Choosing the Right Veneer: Natural, Engineered & Decorative Types for Furniture & Interior Design

When it comes to interior design, we all look for the best quality wood. Often, our focus remains on the fact that the furniture or the woodwork lasts for a good period of time. But did you know already that your finished furniture or woodwork can look even more elegant with the simple choice of veneer sheets? If you are new to the concept of veneer sheets, then you are just at the right place. 

Veneer sheets are thin wood slices or layers applied to substrates that give the appearance of real wood. No matter which wood you select for your interior design, it is the veneer sheets that will define the aesthetics of the furniture. In this article, we will explore the various categories of veneer sheets, the factors that should be considered before selecting the one for your interior, and, alongside, we’ll also see Greenply's veneer offerings. 

What are Veneer Sheets and Wood Veneer Sheets?

Veneer sheets or wood veneer sheets are very thin slices of wood that typically have a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm. These are cut from wood logs and then wasted onto a substrate, which could be plywood, MDF, or blockboard. This not only gives a finished look to the solid wood but also provides greater stability and flexibility, and also reduces the issues of working and expansion. 

Veneer sheets are widely used in veneer interior applications like furniture, carpentry, wall panels, false ceiling, doors, and much more. These sheets provide a visual richness of natural wood veneer, which is often difficult to reconstruct on other surfaces. However, veneer sheets can be of various categories, depending on the performance, cost, and aesthetics. 

Let's take a look at them one by one and understand the distinctions among the various types of veneer sheets. 

Types of Veneers: Natural, Engineered & Decorative 

Let's see the various types of veneer sheets and where to find the best of each category.

Natural Wood Veneer

Natural wood Veneer is derived directly from wood logs like oak, walnut, maple, teak, etc. It is real wood, so it may retain its distinctive grain, pores, color variation, and texture. It gives an authentic office depth, warmth, and a touch of nature to your interior decor. However, if you are worried about its uneven texture, then natural wood veneer also comes sanded and refined. Natural wood veneer sheets are considered more sustainable as they make efficient use of the wood.

It is ideal to use natural wood veneer in high-end furniture, feature walls, and those statement pieces where wood is the focal point. Greenply's Natural Wood Veneers has a wide range of leaves from White Beech, White Oak, American Walnut, and much more, offering a bold and polished richness to the interiors of your space. The Royal Green Naturals Teak Veneers is a golden grain teak veneer that offers a sophisticated and regal finish to the furniture. The Roasted Figured Eucalyptus and Roasted Claro Walnut are some of the premium veneer sheets from Greenply that offer a luxurious texture. 

Engineered Wood Veneer

Engineered Wood Veneer sheets are made by slicing and laminating, sometimes even restricting the wood to get uniform patterns out of it. This process involves gluing narrow strips of real wood to form a uniform layer. The best part about engineered wood veneer sheets is that they offer uniformity across large panels. Moreover, you get a wide range of color, grain, and pattern options. 

The best places to use engineered wood veneer sheets are large wall panels, ceilings, and furniture surfaces that have a major portion of wood exposed. Greenply's Engineered wood veneer line offers Median Persian Walnut, which comes in 4 mm thickness and is constructed free from formaldehyde or ammonia emissions. The Blaze Teak Glaze is another decorative veneer meant for interior decor use. Finally, the Blaze Myanmar Teak that comes from Greenply's Blaze series is a great quality termite & borer resistant sheet that can be an excellent choice for decorative panels. 

Decorative/ Patterned/ Dyed Veneers 

Decorative wood veneer sheets are the ones that are additionally treated to make them more polished and artistic. As the name suggests, it is specifically made for taking the exterior of the furniture to a more visually pleasing artistry. This is done by dyeing, special cutting methods, embossing, in some cases, printing, or giving metallic highlights. 

Such decorative wood veneers turn out to be extremely expressive, which makes them ideal for accent walls and statement luxury interiors. Since these veneer sheets are man-made, one can also experiment with textures, tonal shifts, and give dramatic contrast to their veneer interior. 

Greenply's premium range of decorative wood veneers, particularly the Farbivo veneer, offers more than fifty shades and textures, which are produced with Italian craftsmanship. The American Walnut decorative wood veneer offers a rich-dark polish  with a quarter-cut finish. The Sanwood Decorative Veneer Sheets are the patterned veneer sheets by Greenply that can be used across white range of interiors, from wall panelling to wardrobes, to doors, false ceiling panel partitions, and table tops of various types of tables. 

Tips to Choose the Right Type of Veneer

Now that you know about the various types of veneer sheets, here is a list of factors that you must consider before deciding upon which type of veneer interior you want. 

• Aesthetic and design: If the interiors that you want should have a consistency of the elements of nature, then natural wood veneer is what you should go for. If your aim is to give neat consistency and uniformity during periods, then engineered or decorative wood veneers are the best option for you. 

• Panel Size in large interior projects: For woodwork on large walls or long spans of furniture, the best option would be engineered veneers. 

• Substrate compatibility and stability: The wood substrate that you are using, be it plywood, MDF, or blockboard, you must see the compatibility of the veneer sheets you are using. Using substrates that remain stable under humid environments like the kitchen, bathroom, or exterior, then the wood work on the outside is something that you should consider. 

• Thickness and durability: One must note that veneer sheets that are very thin do not allow for refinishing. Meaning when it's time to refurbish your wood panels or furniture, it might require scraping off. Therefore, to get higher durability, you must go for veneer sheets that are 1 mm or thicker. 

• Finishing and sealing: make sure that the veneer sheets that you are selecting are properly sealed using lacquer, PU, UV, or oil to protect from moisture, staining, or fading. And when it comes to decorative wood veneers, they require special clear coats and surface treatments. 

Conclusion 

Choosing the right veneer sheet, whether it's a natural wood veneer, engineered wood veneer sheets, or decorative wood veneers, all boils down to selecting the one that goes with the aesthetics, has good durability, and is a cost-effective option. With Greenply's rich portfolio, wood veneer sheets, this task has become easier than ever. Whether it's making a stunning accent wall, or luxurious walk-in wardrobe, or a polished seamless interior paneling, Greenply's veneer solution is the one-stop destination for you to make the choice.