When you search for a material that fits perfectly with modern minimalist design and is also cost-effective, you might stumble upon Sungkai, an Indonesian wood that is commonly used as a familiar material for the country’s furniture collections.
Unlike teak or other popular wood choices that have a proven reputation, you might wonder, “Is Sungkai wood good for furniture?” Through this in-depth article, you will learn about Sungkai wood inch by inch, from the characteristics, limitations, comparison with other woods, and also its best uses in furniture. Let’s dive in.
What Is Sungkai Wood?
First off, you need to know the basic information about Sungkai wood. Here are the things you should take notes on.
Origin & where Sungkai is commonly sourced
Sungkai is native to Indonesia and can be easily found in the main Indonesian islands like Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan. Sungkai is also a fast-growing timber, resulting in abundant availability of the wood, a solid reason why it becomes a popular choice for Indonesian furniture.
Natural characteristics: grain, density, and tone
Visually, Sungkai appears in a pale to light yellow tone with a fine, straight grain and smooth texture. Physically, Sungkai is lighter than other popular hardwoods like teak and mahogany, making it easier to machine and finish. However, it’s important to note that Sungkai is less oily, thus making it not suitable for outdoor uses as it can’t withstand moisture well.
Why Sungkai is popular in modern & minimalist furniture
With the clean look offered by Sungkai, it fits easily into the contemporary minimalist style that highlights a bright, neutral tone & vibe in the room, such as Scandinavian or Japanese-inspired designs. This is one of the reasons why Sungkai slowly gains more popularity worldwide.
Is Sungkai Wood Good for Furniture? (Short Answer)
Even if Sungkai doesn’t have the unmatched natural qualities like teak and other strong woods, it’s still worth it. Here is the brief explanation of the best things Sungkai can offer to your customers.
Suitable for indoor furniture
Sungkai’s resistance to external damage is not as good as teak or other popular hardwoods, but it still holds up well in an indoor setting; that’s why it’s sought for decorating indoor spaces, especially those that want to set a minimalist tone.
Known for its bright, clean, contemporary look
The light-toned appearance actually benefits Sungkai by radiating a clean, fashionable look that perfectly matches today’s trend-forward styles, making it a strong plus point for global marketability.
Works well when properly kiln-dried and finished
Indeed, Sungkai is not durable and resilient enough, but applying both a proper kiln-drying method at the perfect moisture level and the best sealing option can definitely enhance its performance.
Key Characteristics That Make Sungkai Good for Furniture
For a full explanation, here are the key qualities of Sungkai that make it desired by today’s modern-design-preferred customers, from the point of view of an Indonesian furniture manufacturer that successfully handles Sungkai projects,
1. Beautiful, Light Natural Color
We start with Sungkai’s natural bright tone that makes it an ideal option for Scandinavian & other minimalist-inspired styles. The natural appearance of Sungkai gives it a distinctive light-toned aesthetic appeal, perfectly matching today’s popular residential design.
2. Attractive Straight Grain Pattern
Not only in terms of color tone, but the straight grain pattern of Sungkai also helps enhance its visual appeal by displaying uniform lines, a perfect look needed by clean styles like minimalism.
3. Lightweight Yet Strong Enough for Indoor Use
Sungkai offers an excellent strength-to-weight ratio when placed indoors, even if it’s not as good as teak. It’s also structurally reliable for items like chairs, tables, and cabinets, making it easier to handle during transport and assembly.
4. Easy to Shape and Work With
Sungkai’s lighter structure also results in very good workability. It’s easier to cut, sand, and assemble, allowing more room for custom or OEM designs with complex joinery. This also helps with faster lead times and cost efficiencies.
5. Accepts Finishes Well
The finer texture of Sungkai allows it to absorb any finish beautifully. Whether applied with clear coats, light stains, or even matte finishes, it receives them just fine. This makes Sungkai the perfect wood choice that provides a wide range of sophisticated aesthetic options for interior designers.
Limitations of Sungkai Wood (And How to Manage Them)
Sungkai indeed offers several advantages, especially its suitability with today’s modern design trends. However, it also has some limitations that you might consider.
Not recommended for full outdoor exposure
Sungkai is not as resilient as teak or other popular hardwoods in terms of moisture, rot, and pest resistance. So, it’s best to avoid putting Sungkai collections outdoors. Even though they are placed in a sheltered outdoor area, they still need a heavy seal to protect them from faster decay.
Needs proper finishing for long-term protection
Sungkai doesn’t perform well in conditions with direct sunlight and high humidity & moisture, unless it’s well-protected. It can last for less than 10 years if it’s exposed to weather and normal air, and worse, it survives for less than 3 years when placed in moist soil.
Requires stable kiln drying to avoid movement
Even the best wood in the world (teak) needs proper kiln-drying for moisture stability; Sungkai is no exception. Especially for lighter woods like Sungkai, it needs to be kiln-dried at an 8-12% moisture content rate to prevent it from warping and movement after delivery.
Best paired with indoor environments
Looking at Sungkai’s natural qualities, it still performs well indoors (specifically in dry and low sun exposure conditions), even if proper finishing is still needed. If you prefer displaying your Sungkai collections outside, make sure that it’s placed in a fully covered area with no direct sunlight present.
Best Uses of Sungkai Wood for Furniture
Sungkai’s visual adaptability to today’s styles and excellent workability make it best suited to create these furnishings.
Dining chairs & lounge chairs
Sungkai’s great workability is the perfect quality to produce chairs that require more complex joinery. Its lightweight structure also helps ease the creation of movable seating like dining chairs, or the ones to relax and chill like lounge chairs.
