Cedar Furniture: What I’ve Learned Working With This Incredible Wood

Cedar furniture has gotten complicated with all the conflicting care advice and species confusion flying around. As someone who’s built cedar furniture for both indoor and outdoor use over the past fifteen years, I learned everything there is to know about what makes cedar special and when it’s actually the right choice. Today, I will share it all with you.

My introduction to cedar was building a simple outdoor bench for my back porch about fifteen years ago. The lumber yard guy recommended Western Red Cedar over pressure-treated pine, and I’m still glad I listened. That bench sat outside through every season for twelve years before I finally replaced it — not because the wood failed, but because I wanted a new design. The cedar underneath was still solid.

What Makes Cedar Different

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Cedar’s natural oils are what set it apart from basically every other common furniture wood. Those oils make the wood naturally resistant to rot, decay, and insect damage. That’s not marketing hype — it’s chemistry. The same oils give cedar that distinctive smell that most people love.

Two main types show up in furniture: Western Red Cedar and Eastern Red Cedar. Western Red is lighter in color, more dimensionally stable, and the go-to for outdoor furniture. Eastern Red (the aromatic stuff) is what you want for cedar chests and closet linings — the strong scent naturally repels moths and other insects that eat your clothes. I’ve used both extensively and they’re genuinely different materials despite sharing a name.

Over time, untreated outdoor cedar develops this beautiful silver-gray patina. Some people love it, some people hate it. I’m in the love-it camp — there’s something about aged cedar that looks like it belongs outside. But if you want to keep the original warm reddish tone, you’ll need to seal it periodically.

Why I Keep Coming Back to Cedar

That’s what makes cedar endearing to us woodworkers — it’s one of those rare materials that’s beautiful AND practical. Here’s what I appreciate after years of working with it:

Durability without chemicals: Unlike pressure-treated lumber (which is soaked in chemicals I’d rather not sit on), cedar resists decay naturally. I’ve put cedar furniture in my kids’ play area specifically because I don’t want them touching treated wood.

Stability: Cedar doesn’t warp or shrink as dramatically as many other woods. My outdoor dining table has barely moved in eight seasons despite wild temperature and humidity swings. Try that with pine.

Low maintenance: Clean it occasionally, seal it if you want to maintain color, and otherwise leave it alone. That’s the whole maintenance routine. I spend maybe thirty minutes a year on my cedar furniture.

The grain patterns are gorgeous. Every piece of cedar has unique character. The color variations, knots, and grain patterns mean no two pieces look the same. I’ve had clients specifically request “interesting grain” and cedar never disappoints.

What I’ve Built With Cedar

• Cedar Chests: Built three of these as wedding gifts using Eastern Red Cedar. The aromatic properties keep stored linens and blankets fresh and moth-free. One recipient told me seven years later that the chest still smells amazing every time she opens it.
• Outdoor Benches and Tables: My bread and butter. Western Red Cedar handles seasons of rain, snow, and sun without complaint. I have an Adirondack chair set I built that’s been sitting on my deck for nine years.
• Raised Garden Beds: Cedar’s rot resistance makes it perfect for this. My garden beds are going on year six with no signs of deterioration, even with soil and moisture against the wood constantly.
• Closet Organizers: Lined a client’s master closet with Eastern Red Cedar planking. The natural insect-repelling properties mean she’s never needed mothballs, and the closet smells incredible.

How to Care for Cedar Furniture

For outdoor pieces: I clean mine twice a year with mild soap and water and a soft brush. That’s it. If you want to maintain the original color, apply a UV-protectant sealer every spring. I use a penetrating oil sealer — takes about an hour for a full patio set.

For indoor pieces: dust with a soft cloth. That’s genuinely all you need to do. If a cedar chest or closet lining loses its scent after several years, lightly sand the surface with fine grit sandpaper. This opens up fresh wood and the aroma comes right back. I’ve refreshed cedar chests that were thirty years old and they smelled new again.

What NOT to do: don’t pressure wash cedar furniture. The high pressure damages the wood fibers and accelerates aging. Don’t use harsh chemical cleaners. Don’t paint over cedar intended for outdoor use — it traps moisture and defeats the purpose of using cedar in the first place.

Cedar as a Sustainable Choice

Cedar grows relatively quickly compared to hardwoods like oak or walnut. Many cedar products come from responsibly managed forests. I source my cedar from a local mill that harvests from certified sustainable forests, and I’d encourage anyone buying cedar furniture to ask about sourcing.

The longevity factor matters too. A cedar bench that lasts fifteen years has a smaller environmental footprint than three pine benches that each last five years. Build it once, build it right, and the sustainability math works out.

DIY Cedar Projects for Beginners

Cedar is one of the most beginner-friendly woods I know. It’s soft enough to cut and shape with basic tools, and it’s forgiving of minor mistakes because the natural beauty of the grain covers small imperfections.

If you’ve never built furniture, start with a simple cedar planter box or a basic shelf. The material cost is moderate — a board foot of Western Red Cedar runs about $6-8 at most lumber yards. Your local yard can help you pick boards that are straight and relatively knot-free for a first project.

The tools you need are minimal: a saw (even a hand saw works for small projects), sandpaper, wood glue, and some exterior-rated screws if it’s going outside. No fancy joinery needed for your first build. My first cedar project took a Saturday afternoon and I was genuinely proud of how it turned out. There’s something satisfying about building something from raw wood that you know will last for years.