Solid timber vs veneer or plywood furniture in Sydney?
From the Goldenwood workshop in Wetherill Park, family-owned and family-run, making custom timber furniture since 1988.
Furniture from Goldenwood is solid timber all the way through, while its kitchens, vanities and fitted joinery use engineered board finished in two-pack paint or polyurethane, with stone tops where the design calls for them.
Buying a dining table or a sideboard
Goldenwood makes its furniture in solid timber, so a dining table or a sideboard is real wood from the top to the legs. See the timbers Goldenwood works with.
Its materials page lists 7 species: American Walnut, Tasmanian Oak, Spotted Gum, Blackbutt, American Oak, Tasmanian Blackwood and Jarrah.
The workshop works with over 50 timber species, and every timber listed on the materials page can be ordered in for a commission.
Goldenwood can also source timbers beyond those in its catalogue, for a grain pattern or a colour the collection does not show.
Fitting out a kitchen or a bathroom
Kitchens, vanities and fitted joinery use engineered board finished in two-pack paint or polyurethane, with stone tops where the design calls for them.
Two-pack joinery is engineered board finished in sprayed two-pack polyurethane, and every kitchen, vanity and built-in leaves the workshop in that finish.
Stone tops can be honed or polished, templated and fitted to the joinery.
The workshop's CNC machine arrived in 2026, takes sheets up to 3.6 m by 1.2 m, and cuts board, solid timber and Corian.
Living with solid timber furniture
Solid timber can expand or contract with the seasons, and Goldenwood's warranty treats that normal movement as an exclusion, not a defect.
An oiled finish is identified at handover, and a light re-oil every 12–18 months, or sooner on a busy dining tabletop, keeps the surface even and water-resistant.
For ordinary care, wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth, use coasters for cold drinks and trivets for warm dishes, and wipe spills promptly.
Keep timber furniture out of prolonged direct sunlight, and away from bleach, ammonia, silicone sprays and household furniture polishes.
Goldenwood's craftsmanship warranty runs for 10 years and covers defects in the joinery, structure or finish that come from how the piece was built.
How a solid timber piece is built
Goldenwood has built custom timber pieces in its Wetherill Park workshop since 1988, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern tooling.
Each piece is built from start to finish by one maker in the Sydney workshop, with progress photos at each major stage.
Every piece passes 2 inspection checkpoints: one before finishing, for the structure, and one after finishing, for the final surface.
Before the first cut, Goldenwood measures, draws and builds immersive 3D visuals of the piece, with 2 design rounds included.
Veneer vs solid wood furniture
| What you compare | Solid timber | Timber veneer |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Timber all the way through, in species from American Walnut to Jarrah | A thin slice of timber glued over a core board such as particle board, medium density fibreboard or plywood |
| Movement | Moves with the seasons; Goldenwood's warranty treats normal movement as an exclusion | Moves with the core board under the timber layer |
| Refreshing the surface | An oiled surface takes a light re-oil every 12–18 months | The timber layer is thin, so any refresh stays on the surface |
Questions, answered
- Does Goldenwood make the plywood furniture Sydney shoppers search for?
- Goldenwood makes its furniture in solid timber. Engineered board, finished in two-pack, is kept for kitchens, vanities and fitted joinery.
- How can you tell if a table is solid wood or veneer?
- Look at the edge and the underside of the top: on a veneered top, the face grain stops at the edge, where a different layer or an edging strip shows.
- Can I order a timber that is not in the catalogue?
- Yes. Goldenwood works with over 50 timber species and can source timbers beyond those currently in its catalogue.
- Can an older Goldenwood piece be refreshed?
- Yes. Goldenwood restores and restains furniture that Goldenwood made. It does not restore other makers' furniture or antiques.
Goldenwood has made custom timber furniture in its Wetherill Park workshop since 1988, and every piece can be customised to your room and your timber. Tell us what you are planning, and we will show you the timbers.