Rustic Oak Furniture for Your Home

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Are you a fan of natural wood furniture in your home? Are you looking for the perfect provincial coffee table or trying to create a country kitchen feel? Rustic oak furniture is the answer to all of these questions, and many more.

Rustic oak furniture offers a wonderfully natural appearance that will create a homely and comfortable atmosphere in your home. It is simple but not plain. It allows the wood to speak for itself and doesn’t detract with complicated or showy design. This is because oak is a naturally stunning material, with a fabulous grain pattern that is warm and elegant by nature. Finished with just a coat of oil or wax to intensify the colour and protect and preserve the timber, rustic oak furniture is simply special.

Oak furniture is a popular choice for living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, and in fact any room of the house. It’s a permanent favourite due to its high quality, which give it great robustness and durability, and its beautiful natural appearance.

Although oak never goes out of fashion (which is just as well because it can last for decades), like everything else it follows trends. Slowly increasing in popularity in recent times, rustic oak furniture is set to be a firm favourite in 2012, leading the way in home style. Shiny, showy, more modern materials are losing popularity while, in these times of austerity, we take comfort in the warm and stable presence of good old oak, not to mention that fact that it lasts forever. Not having to buy new furniture for another decade is looking good at the moment, and many are choosing to invest in the perenially popular rustic oak.

So what kind of rustic oak collections are oak there? Furniture Shop UK offers several ranges which will suit your needs, whetheryou’re looking for a dining set or a wardrobe, kitchen units or a coffee table.

Vancouver Oak and Brooklyn Oak are two solid oak furniture collections which offer a wide array of units to choose from, for allrooms. Both are consistent best sellers as stunning pale oak ranges manufactured in a simple and elegant design that works in almost all settings. The Vancouver Oak range also features rustic metal looped handles which add an authentic country touch to this high quality collection. If you like Brooklyn Oak but you’re looking for something which makes more of a statement, the Brooklyn Reclaimed Oak range is crafted from reclaimed oak timbers which gives the furniture real character whilst maintaining its rustic appeal.

Similarly, the Fiona Dark Oak and Santana Oak collections are rustic furniture ranges ideal for afficiadonas of oak who prefer a richer wood tone. Fiona Dark Oak is also set with lovely brass plate handles in a medium to darker wood tone, while the Santana Oak collection is simply opts for a more contemporary syle fixing which really brings out the beauty of the timber.

Whichever rustic oak range you opt for, don’t forget to read the care instructions to ensure that your oak furniture will remain pristine for years. The Furniture Shop UK blogs offers care instructions specifically for Brooklyn Oak but you will also find that these directions apply to all the oak collections.

Caring for your Brooklyn Oak Furniture

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So you’ve bought some of the best quality furniture on the market today and now you want to make sure that it stays pristine. Brooklyn Oak is crafted from the finest American and Russian pale oaks so you can be sure that, with a little TLC, your oak furniture will stay in tip-top shape and you will be enjoying your purchases for many, many years to come. Here are some tips to assist you in caring for your Brooklyn Oak furniture.

Each item in the collection has been finished with tung oil to enhance it’s character and give the oak some natural protection. You can prolong that new look and cover up scratches, scuffs and light marks by treating your units with tung oil again every 12-18 months. You can buy tung oil in a hardware shop or online. Stand your furniture away from the walls on an old sheet and spray with the oil, then rub it in in the direction of the grain using a soft, clean cloth.

Dust your furniture down regularly with a clean, dry duster. Sticky marks can be brought up spraying a tiny bit of natural furniture polish into your duster and rubbing in a gentle circular motion. Always put your cups on a coaster to avoid circular heat marks.

Ensure that all spillages on your oak furniture are cleaned up as quickly as possible. Blot stains dry rather than wiping, which can increase damaged area. If you clean up water quickly then it shouldn’t mark, but other liquids can be more harmful. Remember to never use harsh cleaning proucts or sprays on your oak furniture as they can damage the finish. Brooklyn Oak is a rustic furniture with a varied grain pattern and this means that spillage marks can be hidden quite well once you’ve treated the item with another coat of pure tung oil.

