In a survey of over 2,000 consumers, 72.7% of respondents agreed that, “The design of my furniture reflects my personality,” and 67% of respondents agreed with the statement, “A lot can be said about a person from the furniture s/he owns.” Of course, buying furniture is rarely a simple or straightforward process, especially if you can’t quite decide what you want. But understanding the many myths surrounding wooden furniture can put you one step closer to making your purchasing decisions. Here are just a few myths you shouldn’t believe when considering wooden furniture.

While oak varies in colors from light to dark, walnut is a dark wood.

Most Amish furniture is made from one of following five types of wood: oak, cherry, hickory, walnut, or maple. However, many buyers are under the impression that walnut is among the darker varieties. In reality, the color of walnut is usually a lightish purplish color. As for oak, there are definite undertones and shades of yellow.

“The myth of wood colors is due to the fact that walnut ‘stains’ are typically dark and oak stains come in various different darknesses. The result is that people think this is a property of the wood, but it’s not. This is important because it means that you can’t assume that one walnut item will necessarily match another, because the color is almost entirely determined by the stain used and not the wood itself,” writes Lisa Hill in Furnish Magazine.

Solid wood is always the best choice for wooden furniture.

In a survey of over 2,000 consumers, 95.1% said that they “expect furniture to last for many years. And while solid wood is certainly ideal for countless furniture applications, it may not necessarily be the best choice for all purposes. Many types of wood do require proper care in order to maintain their luxurious appearance over time. Of course, if you’re going after a more rustic look, you may actually prefer the unmaintained style of the wood, which will become weathered with small scratches and blemishes over time.

Ultimately, understanding these major misconceptions about shopping for wooden furniture is the key to making the best purchasing decision. For more information about wooden outdoor furniture and wooden dog kennel houses, contact Amish Mike.