When choosing a new dining table, coffee table, or any kind of table for your home, the first thing that a homeowner should consider is solid wood. Getting an authentic solid wood table in Singapore offers you not just elegance for your home or office, but also quality and stability over the years.
In this article, we will help you find the most suitable solid wood table for your home or office depending on your preferences. We will be giving you different categories and options of solid woods that you can choose from.
Lastly, a quick guide for caring for your solid wood table will also be listed down so you can make your table last longer than ever.
Let’s start checking out your next solid wood table and be excited with the various kinds of wood perfect for any home!
Types of Solid Wood Tables at Wood Capitol Singapore
In Wood Capitol Singapore, there are a lot of wood options available for any kind of furniture that you have in mind. Take a look at the differences between each type of wood that you can use for your table:
Suar Wood (Best for Dining Table, Study Table & Countertops)
Suar wood comes from what we call “Rain Tree” and this majestic giant tree can soar up to 80 ft tall. When it comes to versatility, you can always rely on Suar Wood for your furniture. Let’s take a closer look at this wood and how it would suit as your next table at home.
Origin and Description
Suar Wood has a scientific name Samanea Saman and luckily, their growth is very fast so the number of these trees can be harvested sustainably. This tree originated from South Mexico to Peru but as of the moment, this wood is mostly cultivated along Southeast Asia. Including Singapore, Suar Wood is most likely found in Malaysia and Indonesia too.
We mentioned that suar wood is usually called the “Rain Tree”, but it is actually named more than that in different countries. In the west parts of the world, people will often refer to it as “Monkeypod”, Samanea Saman, and South American Walnut. For Indonesians, it is commonly called Suar Wood. In Thailand, this wood is referred to as Acacia.
As of today, there are dangers of extinction in cultivating this type of tree and it is currently protected under NatureServe conservation to support legal timber trade across the world.
Appearance
Saman Samanea tree is considered a flowering tree species and this tree usually produces pretty flowers around May to June. The flowers appear petiolate with tassel-like shape and white to light red anthers.
In addition to the flowers, Saman Samanea also produces edible green pods that are around 15 to 20 cm long. These green pods would turn into brown to black in color, but as soon as the young pulp is consumed, it will taste sweet with a slightly tough consistency.
For the bark of the Samanea Saman tree, it appears to be grayish to grayish brown and the bark is noticeably smooth on younger trees. But after the years pass, the bark will turn rough and cracked signifying that the tree has matured over time.
When the tree is cut open for furniture processing, each slab of wood offers different patterns just like seashells. This is why suar wood is great for long tables, because monotony won’t be a problem and the aesthetics will surely stand out.
The sapwood of the Rain Tree is usually colored light yellow and its heartwood appears to be dark chocolate brown in color. The grains of this wood can be resembled to black walnut and it comes in criss-cross grains which makes it more stunning.
Maintenance
This wood is very easy to maintain using only soap and water to keep the quality and aesthetics on top. The wood is also highly resistant to termite infestation and decay so it will definitely last for years.
Black Walnut (Best for Dining Table & Study Table)
Elegance and class is what makes Black Walnut standout among the rest, especially when this wood is turned into a table. Wood Capitol is one of the premium suppliers of black walnut slabs in Singapore and what gives us an edge is that we only sell large pieces of slabs that can be turned into high-end furniture.
If you’re interested in purchasing a black walnut table, learn more about this type of wood below:
Origin and Description
The black walnut tree or Juglans nigra is one of the most native trees in North America. These have humongous roots that can grow up to 50 ft lower than its trunk but the trunk itself can grow up to 50 ft in height or even taller. They usually reach their maturity at around 150 years, and this wood can indeed carry your legacy when you turn it into furniture.
In their natural habitat, black walnut trees are often seen on rivers, creeks, and woods. It grows best in areas with direct sunlight and as it grows, it gives the perfect shade.
On the other hand, dark walnut trees also have a “dark side”. They are considered as an allelopathic tree and they release chemicals that can poison the other trees and plants nearby. If you’re trying to look for a walnut tree in the woods, you would often see them beside dead plants around it.
Appearance
We have mentioned that black walnut trees can grow up to 50 ft or more, but let’s talk more about how it looks in a natural state. Black walnut trees have pinnate leaves with tiny leaflets with odd arrangements.
For the wood itself, black walnut offers you with tight-grained dark wood that gives a very smooth finish when turned into a furniture. The sapwood appears to be creamy white to yellow gray in finish and the heart wood comes with a lustrous dark chocolate aesthetic. Because of its uniqueness, black walnut is not just popular for long tables, but it can also be seen in floorings, kitchen accessories, cabinets, and more.