Try to avoid placing Brooklyn Oak furniture near to radiators, fires and other heat sources. Similarly, don’t position your furniture in direct sunlight as this can cause the oak to fade. If you’re plaicng items on top of your oak furniture in direct sunlight then the wood can fade unevenly according to where the sunlight reaches the surface.

And finally, if slight cracks appear in the furniture then remember that wood is naturally hydroscopic (it has a varied moisture content dependent on humidity levels). Brooklyn Oak furniture has been thoroughly dried, both naturally and in a kiln, however the oak may slight move or crack slightly in response to its new environment. Remember that this is all part of your wooden furniture’s unique and rustic character.

Now settle back and enjoy your beautiful Brooklyn Oak furniture! And don’t forget, if you have any more questions about caring for your oak furniture then drop us a line and we’ll see how we can help you.

How to Pick Furniture for Small Rooms

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Sometimes you can’t get away from the fact that one of your rooms is, well, tiny. But there are ways to make the best of it, whether it’s a bedroom or your box room or a cosy cottage kitchen. Although the natural instinct is to furnish small rooms in the same way we do larger ones, this can often create a cramped and overbearing effect, further limiting your space and impeding upon your enjoyment of the room. This blog offers some guiding points and tips for furnishing smaller rooms.

Clever storage solutions are always your friend when it comes to maximising space.

It’s all about compact storage in small rooms, and if your storage solutions are multi-purpose then that’s all the better. Think wooden chests which can be utilised as lamp or coffee tables, or handy sofas which offer storage space within.

Don’t overlook the obvious storage solutions either. A decent wardrobe is your ally in the bedroom, and some can provide enough room to store all your clothes, shoes, coats, bags and accessories. Look out for versatile wardrobes which offer shelving, drawers and racks, as well as hanging space, because you can put these to work in a way that suits you.

Furnish upwards, not across floor space, whenever possible

When we think about space, the focus is on how much floor space a room has. But the truth is that the walls offer at least as many possibilities for storage, leaving you with more space to enjoy your room. You can buy some really stylish shelving to display and place even essential items like your TV. Multiple box shelving units, like the White High Gloss Shelving Unit, pictured opposite, look great and offer a huge amount of storage space too.

If you love to have wooden furniture in your bedroom but space is an issue then you can explore the option of purchasing a tall boy unit instead of a wide chest. A great option for a child’s room is a bunk bed or sleep station, which is a single high bunk accessed by a ladder leaving space for a desk or wardrobe below.

Pick one key piece of furniture which is essential to the room

In a bedroom, your key furniture item is going to be the bed and in a study, probably the desk. In a kitchen or living room this is a more personal choice; for example, cooking enthusiasts may make the stove the focal point of the kitchen, whilst some may prefer a table. Others might reserve a dining table for the living room, or focus on the sofa in there instead.

This focal furniture item designates the room’s main purpose and by choosing one piece that you won’t compromise on, you ensure that the room stays true to this. Perhaps you will have to move other items, such as a wardrobe or a table, out of the room but this is not necessarily a bad thing as it can allow your room to become purely about sleep, or eating together, or relaxing. In this way, using a small room can become quite a liberating experience.

Light colours and simple patterns

Deep moroccon red might be your favourite colour or swirling art nouveau wallpaper your dream, but when it comes to smaller rooms the cardinal rule is to always stick to light colours and simple patterns in your decorations. Deep coloured, busy walls and floors can be extremely overbearing in small rooms and make the space feel much less, while light tones will open the room out.

Another good trick is to invest in a large mirror, as mirrors give the illusion of there being much more space than there actually is. If you’re desperate to add a dash of bold colour or design, look for statement furniture pieces which can be a feature as well as functional.

Best Selling Contemporary Wooden Furniture – Brooklyn Oak

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The delightful Brooklyn Oak furniture range is one of Furniture Shop UK’s top selling contemporary furniture ranges. No surprises there, with this eye-catching pleaser a favourite for customers across suppliers nationwide. We simply love it, and so do those who buy it! This short article gives you five reasons why.

1. It’s simple, stylish, and very modern. There is no fuss or faff with Brooklyn Oak furniture, but it does instead boast lovely clean lines, a stunning pale oak grain and contemporary, sleek matt metal fittings. Its elegant appeal make this great wooden furniture suitable for many different homes, and you won’t have to redecorate around it. Brooklyn Oak furniture is sure to offer a clean and classy atmosphere in any setting.

