Real Wood Writing Desks: Choose the Real Thing

Real Wood for Real Writing Desks

There are many opinions out there when it comes to finding a good writing desk, and one question that pops up frequently is whether or not getting an old fashioned wood writing desk made from real timber is the right way to go, or whether wood panel and other substitutes work just as well. While manufacturers of the cheap stuff and big retail stores like Wal Mart and Office Max might want you to believe that reproduction writing desks are just fine, most experts on quality furniture are going to disagree vehemently.

If you want a truly great writing desk that is going to be functional, beautiful, and stand the test of time, then you need one that is built from more materials. Not fiber board, plywood, synthetic plastic or any of that other rubbish. Real wood when treated properly can last for literally centuries. There are many antique desks floating around that are from hundreds of years ago and still look very good - and with an additional regal flair that most modern pieces lack nowadays.

There are many options when it comes to what type of wood writing desks that you want. One of the keys is to know ahead of time what sort of aesthetic appearance you're aiming for. When you're in the store and checking out furniture, remember not to compare desks to each other as far as appearance without first thinking about how it is going to fit with whatever room or office you are going to place that desk in. This is a major key. A mahogany desk might seem perfect in the store, but will it fit into an oak based home office? Probably not. Ditto with going the other way around.

So a few of the common and popular choices:

Oak writing desks. These are kind of the classic, never go out of style dependable models. Oak can be stain treated to look darker than its regular grain, or it can be kept fairly light with a non stain finish. Oak desks are going to be heavier than many other options because oak is a very dense and heavy wood by nature. But they are also strong and sturdy. A good oak desk that is properly taken care of should easily last decades, and if it is very well treated, even a century or more. There are very few timber that can even remotely compare with oak when it comes to durability and reliability.

Rosewood writing desks. Rosewood writing desks are on the other end of the spectrum. This isn't to say they can't last - many of the most popular antique writing desks are made from rosewood of some kind, and they were exquisitely cared for because the beauty and expense of the wood made that an absolute necessity. These desks tend to be among the most expensive because the wood is rare, and traditionally a writing desk made from this material has impressive artistic work to make sure to make the most out of it.

Cherry writing desks. Cherry wood writing desks are made from cherry, which is a very popular choice because of its smooth grain patterns and beautiful darker coloring. Cherry can take stain very well, or it can also be left alone and sealed for a unique but still impressive looking piece. These desks are a little more sensitive to wear and tear, meaning if there is going to be a lot of rough and consistent moving, then a different choice like oak or walnut might be a better over all choice.

This is just scratching the surface. Entire books could be written about the sheer number of different timber and options that are available to people who are looking for a real wood writing desk. This blog post will have to stay a little bit shorter than that, but hopefully with this post you have a really good idea of the many available options that you have when it comes to picking out the perfect and ideal writing desk, whether that is a quality wood model that stands the test of time, or you'll be forgiven even if we can't talk you out of a cheap writing desk, instead.