Although most people furnish their homes with store-bought furnishings for the sake of time or convenience, woodworking is a great way make furnishings for your home. Not only is it typically less costly than buying furnishings, but there are also the added elements of customizing the items to specific preferences, having a handmade heirloom to pass on, and the overall joy and creativity so many cherish that comes from woodworking. There are many possibilities for incorporating woodworking into home furnishings.
For the beginning woodworker, a small bookshelf for a home office or study is a great way to gain experience. Because a small bookshelf allows the woodworker to use and work with standard planes of wood, this project keeps it simple for the woodworker in the making. For experienced woodworkers, a bookshelf can be a more intricate project by building a larger scale bookshelf or by adding creative touches. These may include the addition of crown molding, hinged doors, or designs carved into the wood. Once the bookshelf is complete and new woodworking skills attained, a roll top desk would be an excellent compliment.
A nice wall-hanging coat rack for an entryway is another simple home furnishing project a less experienced woodworker can start with. A sturdy piece of wood, a good wood dowel, and some staining supplies are all that’s needed to complete this project. Again, however, a more experienced woodworker may consider intricacies, such as wood carvings, to make the project more fulfilling, challenging, or to get the design he or she had envisioned.
A lovely jewelry box or a sturdy quilt stand for a bedroom is another simple furnishing to consider.
Chairs for a dining table are another handmade furniture possibility. Simple chairs can be made using small planes of wood for the seating and hardwood dowel for the backing. A rocking chair for a nursery or reading nook is another consideration.
You can also use woodworking skills to upgrade already existing furnishings, such as kitchen cabinetry. Wooden dowels and caps can be added to kitchen cabinet backs to hang items such as coffee mugs or measuring cups, making use of all available cabinet space by implementing hanging space and freeing up cabinet bottoms. Or consider using dowels for making shoe racks to free up space in the bottom of bedroom closets.
Woodworking furnishings for the home can also include outdoor space. Small projects may include a birdhouse, mailbox, or planter, and larger projects may include a picnic table, porch swing, or Adirondack chairs.
Whatever your skill level, there are many woodworking projects you can complete for your home, both inside and out, with the furnishings and styles of your choosing.