Understanding Side Table Materials: A Complete Guide

The material of a side table determines far more than its appearance. It affects durability, maintenance requirements, weight, price, and environmental impact. Understanding the characteristics of common furniture materials helps you choose pieces that will perform well in your specific circumstances. This guide covers the major material categories used in side table construction.

Solid Timber

Solid timber—furniture made from planks cut directly from tree trunks—represents the traditional benchmark for furniture quality. When properly crafted, solid wood furniture can last generations, developing a rich patina that many consider to enhance its beauty over time.

Hardwoods Versus Softwoods

Timber divides broadly into hardwoods and softwoods, though these categories relate to botanical classification rather than actual hardness. Hardwoods come from deciduous trees (oak, walnut, ash, most eucalypts) while softwoods come from conifers (pine, cedar, fir). Most quality furniture uses hardwoods due to their generally superior durability and finer grain.

Among hardwoods, density varies significantly. Jarrah and red gum rank among the world's densest timbers—extremely durable but challenging to work. Oak and walnut offer a good balance of workability and durability. Ash, while classified as hardwood, is relatively soft and light.

Australian Timbers

Australian native timbers offer distinctive characteristics worth seeking out. Tasmanian oak (actually a eucalyptus species) provides pale, attractive timber with good structural properties. Blackwood offers rich colour variation and excellent workability. Spotted gum combines distinctive figuring with exceptional hardness. Using Australian timbers supports local forestry and reduces transport impacts.

Solid Timber Considerations

Solid timber furniture responds to environmental conditions. Wood expands in humid conditions and contracts when dry, which can cause warping or cracking if changes are extreme or rapid. Climate control in Australian homes minimises these concerns, but avoid placing solid timber furniture directly beside heaters or air conditioning vents.

Solid timber can typically be refinished if damaged—sanded back and resealed or restained. This potential for renewal is a significant advantage over materials that cannot be repaired. However, refinishing requires skill and equipment; DIY attempts on quality furniture can cause damage.

Engineered Wood Products

Engineered wood encompasses manufactured boards made from wood particles, fibres, or veneers bonded together. These materials offer consistency, dimensional stability, and lower cost than solid timber, though with different performance characteristics.

Particleboard

Particleboard consists of wood particles bonded with resin and pressed into sheets. It's the most economical manufactured board and forms the core of much budget furniture. Standard particleboard has limited structural strength, particularly at joints, and doesn't hold screws as well as denser materials. Moisture resistance is poor—sustained water exposure causes irreversible swelling.

Higher-density particleboard offers improved performance, and some manufacturers specify moisture-resistant variants. However, particleboard furniture generally represents the economy tier and isn't expected to last as long as higher-quality alternatives.

Medium-Density Fibreboard (MDF)

MDF consists of fine wood fibres bonded with resin, producing a smooth, consistent material without grain. Its uniform density allows clean machining of edges and profiles. MDF takes paint exceptionally well, making it popular for painted furniture.

Standard MDF shares particleboard's sensitivity to moisture. Moisture-resistant (MR) MDF performs better in humid environments like bathrooms or outdoor covered areas. MDF is heavier than most alternatives, which affects both shipping costs and practical handling.

Plywood

Plywood consists of thin timber layers (plies) glued together with alternating grain directions. This cross-grain construction provides exceptional strength and stability—plywood resists warping better than solid timber. Quality varies significantly; furniture-grade plywood uses more layers of higher-quality veneers than construction-grade.

Exposed plywood edges show the distinctive layered construction, which can be an aesthetic feature or liability depending on design context. Many furniture designs conceal plywood edges with solid timber banding.

Timber Veneer

Veneer is thin timber (typically 0.5-1mm) sliced from logs and applied over engineered board cores. This allows the appearance of premium timber at lower cost and with better dimensional stability than solid wood. Quality veneer furniture can be difficult to distinguish from solid timber at a glance.

Metal

Metal side tables range from industrial-aesthetic iron and steel designs to sleek contemporary brass and chrome pieces. Metal offers durability and design possibilities unavailable in wood.

Steel and Iron

Steel and iron provide exceptional structural strength, allowing slender profiles that would be weak in wood. Raw steel develops rust if untreated, so furniture typically features powder coating (a durable painted finish) or galvanisation. Powder-coated steel resists chipping and fading; quality coatings last for years even with regular use.

