Category: Furniture

Most people have heard of mahogany, oak, and walnut, but do you know about mango wood? In this blog, we’ll be talking about what mango wood is, and what properties it has that makes it such a great crafting material for furniture.  

What is mango wood?

Mango wood is the timber harvested from the mango tree or Mangifera indica, the same type of tree that produces the mango fruit.

Mango trees are native to India, but they can now also be found in a number of tropical climates in places such as Southeast Asia, Brazil, Mexico and Australia, as well as southern Florida and California.  

While mango trees are most commonly grown for their fruit, the timber harvested from the trees is a hardwood that can be used to craft some exceptional furniture.

What does mango wood look like?

Mango wood can vary in appearance, although it is usually light golden brown with darker tones, for a natural appearance that is usually a little darker than oak. Mango can also feature hints of pink, greens, yellows, and black streaks and gets darker with age.

Mango has a pronounced grain, a unique texture and diverse patterns because of a fungus that grows in the wood.

What are the properties of mango wood?

Like other hardwoods, mango has the benefits of being incredibly dense, hard-wearing, and durable, although an exterior finish is required to prevent the growth of fungus if used outdoors. However, compared to other hardwoods, mango is very easy to work with and doesn’t need special tools to be able to carve and is unlikely to crack or splinter when being worked.

Another benefit of mango wood that makes it appealing to manufacturers is that it doesn’t need drying, or extensive processing after being harvested. This means the wood can be

sent for final processing into furniture material more quickly, reducing the lead time of the entire process.

Mango wood is also extremely susceptible to wood staining, the process of colouring the wood while retaining the natural grain pattern. Mango sands easily and then an oil, resin or alkyd-based wood stain can be applied, which binds to the wood’s surface pigment, and then sinks into the wood, making the grain even darker and more pronounced.  

Mango wood is a sustainable hardwood

Mango wood has many of the same qualities as other hardwoods, such as strength and durability, but the use of mango trees is also sustainable.

This is because mango trees are already grown in abundance for their fruit, but naturally reach a point where they stop producing fruit and their nutrients are instead used to grow and strengthen the wood. Once mango trees have stopped producing fruit, the trees are cut down and new ones are planted. Mango trees also mature at a quicker rate, in as little as 7-15 years.

While previously the old trees would either be burnt or left to naturally biodegrade, they are now being used for their fantastic furniture-making properties, providing manufacturers with a sustainable crafting material.

 

Now that you know what mango wood is and what makes it such a great material, why not take a look at our range of mango furniture, including sideboards, dining tables and television units?

 

Whilst we should see some restrictions being lifted in the near future and more people returning to work, it doesn’t mean that all of us will be going back to the office. 

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses have learned that workers don’t need to be in the office full time and will continue to encourage their employees to work from home where possible.

One thing people have found when working from home is that they have struggled to create a space that is purely for work, that encourages productivity and is separate from their home life. In this blog, we outline what is needed to create a home office that you can comfortably enjoy working from.

What furniture is needed for a home office?

A good desk

The most important piece of furniture in any home office is a desk to work at, and many of us have made do with the kitchen table for too long now! The desk is the base of operations for your home office setup and needs to be fit for purpose.

There are quite a few different types of desk available, depending on your space and your preferred style. If you want something grand and impressive, there are pedestal desks or bureaus with plenty of built-in storage. However, if space is an issue, you can get desks that double up to serve another purpose or hideaway completely, such as hidden home storage desks and console tables.

A comfortable chair

A comfortable office chair is a home office essential. While you don’t want anything so relaxing that you’re likely to fall asleep in it, you do need a good, sturdy chair with a comfortable seat and good back support. Not only is this good for your posture but it also makes it your home workspace cosier and more inviting.

If you opt for a solid wood office chair, you can even match it to your desk, so that you don’t have to compromise your aesthetic with a traditional plastic office chair. Having a comfortable chair also gives you a place to relax or read outside of work hours if you want your home office space to be multi-functional.

A storage or filing unit

Some jobs will require more storage than others, but no matter what you do, a good storage unit is necessary for any home office setup. Some good quality desks will have all the built-in storage you need for work, but a standalone storage chest, cabinet or bookshelf can double up both for your work admin and your personal correspondence.

How can you convert a small space or turn part of a room into a functional home office?

Many people don’t have a good-sized spare room that can be completely transformed into a permanent office or study. If this applies to you, there are a few things you can do to convert a small space or even just part of a room into a functional home office.

Opt for bespoke pieces

If you only have a very small space or a corner of a room that you are converting into your home office, then it’s best to have bespoke furniture pieces made. This way you can be sure the furniture you buy fits the space perfectly without crowding the room or wasting the space created by awkwardly shaped rooms. 

