Mexican Pine Furniture
Where Corona Furniture Actually Comes From
Even though lots of people think Corona furniture is super old, it actually isnt as ancient as it looks! Corona furniture first started getting popular in the 1980s and 1990s. It comes from Mexico, which is why people sometimes call it Mexican pine furniture.
The style was inspired by old furniture that Spanish settlers brought to Mexico hundreds of years ago. When they came to Mexico, they had to use the local wood which was mostly pine trees. This made the furniture look different from the stuff they had back in Spain, and thats how the Mexican pine style started!
Why Is It Called “Corona”?
The name “Corona” is actually Spanish and it means “crown”! I think thats really cool because it makes the furniture sound royal and important. The original creators of the furniture wanted it to sound fancy, even though it was made from simple pine wood.
My Grandad told me that another reason they might of called it Corona is because the pine knots in the wood look a bit like little crowns or circles if you look really close. I checked our Corona coffee tables at home and I can kinda see what he means!
How Corona Furniture Got to the UK
Corona furniture didn’t used to be popular in the UK. It first came here in the late 1980s when some British furniture shops started to import it from Mexico. People in Britain really liked it because:
- It was strong and lasted for ages
- It had a cool rustic look that was different from boring modern furniture
- It wasn’t too expensive compared to oak furniture
- It looked good in both old and new houses
My mum says she remembers when it first became popular and everyone wanted to have Corona pine furniture in there houses. She said it was like how everyone wants iPhones nowadays!
The Special Features That Make Corona Furniture Special
When Corona furniture was first made, it had some special features that people really liked. These are still part of Corona furniture today:
The Black Metal Work
The most important feature of Corona furniture is the black metal bits. All proper Corona pieces have these black metal hinges, handles, and corner protecters. These were actually inspired by the old treasure chests and storage boxes that Spanish explorers used on their ships!
In my Corona wardrobe, you can see these cool black metal studs and hinges that make it look like it could be from a pirate ship or castle. My little sister actually pretends its a magic wardrobe like in Narnia!
The Waxed Finish
Original Mexican pine furniture always had a special wax finish instead of paint or varnish. This was partly because wax was cheaper than fancy finishes, but also because it made the wood feel really nice and smooth and brought out the natural honey colour.
My dad showed me how to feel the difference between our Corona pine furniture and some other furniture we have. The Corona stuff feels smoother and warmer to touch, which is why I like doing my homework on my Corona pine desk.
How Corona Furniture Changed Over Time
Corona furniture hasn’t always stayed exactly the same. It’s changed a bit over the years as people wanted different types of furniture.
New Colors
Even though traditional Corona furniture was always the natural pine color, now you can get painted Corona furniture in lots of different colors. My auntie has Corona grey furniture in her house and it looks really modern and cool.
The painted versions started becoming popular in the early 2000s when people wanted furniture that was a bit more modern looking but still had the Corona style. The black metal bits still show up really well against the grey and white paint colors.
More Types of Furniture
In the beginning, Corona furniture was mostly big pieces like Corona wardrobes and Mexican pine dressers. But as it got more popular, they started making all sorts of different pieces.
Now you can get everything from Corona bedside tables to Corona nest of tables to TV unit Corona designs. This happened because people wanted to have matching furniture throughout their whole house.
My favorite newer Corona pieces are the Corona console table in our hallway where we put our keys and the Corona side table next to our sofa.
Famous Corona Collections
Over the years, different furniture companies have made there own versions of Corona furniture, but they all follow the same basic style with pine wood and black metal. Some of the most popular collections are:
The Classic Corona Range
This is the original style with the honey-colored pine and chunky wood. My grandparents have a full Corona bedroom set in this style, including a Corona bed and Corona 2-door wardrobe.
The Mexican Pine Sets
Some companies sell complete Mexican pine bedroom set collections, so people can buy everything matching at once. These usually include beds, Mexican pine wardrobes, and Corona chest drawers.
The Modern Painted Corona
This is the newer style with painted finishes. You can get full Corona bedroom furniture sets in white or grey which are super popular with teenagers and people who like modern styles.
Why Corona Furniture Has Stayed Popular For So Long
Most furniture styles come and go really quick, but Corona furniture has been popular for more than 30 years! I asked my teacher why she thought this was, and she said:
- The simple design never looks old-fashioned
- It’s really good value for money because it lasts so long
- The natural wood brings warmth to homes
- You can mix old and new Corona pieces and they still match
My dad says another reason is that Corona furniture tells a story about its origins. You can see the history of Spanish and Mexican craft in every piece, which makes it special.
Corona Furniture Today
Today, Corona furniture is still really popular in the UK. You can find it in lots of homes, and furniture shops still sell lots of different pieces like Corona dining table sets, Corona bookcases, and Corona sideboards.
Some people even collect old Corona furniture and restore it, which means fixing it up to make it look new again. My neighbour does this as a hobby and she says original 1980s Corona pieces are becoming quite valuable!
Fun Facts About Corona Furniture
Here are some super interesting facts I found out about Corona furniture:
- The pine trees used for Corona furniture take about 30 years to grow big enough to make furniture from
- Each piece of Corona pine furniture is slightly different because of the natural knots and grain in the wood
- The black metal parts were originally made from recycled iron
- A proper Corona pine dresser can weigh more than 100kg (that’s heavier than my dad!)
- If you look after it properly, Corona furniture can last for more than 50 years
Conclusion
So now you know all about where Corona furniture comes from! It’s pretty amazing how furniture that started in Mexico has become so popular all over the UK.
I think the reason people love it so much is because it has a real story behind it and it’s not just boring factory furniture that all looks the same. Each piece is special and unique, just like the people who own it!
I hope you enjoyed learning about Corona furniture history as much as I did. Maybe next time you see a Corona dressing table or Mexican pine sideboard, you’ll think about its interesting journey from Mexico to the UK!