Choosing the right furniture is the key to a cozy home and long-term repair. This selection is especially difficult now because of such an abundance of offers in the construction market. This article will help determine the materials for furniture in the bathroom, living room and bedroom, children’s room, kitchen and bathroom, as well as choose excellent upholstery and fillers for beds, sofas and armchairs.
General requirements for furniture materials
So, what qualities materials for making furniture should have:
- Environmental friendliness. Whatever style your interior is made in, in any case it will not be spoiled by natural, environmentally friendly wood and MDF. As for plastic, it can be safe for humans only if it has the appropriate quality certificates. Otherwise, it may be toxic.
- Durability. Furniture is rarely bought for a year or two. Good quality materials should last decades.
- Wear resistance. Those. resistance to scratches, mechanical damage, dirt. This is especially true for furniture that undergoes the greatest wear. For example, a kitchen worktop or a bed in the bedroom. Ideally, the furniture should not lose its appearance and color.
- Water resistance. It is especially important for rooms with high humidity - kitchen and bathroom.
- Resistance to dry cleaning and abrasive products. As a result of contamination, which will eventually appear, furniture materials should be easily cleaned without losing their appearance. Another requirement is worth noting here - easy care.
- Safety - especially this quality applies to children's furniture, since poor-quality material can harm the child's health.
These are the key requirements that must be met by materials and furniture manufacturing fittings . Now let us dwell in more detail on what is best used for each particular room.
Furniture materials for the bathroom
In addition to the above requirements, materials for the manufacture of furniture in the bathroom should have at least a minimum protective coating against moisture and temperature extremes. Otherwise, after some time, the shelf or cabinet will become moldy, crack, swell and begin to rot. It is best to use plastic and glass. Painted and impregnated natural wood is often used. In this case, you need to evaluate the quality of the paint so that it does not crack over time.
Also, the surface texture should not collect smudges and drops of water, otherwise you will constantly have to clean it.
Handles, hinges and other accessories play a great role. They must be moisture resistant and not subject to rust.
It is not recommended to use chipboard and MDF.
Furniture materials for the kitchen
Similar characteristics should have materials for kitchen furniture. In addition to resistance to moisture, corrosion and temperature differences, they must be immune to mechanical damage, grease, and chemical cleaning. Particularly scrupulously, you need to choose the material for the countertops - in the sink area there is a risk of water ingress, in the stove area there is fat, and on the table you can forgetfully put a hot frying pan without a stand and leave a mark on it.
It is undesirable to use chipboard, except for cabinet doors. For a countertop, natural or artificial stone, wood or MDF, or postforming is best (this is chipboard processed using special technology). Glass can be used for the dining table, as well as for finishing the kitchen facade.
Furniture materials for the living room and bedroom
Unlike the previous two rooms in the living room, furniture materials do not have such strict requirements. Here, glass, metal, wood, and chipboard are suitable, it all depends on the style and design of your apartment. For example, in most styles (modern, classical, Provence, loft, chalet, Japanese and many others), the most universal material is natural wood - an array of oak, alder, pine. Plastic is rarely used, except in the high-tech interior. In the same style, special strong tempered glass is often used . But the metal forged parts are more applicable to Art Nouveau, Baroque, Art Deco.
It is important to choose the right materials for furniture upholstery and fillers for sofas and beds, on which the inhabitants spend a large amount of time.
Fillers and Upholstery
In addition to the furniture body, the filling should be safe and durable, namely materials for furniture upholstery and its fillers.
Most often, polyurethane foam laid in several layers is used as a packing - it is safe, does not cause allergies, keeps its shape and does not lose it over time. The only drawback is that it is harsh, so feathers and down treated with sterilization from ticks and other parasites are additionally used for its softness.
As for the upholstery, the well-known materials for the constriction of furniture are linen, cotton, natural wool. The first is more often used in its natural form without staining. The second - bleached, coated with special compounds or impregnation to repel moisture, wax, paraffin. Often painted in various colors. Natural wool is less commonly used due to its pricklyness and rapid wear.
Leather is more popular and its budget option is dermantine. Silk is sometimes used, for example, for upholstery of puffs.
Furniture materials for the nursery
Parents should approach this choice with special responsibility, as baby chairs and cots are often checked by the baby for taste. The best materials for children's furniture are certified plastic, natural wood, coated with special impregnation (for example, linseed oil), MDF. Glass and metal surfaces are not recommended because of their insecurity for the child. Particleboard releases toxic fumes over time.
And of course, the furniture for the nursery should not have sharp corners, sticking out sharp objects, beating surfaces.
Hardware
What relates to furniture fittings? These are various handles, supports, legs and wheels, fasteners, sliding systems, accessories. In their choice, it is also worth relying on the authority of the manufacturer, the durability and reliability of the materials. Otherwise, you will get loose furniture with creaking doors.
Furniture handles should not only be aesthetically beautiful, but also not interfere when walking past a cabinet or chest of drawers and be convenient to use. Metal and wooden mortise, staples and invisible handles are best suited.
The highest quality hinges are chrome plated. It is important that they work easily and silently. Some have a built-in closer that allows you to smoothly close the doors.
All kinds of retractable systems are very rich in assortment. The most inexpensive - roller guides, providing a smooth extension of the drawers. Ball - more expensive, but durable, and designed for heavy loads.
Summary
As you can see, the choice of materials today is huge, and much in it depends on what room you select furniture for, what style the interior is made in, and what amount you have for repairs. Saving is not the best option to reduce costs, because low-quality cheap furniture will last a short time, and after a couple of years you will have to change or drag it again. Natural wood or more budgetary MDF, high-quality certified plastic, tempered glass, reliable fittings and good upholstery will last you for many years and will not lose their appearance even after decades. Choose trusted manufacturers who, in addition to quality, will give you additional guarantees for the use of furniture for the first year or two.