Consoles, cabinets, sideboards
If you’re looking for sleek, clean storage, Sungkai is the go-to material to achieve that look for furniture like cabinets and sideboards. Sungkai’s lightweight structure also makes it easier to move the storage to other areas as you wish.
Tables with light, modern silhouettes
The bright aesthetic appeal of Sungkai perfectly matches light-toned table designs, especially for side tables & coffee tables, those that are used for daily creative activities like reading, crocheting, or simply sipping your morning coffee. In fact, Sungkai living room sets are the best option for retailers to sell. Read through the link to know why.
Bedroom furniture
Sungkai’s visual appeal can also contribute to your bedroom aesthetics. From bed frames to dressers, Sungkai’s light appearance aligns with your bright, calming palette, a perfect match for Japandi or Scandinavian bedroom style.
Interior commercial projects (cafés, studios, boutique spaces)
For commercial places like a fashionable café, photography studio, or an artistic boutique where aesthetics is the central highlight, Sungkai offers the perfect visual to enhance the room’s design style.
Sungkai Wood vs Other Woods: How Does It Compare?
If compared to other well-liked hardwoods, where would Sungkai’s position be? Is it still worth it? Read more to find the answer.
Sungkai vs Teak
Teak is indeed the winner of the durability aspect, but when talking about trend-forward visual appeal, Sungkai is one step forward from teak. Also, it’s important to take note of teak’s high density, which makes it harder to shape, while Sungkai’s lighter weight makes it more workable and offers more complex joinery.
Sungkai vs Mindi
In terms of look, Mindi shows a warm, golden brown hue, but slightly brighter than teak, while Sungkai appears with a lighter, pale white tone. Sungkai offers a clean, minimalist look, while Mindi gives off a rich, premium feel. Both woods are best for the low to mid-range market, where price point is the key consideration.
Sungkai vs Mahogany
Mahogany is known for its traditional appeal with its reddish-brown tone and heavy weight. While it suits more for a classic, vintage style, Sungkai’s lighter tone and lower density make it more suitable for contemporary designs. Sungkai’s greater availability also offers a better supply chain than mahogany.
Sungkai vs Rubberwood
Rubberwood displays a lighter, pale white appearance than Sungkai, and often with a lower price. Rubberwood might offer a more cost-effective option, but its grain is often less desirable than Sungkai. In this case, even if Sungkai’s price point is slightly higher than Rubberwood, it still offers more visual appeal to customers.
How Finishing Affects Sungkai Furniture Durability
Even if Sungkai is not durable enough, the perfect sealant can actually enhance Sungkai’s performance. Different finishing applications also give distinct results.
Natural coat (enhances grain, modern aesthetic)
A transparent coat or varnish is the best solution if you want to make it last longer without sacrificing the natural light-toned look. It also highlights the grain pattern better, delivering the perfect aesthetics for modern designs.
Water-based finishing (protection + clarity)
If you prefer your Sungkai collections to be more protected, applying water-based finishing would help, as it not only resists yellowing & provides a clear look, but it’s also low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which is a crucial safety compliance in export markets.
Why indoor finishing must be consistent
A proper, consistent finish throughout every inch of Sungkai’s piece is necessary to prevent faster staining, especially in spots that are with high human contact, like table tops. Otherwise, be ready to witness some parts to smear easily.
How proper finishing extends lifespan
A professional, multi-layered finish shields the wood from environmental exposure and prevents dust & dirt from covering the pores, making it more durable and maintaining the aesthetic appeal for years.
Why MPP Furniture Is Trusted for Sungkai Furniture Production
For over 7 years, MPP Furniture has successfully delivered Sungkai collections to our clients in the US, Dubai, Australia, Spain, and more. Our commitment to bringing the best-quality product line lies in these aspects.
In-house production with controlled kiln-drying
We are well aware of Sungkai’s sensitivity to moisture, which is why we’ve set the standard of kiln-drying Sungkai below 12% moisture before production. Every step is conducted at our 16,000 m² production house with strict quality control, making sure we deliver defect-free furniture pieces for our clients.
Precision craftsmanship for clean, modern silhouettes
Combining highly skilled technicians with advanced machinery is also our commitment to providing our clients with a detailed piece that meets their needs. With more than 200 craftsmen in-house who have mastered sophisticated joinery, you can expect an artisanal touch for your Sungkai product line.
Custom design & OEM capability
We’re open to any custom design request like ODM or OEM. With the great workability of Sungkai, combined with our highly skilled artisan craftsmen, we’re confident in bringing you an exclusive product line that helps strengthen your business positioning.
Consistent quality for large orders
MPP Furniture always makes sure that every piece is sanded, assembled, and finished equally, not leaving any spot behind. We are committed to bringing consistency to any project, especially for big, large-scale orders that require uniform treatment.
Export-ready finishing & packaging
Goods safety is essential for international transactions. This is why making sure that the furniture pieces land safely is important. MPP Furniture implements strict quality control from the early production phase to container loading, ensuring our buyers with flawless Sungkai products.
Start Your Sungkai Furniture Project with MPP!
With the excellent workability and visual compatibility with today’s design trends, it’s about time for Sungkai to reach a high demand in the global furniture market. Move fast and take advantage of this moment by partnering with a reliable Sungkai manufacturer that is able to produce high-quality Sungkai product lines, like MPP Furniture.
We welcome any collaboration, from small, custom designs to big, mass-manufacturing projects. With over 20 years of experience in the furniture export industry, we’ve successfully delivered products that meet our clients’ expectations throughout the US, Dubai, Australia, Spain, South Africa, and more; our 99% client satisfaction and only a 0.56% complaint ratio said so.
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