Pine colours and finishes

In Britain, pine furniture seems to have originated as a substitute for expensive and unattainable hardwood furniture. As is always the case with substitutes, there is a desire to make it appear more like the original, so various pine solutions were developed to imitate the right furniture.

Perhaps the only true pine solution is turpentine, which is distilled from the resin of pine trees. It is commonly used with paint but on its own does little to protect or enhance the appearance the wood. Pine is a light cream colour when new but darkens to a golden yellow straw colour with age. Oak also darkens with age but tends to have a milky coffee hue.

Achieving a look similar to light oak was done with wax. This stopped the air reaching the wood and so was reasonably successful in stopping the yellowing of the pine.

A combination of atmospheric conditions, dirt and soot gives old oak a very dark colour. The Gothic revival of the Victorian and Edwardian eras sought to emulate the medieval and as all medieval oak had by then attained this colour, dark brown oak became the fashion. Mahogany, with its reddish brown appearance, achieved popularity in Georgian times and its appeal remains strong to the present day.

Pine could not imitate either of these colours through the use of a simple wax or varnish, and so a different pine solution had to be found. Various compounds were tried but today there is a variety of wood stains that can achieve very precise colour tones.

Stains may be absorbed deep into the wood and applied prior to a protective coating such as wax or lacquer; they may be applied as a protective coating in their own right or they may be brushed or sprayed over an existing protective coating or finish.