Wood
Wood is a living material: it swells with humidity, shrinks in dry air and changes colour with light. Good furniture is built with that behaviour in mind.
Sitdesign sofa frames are built from kiln-dried beech.
Wood guide · 33 species
Wood species and veneers
We work with every wood and veneer on this page: colour, grain, hardness and how they change in light. Our sofa frames are kiln-dried beech.
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Light
- Botanical name
- Fagus sylvatica
- Origin
- Europe
- Janka hardness
- 6460 N
- Density
- 710 kg/m³
European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a pale, fine and even-textured hardwood, straw-coloured in its natural state. Steaming the timber gives it the pinkish to light reddish-brown tone found in much commercial beech. Flatsawn surfaces are fairly plain, while quartersawn faces show small ray flecks. It is hard, strong and bends well under steam, so it is widely used for chairs, frames, bentwood and turned parts. Sitdesign makes its sofa frames from kiln-dried beech. Beech moves noticeably with changes in humidity, so it should be thoroughly dried before use.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Light
- Botanical name
- Pouteria spp. (syn. Aningeria)
- Origin
- Tropical Africa, mainly East Africa
- Janka hardness
- 4380 N
- Density
- 550 kg/m³
Anigre (Pouteria spp., formerly Aningeria) is an African hardwood with light yellowish-brown heartwood, sometimes with a pinkish tint, a fine texture and a natural lustre. Some logs show curly or mottled figure, which is especially visible in quartered veneer. It is used mainly as sliced veneer and plywood for furniture, cabinetry and interior panelling. Anigre is one of the woods Sitdesign uses in its tables and cabinets. With age the colour deepens toward a warmer golden brown. Silica in some logs can blunt cutting tools.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Light
- Botanical name
- Fraxinus excelsior
- Origin
- Europe and south-western Asia
- Janka hardness
- 6580 N
- Density
- 680 kg/m³
European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) has pale cream to light brown wood with wide sapwood and a bold, ring-porous grain similar in pattern to oak. It is hard, tough and elastic, which suits steam-bent chair parts, handles and sports equipment as well as tables and cabinets. Some logs contain darker streaked heartwood that is sold as olive ash. Ash is used both solid and as veneer, and its open grain takes stains and liming well. Light slowly warms its pale tone. The heartwood is not durable outdoors.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Light
- Botanical name
- Pyrus communis
- Origin
- Central and eastern Europe
- Janka hardness
- 7380 N
- Density
- 690 kg/m³
Pear (Pyrus communis) has pale pink to light reddish-brown wood with a very fine, uniform texture and little visible grain, giving a smooth, almost satin surface. It is often steamed to deepen the pink tone. Logs are generally small, so it is used mostly as veneer and in marquetry, inlay, carving and small furniture components; dyed black, it has long served as an ebony substitute. The colour becomes slightly warmer with age. Its even texture makes it straightforward to sand and finish to a smooth surface.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Light
- Botanical name
- Alnus glutinosa
- Origin
- Europe
- Janka hardness
- 2890 N
- Density
- 535 kg/m³
European alder (Alnus glutinosa) is a light, soft hardwood with a fine, even texture and little contrast between heartwood and sapwood. Freshly cut wood is pale but soon turns light tan to reddish brown, and the colour continues to darken and redden with age. It works easily and is used for veneer, plywood, turned parts and, in parts of Europe, cabinet and furniture components. It is not durable outdoors, yet it holds up well when permanently submerged, which is why it was used for foundation piles in Venice.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Light
- Botanical name
- Pinus sylvestris
- Origin
- Europe and northern Asia
- Janka hardness
- 2420 N
- Density
- 550 kg/m³
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is a softwood with pale yellow to nearly white sapwood and light reddish-brown heartwood, with clearly visible growth rings and frequent knots. It is light, easy to work and widely used for country-style furniture, shelving, panelling, flooring and construction timber. Resin canals give it a mild resinous scent when worked. With light exposure it darkens toward an amber or honey tone. Being a softwood, it dents more easily than most hardwoods, so it suits pieces where a lived-in patina is welcome.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Juglans regia
