What I am about to say, may sound strange to some and, even, a little potty, but in my own experience it is the God given truth. Wood is a lot like skin. The furniture made from timber needs to be treated, somewhat similarly, to how we look after our own skins. Wood is a close cousin of ours, that is how I like to think about it anyway. Human beings and trees have shared a millennium or two, or around forty or fifty, perhaps; time has never been my strong suit. Standing in a forest I can lose my chronological bearings, so to speak.

Caring for Wooden Furniture Properly

I have lived my life in the company of trees. I have felt their presence, as a blessing upon me. Crafting beautiful furniture from their timber has been my calling in life. Working with wood, feeling it with my hands, has been an essential part of who I am. Looking after my creations has been akin to caring for my family. The wooden skin, which breathes much the same way our own skin does, permeates a scent of natural beauty. It is enchanting and at once simply wood.

Caring for wooden furniture properly involves care and patience; two things which are in short supply in the modern world. A table sits upon a floor and demands the attention of those who inhabit that house. When they sit to dine upon it, they engage with that form in a kind of holy communion. It is a sacred act, something so basic and primal, as to be an extension of who we are. That table must be loved by someone who cares. It must be cleaned and rubbed, its wooden skin was likely oiled and varnished; and these things must be maintained, if it is to serve you well.

Wooden dining chairs, wooden beds and bedside furniture have great measurements of soul within them. They speak to our human hearts and psyches of our essential relationship with the trees. Timber is a medium, which has lasted the length of our journey so far. We built our early homes with it and it continues to play a role within our domiciles. Honour the timber within your house or business by caring for its surface skin. Touch it regularly and breathe its natural aroma in. Don’t let it lie dust covered and neglected for too long. Take care of it, like a brother or a sister in your home.