2. The Brooklyn Oak range is solid oak furniture. Is there much need to say more? Solid wood furniture never goes out of fashion. It’s been around since humans began crafting furniture and it always will be, as long as we furnish our homes.

3. It’s a high quality, well-built wooden furniture range that will last for decades. Solid oak furniture should offer excellent quality, but the Brooklyn Oak range has been crafted with extra care and attention from the finest American and Russian white oak timbers. Dovetail jointing provides optimum strength and a delicate teak oil finishes each item to perfection.

4. The Brooklyn Oak range offers a huge variety of units to choose from. From pot cupboards to mirror, dining room tables to dining rooms dressers, four poster beds to library bookcases, this wide-ranging collection really is all encompassing. This means that you can furnish creatively and consistently throughout your home, without having to make any compromises because you can’t find the piece you want.

5. It’s well priced. Brooklyn Oak furniture is available at very competitive prices when compared to other solid oak and wooden furniture ranges. You can always expect to pay more for hard wood, but Brooklyn Oak really does offer you more for less when it comes to buying oak for your home.

So why not take a browse through Brooklyn Oak on our site?  We hope you’ll love it as much as us and our customers!

Funky Retro Furniture

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Whether a retro restyle is on the cards or you’re merely looking for a few choice items to spice up your rooms, investing in some funky 60s and 70s inspired furniture is a fabulous way of adding a little pizzazz to your home.

Going retro doesn’t necessarily mean repainting everywhere in garish oranges or wild geometric patterns (although this can look great on a feature wall, when done well). Adding some funky furniture features can immediately add something young and modern, especially in clean, simple rooms decorated in bright block colours. The resulting effect can be oh so stylish and contemporary, but with a definite nod to the past that creates an atmosphere that is confident, creative and incredibly cool.

It’s easy to find funky seating that produces an instant retro feel when its audacious lines and design enter a room. Other furniture items, in particular wooden furniture such as tables and sideboards can be used to the same effect. You can also look out for furniture finished in shiny lacquers or other bold materials such as shiny chrome which, if perhaps not authentically retro, are eye-catching and stand out with the same confident colouring and tone. The most important thing in a retro overhaul is to pay particular attention to picking out furniture with fabulous design. It’s all about choosing feature pieces with geometric, attention-grabbing lines. You can always offset its brashness with simple, understated, block painted walls.

Funky retro seating


Adding funky retro seating to a room is an effective and easy option for jazzing up a room. Just one fabulous sofa or feature chair will draw the eye and lend a whole new air to a tired room. It’s a great alternative to revamping the entire decor and furnishings and much cheaper too. Try something like the Retro Big Egg Pod Chair for a classic retro seating arrangement that demands to be dived into. If you’re after bright colours or gorgeous bold patterns, check out the Black and White Swivel Tub Chair or the Red Leather Lazy Chair and Footstool.

Fabulous Tables


When you’re looking for retro tables, choose clean, simple lines and sharp design. If in doubt, go with a classic Scandinavian style that conjures up images of the retro period whilst still offering contemporary cool. Luckily Scandinavian-inspired furniture is easy to find these days and you can head to your nearest retailer or search online to find some fabulous designs at great prices. Remember to choose something elegantly simple, such as the Stockholm Oak Round Table, pictured above.

Retro Sideboards


Sideboards…remember those? Nothing brings back the essence of the 60s and 70s like a good sideboard when it comes to furniture. Sideboards these days aren’t just about storing the good china; they have been reinvented as TV tables and other handy items. And the storage space that they do offer is always appreciated in the modern household. Check out the Gilmore Space Collection for some stunning retro furniture, such as the Ivy Black TV Sideboard with Walnut Handles. This little baby, featured in the picture above, shows that the modern sideboard can combine all the practical functions that made it so popular in the past with a fabulous funky design to light up a room.