Even if you don’t want to go bespoke, you can get pieces such as corner desks that are purpose-built to fit these specific spaces, meaning with just one piece of quality furniture, you can convert a corner of your living room, dining room or a bedroom into a fully functional home office!

Choose furniture that can serve multiple purposes

One of the best ways to successfully convert an existing room or part of a room into a home office is to buy furniture that can be used for multiple purposes or can be hidden away when not in use. As mentioned earlier, hidden home storage desks are great for spaces where you don’t need a desk taking up space the whole time, and a desk with a mirror can easily be a dressing table in a spare room as soon as you move your computer.

 

All that is really needed for a functional home office is the right furniture pieces for your space. You don’t have to have a dedicated study or spare room to create a space that you can work from effectively – even the corner of a room can be converted into a workable space.

If you’re feeling inspired to create your new working space, why not take a look at our range of desks, office chairs, and storage units?

Solid wood is a great choice for furniture and decor – it is strong, durable, and has a timeless look that can suit almost any aesthetic. However, not all woods are equal when it comes to choosing your furniture. In this blog, we will be looking at two popular hardwoods you may be considering – here’s what you need to know about the mahogany vs walnut debate.

Mahogany

Mahogany is a straight, close-grained hardwood, with the close grain a result of slow growth and also what gives the wood its unmatched strength, density, and hardness. There are many species of mahogany, but it is always prized for its distinctive appearance – a deep, rich red-brown colour. Mahogany is reminiscent of Georgian and Victorian furniture, can be polished to a very high shine, and will often darken over time.

Mahogany has many of the advantages typical of hardwoods, such as strength, durability and longevity. It is also resistant to water and rot, as well as general wear and tear. It can work well with a range of finishes such as black or white paint, or wood stains that enhance the natural tones and grain.

Walnut

Like mahogany, walnut is also a close-grained hardwood, but the colour can vary from a light golden brown to a light grey-brown. The grain of walnut wood, like mahogany, is typically straight, although it can have waves or curls that enhance its character. There is also likely to be more colour variation within a single piece of walnut than you will typically find in a single piece of mahogany.

Walnut is hard and resilient, with good resistance to shrinking, warping and decay. Walnut wood is quite easy to work with and, as a result, it is often used for detailed carving and turning, as well as furniture, cabinetry and wood veneers.

Mahogany vs walnut – which is best?

It is hard to say which is a clear winner in the mahogany vs walnut debate as your choice will depend a lot on your aesthetic and both are great woods. There are some external factors, such as budget, which may affect your decision, but even this is negligible in this case; walnut may be slightly cheaper than mahogany, but it is still fairly pricey – in the case of both kinds of wood, you are paying for the quality.

The main difference between these two hardwoods is in the colour. Mahogany has a more ‘classic’ and antique look while walnut is more modern and understated. This means that some home aesthetics may suit one more than the other, but solid wood generally can work well in most settings, whether it’s rustic or more contemporary in style.

 

When deciding what the best choice of wood is for your home, you have to trust your personal taste and consider what matches best with your existing home aesthetic.

Here at AKD Furniture, we stock a huge range of handcrafted mahogany and walnut furniture for all rooms of the house.

 

Solid wood has always been a popular choice for furniture, prized for its timeless aesthetic and unrivalled durability. Despite cheaper alternatives becoming available, people have always turned back to solid wood when they are looking for quality. Here are 7 benefits of solid wood furniture.

Continue reading 7 Benefits of Solid Wood Furniture

A bookcase is an investment furniture piece, so you need to think carefully when buying. We look at some of the things to consider before you make your final decision.

Continue reading How to Choose the Right Bookcase for Your Home

As well as being exceptionally sturdy and durable, mahogany has one of the most distinctive and striking appearances of any wood. Different finishes can highlight different aspects of the red-brown tones and the natural grain, or it can be painted to better suit a certain design or colour palette of a room.

We’ve put together a guide to the different mahogany finishes we provide here at AKD Furniture, and where each would be best suited.

Continue reading A Guide to the Different Mahogany Finishes

Mahogany has a timeless and impressive aesthetic, and investing in a statement piece of furniture makes a great addition to your home, but it is not always easy to match the rest of the room with this distinctive hardwood. 

Mahogany wood can be available in a range of tones and finishes but, for the purpose of this blog, we will discuss the colour of mahogany that springs to mind for most – a deep reddish-brown. Here are some suggestions of different colours that pair well with mahogany furniture and will bring the whole room together.

Continue reading What Colour Goes with Mahogany Furniture?