Wood vs. Living Spaces Furniture: Which brand should you buy?

Discover which furniture brand suits you - Wood's heirloom-quality pieces or Living Spaces' trendy, budget-friendly designs. Find your perfect home fit now.
Written by:
Spencer Lanoue

Wood focuses on handcrafted, heirloom-quality furniture made from solid hardwoods, catering to traditional and rustic aesthetics at a mid-range to premium price point. In contrast, Living Spaces offers a massive selection of trendy, budget-friendly furniture in contemporary and transitional styles, prioritizing affordability and quick home updates over long-term durability.

Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right furniture brand for your home.

Wood: The Heirloom-Quality Craftsmanship Brand

Wood is a furniture brand centered on the timeless beauty and durability of solid wood. It appeals to customers who value craftsmanship, natural materials, and classic designs meant to last for generations. Their collections are often characterized by warm finishes and traditional silhouettes that feel both sturdy and elegant.

  • Product mix: A full range of home furniture, with a strong focus on bedroom sets, dining room tables and chairs, handcrafted office furniture, and living room pieces made from solid wood.
  • Style/vibe: Rooted in traditional, farmhouse, and rustic designs. Expect to see warm wood tones, visible grain, classic silhouettes, and an emphasis on natural materials.
  • Price point: Mid-range to premium. Sofas generally start around $1,200, solid wood dining tables begin at $800, and full bedroom sets are typically priced between $2,000 and $4,000.
  • Quality: The defining feature is the use of solid hardwoods like oak, maple, and cherry. The focus is on longevity, with durable construction and finishes that are designed to stand the test of time, often backed by lifetime warranties.
  • Customization: Offers a high degree of personalization. Customers can often choose from a variety of wood finishes, stains, and even custom sizes to fit their specific space and style.
  • Sustainability: The brand emphasizes eco-friendly sourcing by using sustainably harvested hardwoods and often holding certifications like FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

Wood is the ideal choice for shoppers seeking investment pieces that offer lasting quality and a timeless aesthetic made from natural, responsibly sourced materials.

Shop Wood: woodfurniture.com

Living Spaces: The Affordable Modern Furnishing Retailer

Living Spaces is a massive retailer known for its enormous selection of stylish and affordable furniture that aligns with current home decor trends. It caters to a wide audience - from first-time homeowners to families - looking to furnish their homes quickly and without breaking the bank. The brand successfully blends contemporary style with accessibility.

  • Product mix: An extensive inventory covering every room in the house, including sofas, sectionals, beds, dining sets, outdoor furniture, home decor, rugs, and storage solutions.
  • Style/vibe: Modern, contemporary, transitional, and eclectic. Designs feature clean lines, neutral color palettes, mixed materials, and on-trend finishes perfect for a fresh, updated look.
  • Price point: Budget-friendly to mid-range. Sofas can be found for as low as $399, dining tables start around $299, and complete bedroom sets are often available for under $2,000.
  • Quality: Furniture is typically made from engineered wood, MDF, metal, and various upholstered fabrics. The quality is solid for the price, designed for everyday use, but not intended to be heirloom pieces.
  • Sales: Known for its frequent sales, holiday promotions, and accessible financing options, making it easy to find a deal.
  • Delivery & Assembly: Offers flexible and cost-effective delivery options, including in-store pickup and professional assembly services to make the shopping process convenient.

Living Spaces is the destination for shoppers who want trendy, functional furniture at a great price, with plenty of variety to furnish an entire home easily.

Shop Living Spaces: livingspaces.com

Wood vs. Living Spaces Comparison

Price Comparison

There is a significant price difference between these two brands. Living Spaces is the clear winner on affordability. A sofa from Living Spaces can start as low as $399, whereas sofas from Wood typically begin around $1,200. Similarly, a Living Spaces dining table can be found for $299, while a solid wood table from Wood will start at closer to $800.

This price gap reflects a fundamental difference in materials and manufacturing. Wood's higher cost is due to its use of solid hardwoods and artisanal craftsmanship, positioning its products as a long-term investment. Living Spaces leverages more cost-effective materials like engineered wood to deliver trendy styles at much lower prices, making its furniture ideal for short-term needs or evolving tastes.

Quality & Construction

Wood’s primary selling point is its superior quality and construction. The brand uses solid hardwoods such as oak, maple, and cherry, employing traditional joinery techniques to create durable, heavy pieces meant to last for decades. The furniture is designed to be lived with, repaired if needed, and even passed down. Many pieces come with extensive warranties that reflect this commitment to longevity.

Living Spaces utilizes more modern, mass-produced materials like MDF (medium-density fiberboard), engineered wood, and metal frames. While its furniture is functional and holds up well for everyday use, it's not built to the same heirloom standard as Wood. The upholstered items, veneers, and finishes may show signs of wear more quickly, especially with heavy use. The quality is appropriate for the price but cannot compete with solid wood on a pure durability basis.

