Wood Veneers and Solid wood
There are basically two ways carpenters make boards and then furniture from trees.  One is to chop wood in to smaller pieces, then glue them back together side to side and cut them to size.  This is called "plank" or Solid wood.  It has a rich textured and beautiful look, like a hardwood floor, where each board has its own grain and character.  This is great for drawer faces, doors and other very visible parts that do not bear a load.  The disadvantage to solid wood or plank is that it is labor intensive, expensive and not the most efficient way to use wood.  Due to the many seams, plank is not always the best choice for structural elements where the seams increase the places where the boards can crack or warp.  Also, plank is not the best choice for surfaces where you want to see a continuous grain pattern without many seams.
Another way to turn trees into boards we can use for furniture is to cut wood veneers.  Wood veneers are thin sheets of wood cut from a tree in various ways to reveal different aspects of the beautiful graining inherent to wood.  This is much more economical because the best veneers are saved for the outer layers of boards so you get more good boards out of less trees.  Veneers also open up design possibilities impossible for plank boards.  This is why artisans have used  veneers for thousands of years to decorate cabinets, churches and buildings.  Veneering allows the beauty of wood to cover stronger, more suitable and less expensive material.  Veneers are great for making desk and table tops, cabinets and bookcase frames (sides and backs, shelves) and anything else where you want a long uninterrupted grain surface or where you may need the strength that comes from less seams and underlying materials. 

What does Real Wood mean
The term "Real Wood" means that we use solid woods and real wood veneers, not plastic laminates or other such products often used to simulate wood and wood grain.  For this reason each piece of our furniture will have different graining and character and will be a unique expression of the wood and handiwork used to make it.  Some of our furniture is built using real wood veneers over various materials with solid wood moldings and trim to accent and finish the pieces.  Some items use all solid wood.  Many use a combination of Solid wood parts, like drawer faces and wood veneered boards for structural parts while some use all real wood veneer.  Construction and materials are dependent on market availability, material suitability and of course cost.  We try to keep our prices affordable and reasonable for our customers and often building items in all solid wood would make that impossible.

Furniture Care
Keep furniture away from direct sunlight and avoid temperature variations caused by heating and air conditioning sources. Dust regularly with a slightly damp cotton cloth (not wet). Polish and clean as needed to remove any accumulated smudges or pollutants. Do not place anything hot directly on furniture. Protect tabletops with mats or pads.

Finishing Tips
Each piece of solid wood furniture is an original, the result of nature's handiwork. Every item has its own grain pattern and color, according to the character of the wood. Light and dark areas blend during the finishing process to produce the uniquely attractive look of real wood furniture.If you want to purchase your real wood furniture unfinished, you can paint, varnish, or finish it in many ways. One of the most commonly used finishing processes is staining and top coating. To help you get the best results, here are tips to help you finish your furniture using this method.

Preparing the surface
Most unfinished pieces need additional fine sanding before finishing to avoid surface fuzz or roughness that will show when the stain is applied.

Staining
Stains contain colored pigments that often settle to the bottom of the can and must be thoroughly mixed before application. It may take as much as five minutes to thoroughly dissolve the 'mud' so that the color remains consistent as the contents are used up. To apply stain, you can use almost any type of rag (cotton works best) cut approximately 10 inches square (larger ones sometimes get in the way). Foam brushes also work well. Stain can be applied in any direction, usually cross-grain first.

The Top Coat and Sanding
Most clear top coats are designed to be wiped on. You can use a brush, but wiping helps prevent runs. Apply at least one coat of clear finish to all surfaces, both seen and unseen, to prevent cracking as the piece continues to dry out over the years.