keeping the cost down and having something that looks consistent out of the box, veneer might be fine, as long as you go into it knowing it’s not made for the long run.
What we use at Pastos & Co
We build with solid wood because we want our furniture to last, not just look good on day one. You’ll always get natural grain variation and character in our pieces, and that’s exactly the point.
If you’d like to browse our handmade solid wood furniture, you can view our current pieces here.
If you’re unsure what would suit your space best, just drop us a message and we’ll help you choose something that makes sense for your home.