Further funky chairs

We said it before, but it’s worth saying again. Funky chairs and retro seating really is an excellent way to add some spice into your living room life, or any other room for that matter. There are literally hundreds of funky chairs and retro chairs on the market to choose from, search online at Furniture Shop UK for an excellent seating selection. It doesn’t have to be one person feature armchairs either; beautiful leather sofas, such as the Large Leather Oval Sofa, never went out of fashion and introducing one into your home could be the finishing touch for your retro revamp.

Which wooden furniture should you choose for your home?

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If you’re looking for quality furniture for your home, you can’t get any better than solid wooden furniture. Hardwood furniture is renowned for its strength and longevity, as well as its attractive natural appearance. Whilst wood furniture ranges share these qualities that make them perennial favourites, there are a wide variety of different woods and styles to choose from, each with its own characteristics. How do you know which wood will be sucessful in your home?

From pines to oaks, beechs to mahoganies; there’s a furniture collection out there to suit each home, taste and budget. Browsing through the Furniture Shop UK website will show you that there are many options on the market to choose from. We know that solid wooden furniture is an investment and we want to help you get it right, so this blog takes you through some of the popular woods so that you can decide which one is right for you.

Pine Furniture


Pine furniture is often finished in a wax or lacquer which is ideal for bringing out the beautiful honey-coloured grain of this fine timber. Pine hardwood offers a light and attractive appearance that makes it a favourite for home furnishings. The pine dining table is a popular seller and there are plenty of dining sets out there that rework the traditional pine table in stylish contemporary design, such as the Tortilla Waxed Pine Dining Set. As pinewood is relatively quick and easy to grow and found across Europe, it is also the cheapest option when choosing solid wood furniture. This makes it an excellent choice for families and first time who want a great product at an even better price.


Oak Furniture


It’s hard to go wrong with oak furniture. It is often considered to be the choice for hardwood furnishings and this reputation is well deserved. As one of the most durable woods, solid oak furniture offersa quality and robustness that is hard to beat. It is versatile in manufacturing and the stunning natural grain of the timber means that oak furniture is available in a wide range of styles and designs and is always beautiful. The wide ranging appeal of oak ensures that every furniture item you desire is available in oak; the Brooklyn Oak Library Bookcase is a fabulous example of a more specialist piece. The quality of oak is reflected in higher pricing, however the all-round characteristics of this timeless classic ensure that money spent on solid oak furniture is money well spent.


Indian Oak Furniture



Like its European and American cousins, indian oak offers excellent strength and durability for home furniture. Indian oak’s difference lies in the colour and tone of its fabulous natural grain; it is a more colourful timber, resplendent with shades of pink, orange and brown which create a beautifully textured, patterned effect. Indian oak furniture collections such as Indian Sheesham and Indian Zen are renowned for their eye-catching and unique ethnic effect, which transform even commonplace household items, for example, check out the Zen Sheesham TV Cabinet above. Prices remain relatively high for solid indian oak furniture but if you’re looking for a wood which offers the quality and reliability of a classic oak with an unusal exotic twist, then this could be the timber for you.

Ash Furniture


Ash is an extremely attractive, light coloured wood with some excellent characteristics. Ash furniture has less knots and a more solid colour than oak or pine due to its tighter grain, which some people find more attractive in wooden furniture. Its timbers are both strong and elastic, making it a popular material for modern furniture manufacturing. Solid ash furniture is wonderfully robust and offers great longevity; it is comparable to oak in terms of its durability but a better supply of ash wood means that it also cheaper.he Items such as the Country Ash Belfast Sink Unit, pictured above, have given ash its reputation for beauty and endurance. Many households choose ash furniture for its pleasing appearance, sturdy nature and excellent price.

Vancouver Oak – Rustic Wooden Furniture for the Whole Home

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Wooden furniture is always popular due to its hardwearing qualities and traditional appeal. But if you’re opting for oak – often considered to be the finest of wooden furniture ranges – then the chances are that you’re looking for something special. Furniture Shop UK offers oak furniture collections that vary from modern Scandinavian styles to ethnic Indian to beautiful country rustic.

This blog is about the Vancouver Oak range; a stunning rustic furniture that takes the best from traditional wooden furniture and combines it with a sleek lines, elegant tapering legs and contemporary metal loop handles inspired by the country.