Style & Aesthetic

The design aesthetics of each brand are worlds apart. Wood specializes in timeless styles, including rustic, traditional, and farmhouse. Its collections feature pronounced wood grains, warm and classic finishes, and sturdy, established silhouettes. This look is perfect for cozy, classic, or country-inspired home interiors where natural texture and warmth are desired.

Living Spaces offers designs that are squarely on-trend. Its catalog is dominated by contemporary, transitional, and minimalist styles with clean lines, neutral fabrics, and modern finishes. If you're looking for the velvet couch, boucle chair, or fluted-wood media console you saw on social media, you're far more likely to find it at Living Spaces. Their aesthetic is ideal for modern apartments, suburban homes, and anyone who enjoys refreshing their decor with current styles.

Product Selection & Sizing

Both brands offer a wide selection, but for different targets. With its focus on customization, a brand like Wood allows customers to tailor pieces to fit unique spaces, though their standard pieces tend to be substantial. Their furniture works well in medium-to-large rooms where it can make a statement.

Living Spaces boasts a massive inventory with a huge variety of sizes and configurations. They excel in offering solutions for smaller spaces, with compact sofas, apartment-sized sectionals, and modular pieces that provide much-needed versatility. If you need to furnish a small room or want more modular flexibility, Living Spaces has far more options.

Sustainability & Ethics

For environmentally conscious shoppers, Wood holds a distinct advantage. Their business model is built around using solid, sustainably harvested hardwoods with eco-friendly finishes. The inherent longevity of their products also promotes less consumption over time. Many of their materials are backed by recognized certifications like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Living Spaces has made efforts toward more sustainable practices, but it is not a core part of their brand identity. The nature of fast-fashion furniture, including the use of engineered woods and veneers, generally has a larger environmental footprint. They do offer some eco-friendly products, but it requires more careful selection from the consumer.

Which One Should You Choose?

The right choice depends on your priorities, style, and budget. Both brands offer solid options, but they are designed for very different customers.

Choose Wood if:

  • You are looking for a long-term investment and want heirloom-quality furniture.
  • You value natural, solid wood materials and superior craftsmanship.
  • Your home decor style is rustic, traditional, or farmhouse.
  • You prioritize sustainability and responsibly sourced materials.
  • Customization of finishes and sizes is important to you.

Choose Living Spaces if:

  • You are furnishing a home on a budget.
  • You love staying up-to-date with the latest fresh and modern furniture trends.
  • You need versatile and compact furniture options for a smaller space or apartment.
  • You value convenience, quick delivery, and frequent sales.
  • You're furnishing a first home or a space where your style might evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wood or Living Spaces cheaper?

Living Spaces is significantly cheaper than Wood. Due to its use of materials like engineered wood and its mass-market scale, Living Spaces can offer trendy furniture at much more accessible price points, often a fraction of the cost of Wood's solid hardwood pieces.

Which has better quality furniture?

Wood has better quality furniture in terms of material and long-term durability. Their use of solid hardwoods and traditional construction techniques results in pieces designed to last for generations. Living Spaces offers good quality for its price, but its furniture is not built to the same long-lasting, heirloom standard.

Which is better for small apartments?

Living Spaces is much better for small apartments. They offer a huge selection of compact sofas, apartment-sized sectionals, modular furniture, and multi-functional pieces specifically designed to work in smaller living spaces.

What style of furniture does Wood sell?

Wood primarily sells rustic, farmhouse, and traditional style furniture. Their designs emphasize natural wood grain, warm finishes, and classic, timeless silhouettes.

What style of furniture does Living Spaces sell?

Living Spaces focuses on contemporary, modern, and transitional furniture styles. Their collections are trend-driven, featuring clean lines, neutral colors, and of-the-moment materials and textures.

Is the furniture from "Wood" actually made of solid wood?

Yes, Wood specializes in furniture made from solid hardwoods like oak, maple, walnut, and cherry. This is a core part of their brand identity and value proposition.

Does Living Spaces have good sales?

Yes, Living Spaces is known for running frequent sales and promotional events throughout the year, especially around major holidays. They also offer various financing options to make purchasing more accessible.

Which brand is more sustainable?

Wood is the more sustainable brand. Their focus on using responsibly sourced, solid hardwoods and creating durable, long-lasting furniture aligns better with eco-friendly principles than a model based on more disposable, trend-driven pieces.

At Interior Insider, we're dedicated to curating the best in home decor, interior design, and home essentials to help you discover brands we think you'll love. Every brand we feature is independently selected by our editorial team based on quality, design, and craftsmanship. When you make a purchase through our links, Interior Insider may earn a commission - which helps support our small team and allows us to continue bringing you inspiration and expert advice for creating your perfect space.

Looking for more inspiration? Explore our curated design guides to find your next favorite piece.

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