Wood has been one of the primary building blocks of our furniture for years. It’s easy to work with, looks great, and can easily be sourced. But with other materials today like plastic and metal, it’s not unusual to run into the dilemma of choosing which kind of material should you go with for your furniture.
There are plenty of things that can affect this choice. Office furniture in Syndey largely depends on the kind of environment they’ll be used in, while fixtures in Gold Coast may depend on their proximity to where they can be sourced. But if you do find yourself in a position where you can choose between wood and plastic, there are a couple of very good reasons why you should go with wood.
Breathability
One of the biggest advantages that wood has over plastic is that it’s an organic material — and therefore can adjust to a lot of things in the environment that synthetic materials like plastic cannot. If you’ve ever sat on a wooden bench versus a plastic one on a hot day, you’d immediately realise that wood can absorb moisture, an important thing when it comes to closed-off workspaces.
Breathability also means that wood can tolerate temperature much better than plastic can. For example, wooden furnishings on the outside of your office can take the constant temperature shifts much better than other materials. You’d often see plastic melt or metal heat up so much to harm passerby — which isn’t a good investment on getting those fixtures to begin with.
Eco-sustainability
Another reason why wooden furniture is such an attractive option is that it’s relatively easy to source. While the traditional upfront costs of this kind of furniture can be a little steep given the ubiquity of plastic materials, it’s important to remember that wooden furniture is easily handled and can be sourced from almost anywhere, especially with the relative ease of the tools required to work and shape the material.
It’s also ecologically sound: wooden furniture can be decomposed and recycled once their life has been expended, and can often be reused in other furnishings. It’s also one of the few materials that can age well with time and maintenance, unlike plastic which needs to be kept in a pristine condition.
Lifespan
Finally, unlike plastic, wood can have several lifetimes attributed to it via refinishing or restoration. Plastic’s immediate advantage over wood — that it can be used without maintenance diminishes when you’re looking to invest in fixtures that only grow better with age, and wood furniture is one of the best materials you can work with if that’s what you’re looking for.
It becomes quite possible for wooden furniture to remain as long or even longer than the lifespan of the company itself, not only representing a value of constancy and consistency but also the merits of keeping something well-maintained throughout the years. While you may undoubtedly need more maintenance on wooden furniture than plastics, the investment will be well worth the cost.