Pine is a softwood timber from coniferous trees of the genus Pinus, widely used in British and European furniture and joinery. Fast-growing and easy to work, it was the everyday timber of the kitchen, servants' hall, dairy and cottage, and was also used for the hidden carcases, drawer linings and backboards of finer furniture veneered in mahogany or walnut.
Much antique pine furniture was originally painted, grained to imitate more expensive woods or simply scrubbed, and its stripped, waxed appearance today is largely a fashion of the late twentieth century. Typical forms include dressers, plate racks, scrubbed-top kitchen tables, blanket boxes, chests of drawers, settles and cupboards, many made in Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia during the nineteenth century, with large quantities later imported from central and eastern Europe. Quality varies widely, so buyers look for close-grained, well-seasoned timber, hand-cut dovetails, original handles and an attractive mellow colour. Surviving original paint is increasingly valued and should not be removed. Pine sits naturally in farmhouse and country kitchens, and its warm honey tones soften more formal rooms when used for bookcases or storage.
