It’s a popular argument that solid wood is always a better choice than veneered furniture or flooring. But what are the real differences between the two?

A lot of furniture designers say, not much beyond the basic aesthetic.

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Solid wood furniture will have a distinct look of being made from one piece of wood where veneered furniture is banded at the end of the wood piece. But typically this is only visible under close inspection and often just appears to be a design element. Solid wood furniture is often much heavier than veneered wood furniture because the same dense wood is used throughout. Learn more about wood used in furniture.

Veneered pieces are created by layering a high quality wood on top of a lower-grade wood. Not only does this lower the density of the furniture, it can lower the price point as well. And generally speaking, since both products are still made from real wood, they wear and perform the same too. Veneered furniture can be repaired as easily as solid wood furniture by a simple fill and color match except in the case of extreme damage where sanding is required. And because of the layering effect, veneers generally stand up to moisture and cracking better than solid wood. Basically, solid wood pieces are sought out for the understanding of high quality; but it is just as easy to find a well-made veneer piece as well.  Learn more about wood veneer.

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