Vancouver Oak is both highly functional and wonderfully attractive. With a range that spans from bedroom furniture to kitchen units, dining sets to living room pieces, you can find a consistent furnishing style for your home or for a full room.

Wooden Furniture for a Country Kitchen


The kitchen pieces in this lovely oak furniture range are some of the most stunning wooden kitchen items that we’ve even seen. Vancouver Oak is sure to bring some country into your kitchen, even if you’re miles away from fields. Its rustic appeal is what makes this popular collection a dream come true for those who love the traditional charm of the country kitchen.

Bedroom Beauties in Pale Oak



Not to be outdone in the bedroom, the Vancouver Oak collection offers some stunning pieces for a bucolic boudoir. From beds to dressers and cabinets, this wooden furniture set offers a full range of bedroom beauties crafted from the finest pale oak timbers. Our favourite, however, has to be fabulous Vancouver Oak Wardrobe with hanging space plus two handy bottom drawers.

Vancouver Oak Dining Delights


The collection offers a selection of dining tables and chairs, bench seats, dressers and sideboards, so that you can mix and match for a dream dining room that meets the needs of your home and household. The stunning Vancouver Oak Dresser, for example, gives you style and sophistication as well as the ultimate dining room storage space.

Quality Wood Furniture for Everywhere Else


Whether you’re after a beautiful wooden coffee table for your living room or a picturesque telephone bench seat for your hallway, the Vancouver Oak range offers a multitude of quality wooden furniture crafted from this distinctive pale oak. One of the best features of this delightful collection is the ability of many of these versatile pieces, such as the Vancouver Oak Small Console Table, to look right at home in either your bedroom or your living room.

Stunning Sheesham Indian Oak Tables

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Are you looking for a dining table that is sophisticated and contemporary? A dining set that makes a statement without being fussy?  If so, then Sheesham Indian furniture is a good set to take a peek at.

Sheesham Indian Oak is a dining delight, made from the finest quality solid Indian oak hardwood that has been crafted into beautiful furniture for your home. It features a warm glowing honey finish that creates a deep and radiant effect, bringing out the natural grain patterns of this truly sensational Indian hardwood. As each item is carved from solid oak timbers, every piece of furniture has its own unique character according to the texture of the grain.

Stunning Indian oak dining table and chair sets


The Sheesham Indian oak collection features dining sets of the highest quality. This strength of this beautiful oak allows the dining table to be crafted in a distinctive curved shape that screams contemporary elegance without being overstated. It is a simple design but one that really works, as the beauty of the honey-finished Sheesham Oak does all the talking. The Sheesham Opium Dining Set, as pictured above, comes with three backed wooden chairs and a matching curved bench seat.

Faux Leather and Solid Oak Dining Chairs


This exceptional collection offers a choice of seating options, from the curved bench seat to solid oak hard-backed chairs to faux leather dining seats. The luxurious faux leather option is available in stylish black or a bold red, meaning that you can choose a style and colour that reflects your tastes and home. Sheesham Indian Oak dining chairs can be purchased individually or you can pick a style as part of your dining set.

Sheesham Cube Dining Set


If you’re lacking on space but you’re loving the style, don’t worry because Sheesham dining furniture still has something for you. The Sheesham Cube Dining Set offers space for four people to sit comfortably yet won’t monopolise a whole room. And if it a larger option is required, then simply check out the six-seater Sheesham Dining Table.

Square Oak Dining Tables



Perhaps the curved dining table style is not quite you, but you can’t get over the beauty of the wood. Sheesham Indian Oak dining furniture offers square Indian oak dining tables, in two sizes so that you can choose between the four-seater and six-seater option. These sturdy square dining tables are finished to the same impeccable quality as the rest of the Sheesham Indian Oak collection, offering you a real dining delight for your home.

Buying the best- Brooklyn Oak Furniture

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When it comes to buying beautiful oak furniture, there’s a lot of options on offer. From the country feel of the Vancouver collection to the reclaimed beauty of rustic Santana Oak, there’s something for everyone in the world of wooden furniture.

Brooklyn Oak is one of Britain’s most popular sets of solid hardwood furniture and for good reason. This short blog guides you through what the collection has to offer so you can decide for yourself if this stunning set really is the right choice for you.

