You've probably seen it before: teak. Many of our vintage furniture is made of teak. solid teak or teak veneer . But

why is it used so often? And why is teak wood controversial? In this blog we will tell you all about teak wood and its advantages and disadvantages.

What is teak wood?

Teak wood is a tropical wood species that comes from the teak tree. Most of the wood used to make furniture comes from Indonesia. But the tree actually grows throughout South

East Asia.

The wood is often used because it is a strong and hard type of wood. The wood is also somewhat fatter than most types of wood. This has the great advantage that water has difficulty penetrating the wood, which can cause damage. This is extra useful for example for a dining table, dressers, cabinets and chairs to prevent water damage. Due to the advantages that teak wood brings, it also requires less maintenance than other types of wood.

Teak interior, shipbuilding and sculpture

Teak wood is mainly used for its qualities. It is not only widely used in the furniture industry, but also in shipbuilding and sculpture, teak wood is used. In the furniture industry, teak wood is very suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Many garden furniture is also made of teak wood. Although it is not recommended, a teak cabinet is better to leave outside than for example an oak cabinet. This is because of the greasiness of the wood.

Why is vintage teak furniture popular?

Teak has been popular since the 1960s and is still used today. This is mainly due to its durability. This is due to the good quality of the wood and teak is of course known for its warm appearance. A teak chair at your kitchen table gives a lot of atmosphere and a teak table also gives a lot of warmth to the interior. Teak also has a sleek wood grain, which fits in both a vintage interior and a modern interior.

Why the use of teak wood is controversial

Teak is a tropical wood and may not be harvested just like that everywhere. And rightly so, because harvesting this wood contributes to deforestation of the rainforest, it is accompanied by poor working conditions and is anything but sustainable. Fortunately, there is now stricter supervision and strict rules before teak enters Europe.

A large part of the teak also comes from Indonesia. Here there are plantations for teak and the logging is not illegal. But still this wood is not always allowed into Europe. The wood must meet certain requirements before it is allowed to enter European soil. For Indonesian wood there is still a special arrangement that the person who wants to import it needs a permit.

These are all kinds of European rules. Outside Europe, the rules are less strict and there is less transparency, which is detrimental to the environment.

If you buy a new piece of furniture made of teak, this is controversial: the wood comes from the other side of the world, and there is a chance that you are contributing to deforestation and poor working conditions.

The trees for the teak wood of our furniture were cut down in the 1950s and 1960s and are still going strong. Now that it has already been cut down In a time when there were few rules and people did not yet see their seriousness, it is important to use them for as long as possible.

With our vintage furniture, teak chairs, and teak cabinets, you can still have the chic look of teak without having to feel guilty about it.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of teak wood?

To make it all clear, we have listed the pros and cons for you.

The advantages of teak furniture:

• It is a hard and strong type of wood which makes it last for years. That is why many vintage furniture is made of teak.
• Teak wood contains a lot of oil, which makes it more difficult for water and vermin to penetrate;
• It requires less maintenance than other types of wood
• Teak wood has a warm appearance and a sleek wood grain
• Fits in both a vintage and modern interior

The disadvantages of teak furniture:

• Controversial: new teak wood is not sustainable.
• Untreated wood has a shorter lifespan;
• Teak wood is very heavy.

Conclusion: is teak a smart choice?

Yes, provided you buy second-hand or vintage teak. This way you have the benefits of the wood type without contributing to deforestation, poor working conditions or other environmental consequences. In addition, the look and feel of a piece of furniture is of course incredibly important, and teak is a fantastic product for that.

At Seens we sell various vintage teak cabinets, chairs and benches from the 1960s. This is partly because teak was used a lot in vintage Scandinavian design . Below you can see a few examples.