Casual Elements weighs in – What makes Mahogany Furniture so special?

Solid Mahogany Dining Table and Chairs

What is it about Mahogany furniture that people love?  Is it the brilliant, rich color?  Is it the sophisticated, fine grain with virtually no knots?  Is it due to the durability and the fact that it is naturally resistant to insects, decay, and water?

I would suggest that it is for all of these reasons that people tend to choose Mahogany furniture over other woods.  When customers enter our showroom, and I tell them that we sell solid, genuine Mahogany furniture, their faces light up as they reach out to touch the cool, smooth surface.  The next thing they do is attempt to lift the edge of the dining table or other hard wood item in order to gauge the heaviness of the piece.  They always seem so satisfied to feel its natural strength.  It not only looks beautiful, but it is sturdy and solid – a piece that can have a permanent place in their home.

A little unknown fact, however, is this – not all Mahogany is created equal.  Just like most things, there is the genuine article and then there is the other stuff.  “Genuine Mahogany” originates in the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America.  Because the trees in these places are endangered, they are no longer commercially logged.  However, Swietenia macrophylla, or Bigleaf Mahogany, was introduced by the Dutch in Indonesia around 100 years ago.  It is now grown on plantations in Indonesia and Fiji, and this wood is the only Mahogany that is used to craft “genuine Mahogany” furniture.  There are many other trees with hard, reddish wood which are also called mahoganies, but they really aren’t.  Genuine Mahogany belongs to the genus Swietenia.  Other mahoganies, such as African or Philippine mahogany are actually of a different species.

What does this mean to the average consumer?  I’m not sure that it makes a difference.  Many of these other woods look like “genuine Mahogany” and that is why they are called mahogany.  However, for us, it is a point of pride that we use only Plantation grown, Grade A, Genuine Mahogany.  So, when that customer walks through the door, and admires that gorgeous dining table, dining chair, or other interior accent piece, I can assure them that we have the genuine article.

For more information on our furniture manufacturing process, please visit our website at www.casual-elements.com