Wrought iron—iron shaped while hot—appears in traditional and ornamental designs. Cast iron, poured into moulds, allows intricate decorative patterns. Both are heavier than steel tube construction.

Aluminium

Aluminium offers steel's durability at significantly lower weight. It doesn't rust, making it ideal for outdoor furniture. Anodised aluminium finishes are extremely durable and available in various colours. The lightness of aluminium furniture makes it easy to move and reposition.

Brass, Bronze, and Copper

These copper-based alloys offer warm, distinctive finishes prized in contemporary and traditional designs. Raw brass and bronze develop patina over time, which some consider desirable character; others prefer lacquered finishes that maintain the original shine. These materials command premium prices due to both material cost and the craftsmanship often associated with their use.

Glass

Glass creates visual lightness, making it valuable in small spaces or rooms where you want furniture to feel less imposing. Glass-topped side tables show the floor beneath, reducing visual bulk.

Tempered Versus Standard Glass

Quality furniture uses tempered (toughened) glass, which is heat-treated for strength and safety. Tempered glass is several times stronger than standard glass and breaks into small, relatively harmless pieces rather than dangerous shards. Always confirm glass furniture uses tempered glass—reputable manufacturers specify this clearly.

Glass Variations

Clear glass is most common, but smoked, tinted, and frosted glass offer alternative aesthetics. Smoked grey glass appears sophisticated while hiding fingerprints and dust better than clear glass. Frosted glass obscures visibility while still transmitting light.

Stone and Mineral

Marble

Marble tops provide unmatched elegance and unique natural veining. Each marble piece is genuinely one-of-a-kind, with patterns determined by geological processes. Marble is heavy—a significant factor for delivery and repositioning. It's also relatively soft as stones go, susceptible to scratching and etching from acidic substances. Proper sealing and careful use are essential.

Granite

Granite offers greater hardness and durability than marble, resisting scratches and stains more effectively. However, granite typically features speckled patterns rather than the dramatic veining prized in marble. It's equally heavy.

Composite and Engineered Stone

Engineered stone products combine crusite stone particles with resin, offering consistent appearance and easier care than natural stone. These materials can replicate marble aesthetics without the maintenance concerns. Quality and appearance vary significantly between products; examine samples carefully.

Natural Fibres

Rattan and Wicker

Rattan is a climbing palm native to tropical regions. Its flexibility allows weaving into furniture with organic, flowing forms. True rattan is natural, sustainable, and biodegradable. Synthetic rattan (PE rattan or resin wicker) offers weather resistance for outdoor use without natural rattan's susceptibility to moisture damage.

Bamboo

Bamboo is technically a grass, but processed bamboo furniture rivals timber in strength and appearance. Bamboo grows rapidly, making it highly renewable. Strand-woven bamboo, in which fibres are compressed with resin, achieves hardness exceeding many hardwoods. Laminated bamboo planks work similarly to timber for construction purposes.

Seagrass and Jute

These natural fibres appear in woven or wrapped furniture treatments, typically over frames of other materials. They provide natural texture and warmth but require protection from moisture and aren't suited to outdoor use.

Plastics and Composites

Modern plastics enable furniture forms impossible in traditional materials, often at accessible price points. Quality varies enormously in this category.

Acrylic

Clear acrylic (Perspex/Lucite) provides glass-like transparency at lower weight and with greater impact resistance. Acrylic side tables visually disappear in a room, making them ideal for small spaces. However, acrylic scratches more easily than glass and requires careful cleaning to maintain clarity.

Injection-Moulded Plastics

Moulded plastic furniture ranges from designer pieces in engineered polymers to disposable budget products. High-quality moulded furniture can be extremely durable and is easy to clean. Budget products often become brittle with UV exposure and may crack under stress.

Choosing the Right Material

Your ideal material depends on specific circumstances rather than universal rankings. Consider where the furniture will live, who will use it, and what wear it will endure.

Households with young children benefit from materials that resist damage and clean easily—metal, quality plastics, or sealed timber rather than delicate glass or marble. Outdoor applications require weather-resistant materials like aluminium, synthetic rattan, or properly treated timber. Small spaces favour visually light materials like glass or acrylic. Those prioritising sustainability should consider certified timber, recycled materials, or pre-owned furniture.

Budget constraints often determine choices, but remember that cost-per-year matters more than purchase price. Investing in durable materials for frequently-used pieces often provides better long-term value than false economies on cheap replacements.