Choosing the right furniture is the key to a cozy home and durable repairs. This selection is especially difficult now because of such an abundance of offers on the construction market. This article will help you decide on materials for bathroom furniture, living room and bedroom, nursery, kitchen and bathroom, as well as choose excellent upholstery and fillers for beds, sofas and armchairs.
General requirements for furniture materials
So, what qualities should materials for making furniture have:
- Sustainability. In whatever style your interior is made, in any case, natural, environmentally friendly wood and MDF will not spoil it. As for plastic, it can only be safe for humans 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 for decades.
- Wear resistance. Those. resistance to scratches, mechanical damage,pollution. This is especially true for furniture that is subject to the greatest wear and tear. For example, a kitchen countertop or a bed in a bedroom. Ideally, furniture should not lose its appearance and color.
- Water resistant. Especially important for rooms with high humidity - kitchen and bathroom.
- Resistant to dry cleaning and abrasives. As a result of pollution, which will inevitably appear over time, furniture materials should be easy to clean without losing their appearance. Here it is worth noting another requirement - easy care.
- Safety - this quality is especially true for children's furniture, since low-quality material can harm the child's he alth.
These are the key requirements that materials and fittings for furniture production must follow. Now let's take a closer look at what is best to use for each particular room.
Bathroom Furniture Materials
In addition to the above requirements, materials for the manufacture of bathroom furniture must have at least a minimum protective coating against moisture and temperature extremes. Otherwise, after some time, the shelf or cabinet will become covered with mold, crack, swell and begin to rot. It is best to use plastic and glass. Often used painted and impregnated natural wood. 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 toclean.
Handles, hinges and other fittings are of great importance. They must be moisture resistant and not rust.
It is not recommended to use chipboard and MDF.
Kitchen furniture materials
Similar characteristics should have materials for kitchen furniture. In addition to resistance to moisture, corrosion and temperature extremes, they must be invulnerable to mechanical damage, grease, cleaning chemicals. It is especially scrupulous to choose the material for countertops - there is a risk of water ingress near the sink, fat near the stove, and you can forgetfully put a hot frying pan on the table without a stand and leave a mark on it.
It is undesirable to use chipboard, except for cabinet doors. For countertops, natural or artificial stone, wood or MDF, or postforming (this is chipboard processed using a special technology) is best suited. Glass can be used for the dining table as well as for finishing the kitchen facade.
Furniture materials for living room and bedroom
Unlike the previous two rooms in the living room, furniture materials do not have such strict requirements. Glass, metal, wood, and chipboard are suitable here, it all depends on the style and design of your apartment. For example, in most styles (modern, classic, provence, loft, chalet, Japanese and many others), the most versatileThe material is natural wood - solid oak, alder, pine. Plastic is rarely used, except in high-tech interiors. In the same style, special durable tempered glass is often used. But forged metal parts are more applicable for Art Nouveau, Baroque, Art Deco.
It is important to choose the right materials for furniture upholstery and fillers for sofas and beds, where the inhabitants spend a lot of time.
Fillings and upholstery
In addition to the furniture body, the filling must be safe and durable, namely, furniture upholstery materials and its fillers.
Most often, polyurethane foam is used as a padding, laid in several layers - 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 are additionally used for its softness, treated with sterilization from ticks and other parasites.
As for upholstery, well-known materials for furniture upholstery are linen, cotton, natural wool. The first is more often used in its natural form without staining. The second is bleached, covered with special compounds or impregnation to repel moisture, wax, paraffin. Often dyed in different colors. Natural wool is used less often, due to its pricklyness and rapid wear.
More popular leather and its budget option - leatherette. Sometimes silk is used, for example,for upholstery of pouffes.
Furniture Materials for Nursery
Parents should approach this choice with special responsibility, since often highchairs and cribs are 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 due to their unsafety for the child. Chipboard releases toxic fumes over time.
And of course, children's furniture should not have sharp corners, protruding sharp objects, breakable surfaces.
Fittings
What about furniture fittings? These are various handles, supports, legs and wheels, fasteners, retractable systems, accessories. In their choice, it is also worth relying on the authority of the manufacturer, the durability and reliability of materials. Otherwise, you will get shaky furniture with creaking doors.
Furniture handles should not only be aesthetically beautiful, but also not get in the way when walking past a closet or chest of drawers and be comfortable 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 sorts of retractable systems are very rich in assortment. The most inexpensive - roller guides,for smooth drawer opening. Ball bearings are more expensive, but durable and designed for heavy loads.
CV
As you can see, the choice of materials today is huge, and a lot of it depends on which room you choose furniture for, what style the interior is made in, and how much money you have for repairs. Saving is not the best option to cut costs, because low-quality cheap furniture will last a short time, and in a couple of years you will have to change or re-upholster it again. Natural wood or more budgetary MDF, high-quality certified plastic, tempered glass, reliable fittings and good upholstery will serve 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.
