People who are well versed with furniture making and types of wood available, often request for acacia wood to be used for all their products. You must be wondering why? Hold on to that question, because I will unravel this secret soon!
Acacia wood is an extremely sought after hardwood, used not only for making furniture items but also for a variety of kitchenware such as trays, serving platters, chopping boards etc. The enticing, deep, rich hues and lovely patterns make this wood look gorgeous, but it also has some incredible qualities and hard to miss properties that can make anyone feel that it’s one of the best woods in the present market.
Acacia has been known to mankind since biblical times, which means it has been around for more than 20 million years! There has to be something about it if it survived for that long on our planet. Isn’t it? Most of the acacia shrubs and trees belong to mimosa specie, so called, because of their pretty yellow flowers. That’s another connection to the culinary arts!
This dense, rich, straight grained wood has its origins in Australia. Australia boasts of more than 1000 varieties of this beauty, where it is often called thorn-tree, wattle or whistling thorn, because of the thorns present. It is also found in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Rim and parts of the Americas, where it was taken by some plant loving Europeans. Acacia is such a high quality wood that some subspecies are considered the most expensive woods in the world. Though, an amazing wood, it is not well known in India. So, unlike rosewood, acacia is not found easily when you look for online furniture in India. Kernig Krafts, based in Jodhpur, offers customzation of online furniture, and the wood collection includes acacia as one the options.
It is often used for making handcrafted solid wood furniture, veneers, flooring, kitchen ware and decorative art. But, what is so great about this wood? Let’s find out!
Why use Acacia wood?
- Renewable species. Acacia trees upon harvesting, grow quickly, hence making it a sustainable wood, whereas woods like Teak are not sustainable, because of the growing demand and depleting forests. Also, like all other forests, acacia plantations, clean the air and keep it pollution free.
- Weather resistant. Acacia wood has the ability to tolerate all weathers well. It is at the same time, water resistant and scratch resistant making it the perfect choice for outdoor furniture and patio items. But it must be kept in mind, though acacia wood works well with all weathers, it should not be kept in extreme temperatures, in order to prolong its life. At Kernig Krafts, acacia wood is used for outdoor furniture, along with Teak wood, because of its toughness and longevity.
- Naturally antibacterial, mold and insect resistant. Acacia naturally repels bacteria, fungi and insects and as mentioned above, is resistant to water damage, these unique properties combined together give it an edge over other wood varieties. It is used for making kitchen accessories such as wooden boards, serving bowls, food bowls, and even bathroom ware such as bathroom cabinets, soap dishes etc. Being anti bacterial and scratch resistant, acacia wood chopping boards are considered far superior to plastic ones!
- Attention grabbing, warm, rich appearance. Acacia comes in a variety of beautiful tones and colours. Appetising honey, light amber to a luscious deep mahogany. When it’s cut, an array of interesting patterns, mostly irregular ones can be seen! Some of these knots and patterns are recognisable as tiger stripes, bird eyes and some are so mysterious that you won’t be able to take your eyes off them. If you look at online furniture in India, you will find that acacia wood is used for exquisite pieces, no two furniture items made from this wood could be alike, because of its one of a kind patterns.
- Extremely hard, durable and at the same time flexible. It can be described as a peanut butter and jam sandwich. You get everything in one bite. Acacia is extremely hard, yet it is flexible, meaning, it hardly warps and has a low tendency to crack. Can you believe that? Because of its hardness it's not possible to carve this wood, so it is the ideal wood for simple and timeless designs. Strong, sturdy pieces made from this wood can be kept for generations or passed on to your kids when you're bored.
- Long lasting - To reiterate the point above, if well maintained, acacia wood furniture can last upto a century! It is harder than oak and even maple. It is said that even if there isn’t a single protective coat on acacia, it can last upto 40 years.
- Affordable. Acacia is not as expensive as other woods such as Teak but at the same time it is comparable to it in quality, longevity and sturdiness. If you are looking for a wood that is long lasting, withstands all weathers and is affordable then you can go for acacia furniture. It is also less expensive than wood like maple and walnut.
- Height and weight. Acacia trees can grow quite long which is a covetable property for making certain pieces of furniture such as sideboards, benches and tables. Also, its quite heavy hence apt for making furniture items that need to have weight like dining tables, dining benches, wardrobes, shelves, racks, buffets etc.
- Resonance. Acacia wood is used for making canoes and even ukuleles, because of its acoustical properties.
- Responds well to polish. Naturally smooth, acacia wood is easy to sand and responds well polish and stains.
- Easy to maintain. Acacia furniture does not require a lot of maintenance. Practice basic dusting and cleaning at regular intervals and you're good to go. It is naturally resistant to wear and tear and scratches. Basically it’s a long term investment!
- Versatile. Acacia chairs, desks, dining tables, flooring can bring beauty to any room. It is often used for making bedroom, dining room, living room furniture, also for cafés, bakeries, bistros, bars and even hotels.
What all furniture can be made from acacia wood?
Acacia wood is versatile and can be used to make anything and everything, but here’s a list of some furniture items that are often made from this wood.
Tables
- End Tables
- Dining Tables
- Coffee Tables
- Side Tables
- Bar Tables
- Office desks
- Bedside Tables / Nightstands
- Community Tables
- Nesting Tables
- Display Tables
- Console Tables
Chairs and Stools
- Ottomans
- Bar Chairs
- Low Height Chairs
- Dining Chairs
- Restaurant/Café Chairs
- Rocking Chairs
- Baby Chairs
- Desk Chairs
- Bar Stools
- Accent Chairs
- Wicker Chairs
- Chaise Lounge
Storage
- Bathroom Cabinets
- Cupboards
- Chest of Drawers
- Sideboards / Credenza
- Racks
- Shelves
- Display Units / Étagères
- Wine Cabinets
- Bookcases
Knick-Knacks
- Chopping boards
- Planters
- Trays
- Serving Platters
- Photo Frames
- Table Lamps
- Serving Bowls
- Mirror Frames
Beds and headboards, sofas and sectionals, dressers, media consoles etc. there are so many more items that can be made from acacia wood!
I hope you found this article informative, to know more about acacia wood feel free to drop an email at info@kernigkrafts.com. To find out how other woods compare to it, such as Teak wood, Mango wood and Rosewood read our articles on them here.
We are a leading business to business company for online furniture in India. Based in Jodhpur, Kernig Krafts provides bespoke furniture for cafés, restaurants and hotels, and beside Rosewood, we have 12 more varieties of woods to choose from.