Why do you use veneers?

As with most things - there are reasons both for and against using veneers.  Veneers are less prone to warping or cracking than solid wood. Also you can select the oak with the most beautiful grain pattern and then produce multiple veneers from that piece. This makes oak go further and also ensures you’re getting the most aesthetically pleasing finish.

We tend to use a combination of solid wood and veneers to achieve an overall solid piece of furniture. The solid wood gives strength and durability; so legs, carcass frames, door frames, drawer fronts, top frames - basically the supporting components. The panels (side panels of chests, top panels of chests, table tops, door panels etc) are veneered as these are the parts that if solid wood would be most prone to cracking/warping.

Its all about having a balance of both solid and veneered wood to get the best of both elements.