Maintenance
One reminder about purchasing black walnut wood is that it might not stay as black and dark as it is when you first bought it. Dark walnut wood might slightly lighten over a long period of time because just like humans, wood ages too.
To prevent this from happening, proper maintenance for your black walnut solid wood table must be observed. Sun exposure is usually the culprit for premature aging to happen, so make sure that your black walnut furniture is out of direct sunlight.
You can also use a stain for your black walnut wood to maintain the dark hue and intensify it. Stains are usually seen in clear colored coats and they are sometimes oiled. If you are to buy an oiled walnut wood, you are more likely to have it oiled regularly to keep its elegance and luster.
Lychee Wood (Best for dining table and table console)
Another great option for solid wood tables is the Lychee wood and aside from being a table or any other furniture, did you know that this wood is also used for grilling and smoking peking ducks?
Origin and Description
Lychee wood is usually found and cultivated in Asian countries like Thailand, China, Vietnam, India and other tropical countries in Southeast Asia. But, you can also find these trees around South Africa, Brazil, Caribbean, Australia, and some portions of the USA. This tree thrives in tropical areas since it requires sunlight, humidity, and rainfall.
Lychee wood originated from the Litchi genus – classified under the soapberry family. The first tree that ever grew was dated back since 1059 AD from the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong, China.
There are also some lychee trees growing the yards, but cultivation and commercial planting of these trees are not too popular. In the West Indies and Central America, lychee trees are growing in protected areas where the climate is dry. During the 1960’s, the planting of lychee across the West Indies and Central America and the lychee trees were planted on irrigated areas.
Appearance
Lychee trees do not grow too tall, they only grow at about 30 to 40 ft in height. As we all know, lychee tree is a fruiting tree and it grows lychee fruits that are actually called drupes. These drupes grow from around 3 to 50 fruits with bumpy texture and pinkish red outer cover. When you peel the outer covering, the lychee fruits are white and semi-transparent in color. It is also very juicy and sweet and it contains a dark brown seed.
Now, let’s move forward to what the lychee tree would look like when it is turned into a solid wood table. The solid wood coming from Lychees is considered premium because of its high durability. In addition to durability, it also has great anti-rot, anti-termite, and water resistance properties.
These characteristics make the lychee wood suitable to be used as tables and chairs for outdoor use. Unlike suar wood and black walnut mood which are very prone to deterioration due to direct sunlight and moisture, lychee wood can withstand extreme weather conditions.
When lychee wood is cut open, a red and brownish color emanates from the wood. It also has unique zigzag grains that can be resembled to tiger skin. Lychee wood is usually used for dining tables because it is sturdy and it brings out the beauty and coziness inside each home.
If you are planning to purchase a solid wood table made from Lychee wood from Wood Capitol, you can get a single wooden slab. This wooden slab ensures that you can get the most out of the lychee wood that you can get, and even turn it into other furniture if possible.
Maintenance
Since lychee wood is not prone to rotting and termite infestation, there is no complicated maintenance required to keep your lychee solid wood tables elegant over the years. You can try to add some stain after a year or two to keep the luster of the wood.
Tamarind (Best for dining table and console)
In Wood Capitol Singapore, you can also get tamarind wood – a great hardwood suitable for crafting solid woods. Tamarind is popular for its edible pulp which is used across different cuisines worldwide.
Tamarind wood can also be used as a hardwood for your dining table, or even office furniture for your work-from-home setup.
Let’s learn more about the origin, appearance, and maintenance of using tamarind wood for solid wood tables.
Origin and Description
The tamarind tree was originally cultivated from the tropical areas of Africa and India. Nowadays, tamarind trees can be seen growing across Oman, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, Taiwan, and China.
The scientific name of tamarind is Tamarindus indica can grow up to 80 ft tall. It produces yellow flowers that come in small clusters. The tamarind fruit can grow up to 3 to 9 inches long and it contains about 1 to 12 seeds enclosed in a sweet and sour brown pulp.
Tamarind trees can be grown ornamentally, and the wood can be used for carpentry of different furniture. In addition to that, the twigs can be used as “chew sticks” for medicinal purposes.
The tamarind wood is mostly used to create dining tables and cooking utensils, but it is quite difficult to craft into. This wood is very hard which makes it difficult to work with, but the end product is indeed worth all the effort.
Appearance
When you cut the tamarind wood open, you would immediately see that the heartwood gives out a deep reddish with tints of brown color. There can sometimes be purple hues at some portions of the tamarind wood too, but these are only present on matured tamarind trees.
The grain of the tamarind wood appears to be wavy and interlocking that makes it look unique than regular wood that you’ll see.
Maintenance
Tamarind wood tends to have high endurance to rot, decay, and insect attacks. This means that no complicated maintenance is required to keep your tamarind solid wood table at its best even if the years pass.