Contemporary design


Modern furniture is functional yet beautiful, stylish without being fussy. This is exactly what the Brooklyn Oak furniture set offers. Its pale oak tones and clean lines are elegantly understated and are certain to look the part in any home. Versatility and efficiency are the key to contemporary furniture and this well-designed range offers you both of these key requirements whilst showing of the best of popular Scandinavian style.

Superb durability


Brooklyn Oak doesn’t just look like quality furniture, it is quality furniture. Carefully crafted from solid American oak timbers with dovetail jointing and lots of TLC, this lovely collection offers  superb durability and hardwearing for the home. That makes it a great choice for families, who can rest assured that their beautiful purchases aren’t going to worn away by clambering children like veneer furniture may be (although this isn’t advised!) This stunning collection is also finished with a pure tung oil which brings out the natural beauty of the wood and adds further resilience, especially to spillages and stains.

Wide range of furniture items



When you’re looking for a furniture set, it can be so frustrating to find that perfect piece but then find that there are no matching items for consistent furnishings in your house. You won’t have that problem with the extensive Brooklyn Oak range, which includes over sixty wooden furniture units. Certain individual pieces can be mixed and matched between rooms whilst others are specifically designed for the bedroom, the living room, the kitchen, the library, the home office, and so on. From dressers to dining tables, wardrobes to wine racks, Brooklyn Oak offers you oak furniture choices that beat other collections head over heels, every time.

In our humble opinion, Brooklyn Oak is one of the best oak furniture sets on the market today. Its Scandinavian-inspired elegance, excellent hardwearing capabilities and superb range of furniture options make this contemporary oak range a collection that can certainly be considered an investment for the future.

Buying wooden furniture for your home

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If you’re looking for furniture that is durable and hardwearing, look no further than wooden furniture for your home. Wood is a material that can compete with metal in terms of strength and its benefits don’t end there. From oak to pine, mahogany to ash, wood furniture is a classic choice, attractive in appearance and guaranteed to look good in your home.

If you’re buying wood furniture for the first time, however, it can be a little tricky knowing how to chose the best product for your home. Here are a few tips designed to help you to make the right purchase.

1. Choose between veneer and hardwood furniture

Consider whether your priorities lie with longevity or price. Wooden veneer furniture is much cheaper than solid wood furniture, but it’s never going to last as long. Solid wood furniture is almost unbeatable in terms of durability and sturdiness. It can be sanded down and repaired time and time again making it a perfect choice if your after a family heirloom in the making. That said, veneer furniture is still quite tough and although it won’t take quite the same wear and tear as hardwood, you can get some excellent quality veneer items, such as the Harvard Oak 2 Over 3 Chest of Drawers from the Harvard Oak bedroom range.

2. Choose quality manufacturing

Clearly an item or a range that has been skilfully crafted is going to last longer. When choosing wooden furniture, go for quality fixings, such as dovetailing jointing, on the drawers and shelves of units instead of glued fixings. Dovetail joints should eliminate that horrible feeling a few years down the line when you go to open a drawer and instead the front piece comes off in your hand. Ranges such as the Hampton White Painted collection, as seen above, use a tongue and groove design in addition to dovetail jointing on the drawers that makes the furniture really sturdy.

3. Choose your style


There’s no need to limit yourself to traditional designs when you’re buying wooden furniture. Wood is such a versatile material that it can be bought in a wide variety of styles, from traditional furniture to contemporary to funky pieces. Check out the Ivy Black Low TV Sideboard with Walnut Handles, above, from the retro Gillmore Space collection, for an example of unusual wood furniture design.

4. Choose a finish


The natural beauty of wood is one of its endearing qualities that make it a constant popular choice for home furnishing. The finishing process of solid wooden furniture is an important part, not just for its final appearance but also in protecting the wood and increasing its durability. Wax or oil finishes will enhance the grain pattern of your wood furniture, creating a rich character as in the Santana Rustic Oak 2 Door Bookcase. If the wood becomes damaged it is easy to sand your item down and wax or oil again. On the other hand, you may choose to go for painted or distressed finishing for aesthetic reasons, and while these finishes do not offer the same kind of durability, they will certainly look great in your home.