- Origin
- Europe, Türkiye and western Asia
- Janka hardness
- 5410 N
- Density
- 640 kg/m³
European walnut has heartwood that ranges from light greyish brown to dark chocolate brown, often with darker streaks and occasional purple or reddish casts; the sapwood is nearly white. The grain is mostly straight, while figured logs yield crotch and burl. It is used as solid timber and sliced veneer for tables, cabinets and seating. Over years in light, the darker tones tend to mellow toward a warmer brown. Walnut is one of the woods Sitdesign uses in its tables and cabinets. Most commercial timber comes from cultivated trees.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Quercus robur, Quercus petraea
- Origin
- Europe, to Asia Minor
- Janka hardness
- 4980 N
- Density
- 675 kg/m³
European oak, mainly pedunculate (Quercus robur) and sessile (Q. petraea) oak, has light to medium brown heartwood, often with an olive or yellowish cast, and pronounced growth rings from its ring-porous structure. Quartersawn boards and veneers show distinctive ray fleck. It is used both solid and as veneer in tables, cabinets, chairs and flooring. In light it gradually deepens toward a warmer honey brown. Oak is one of the woods Sitdesign uses in its tables and cabinets. Its tannins can cause dark stains where the wood meets iron and moisture.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Quercus alba (white oak group)
- Origin
- North America (eastern United States)
- Janka hardness
- 5990 N
- Density
- 755 kg/m³
American white oak covers several species of the white oak group, led by Quercus alba. Heartwood is light to medium brown, often with an olive cast, and the grain is generally straight with a coarse, open texture. Tyloses block its heartwood pores, suiting it to barrels. Quartersawn material shows strong ray fleck. It is used solid and as veneer for tables, cabinets, chairs and flooring, and darkens gradually toward amber in light.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Quercus rubra (red oak group)
- Origin
- North America (north-eastern US, south-eastern Canada)
- Janka hardness
- 5430 N
- Density
- 700 kg/m³
Red oak, principally northern red oak (Quercus rubra), has light to medium brown heartwood with a noticeable reddish cast and a coarse, open grain. Unlike white oak, its pores are largely open, so it is less resistant to moisture and decay and suits interior use. Quartersawn surfaces show ray fleck, generally smaller than that of white oak. It is used solid and as veneer for cabinets, furniture, mouldings and flooring, and it accepts stains readily. Exposure to water can leave dark stains in the porous growth rings.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Prunus serotina
- Origin
- Eastern North America
- Janka hardness
- 4230 N
- Density
- 560 kg/m³
American black cherry (Prunus serotina) has a fine, even texture and straight grain. Freshly cut heartwood is light pinkish brown and darkens noticeably to a rich reddish brown with light exposure, a change that starts within months. The sapwood is pale yellowish, and small dark gum flecks are a natural feature. It is used solid and as veneer for cabinets, tables and chairs. Because cherry darkens quickly at first, objects left in one place on a new surface can leave lighter shadows, so it is wise to move them regularly.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Prunus avium
- Origin
- Europe and western Asia
- Janka hardness
- 5120 N
- Density
- 600 kg/m³
European cherry (Prunus avium), also called wild or sweet cherry, has light pinkish-brown heartwood that darkens to a deeper golden brown with time and light, generally more golden than the reddish tone of American cherry. The texture is fine and the grain mostly straight. It is used as solid wood and veneer in furniture, cabinetry, turned work and carving. The pale yellowish sapwood band is fairly narrow, so careful board selection gives even surfaces. As with all cherry, new surfaces should be exposed to light evenly while the colour develops.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Ulmus spp. (U. minor incl. U. procera, U. glabra)
- Origin
- Europe
- Janka hardness
- 3620 N
- Density
- 565 kg/m³
European elms, including field elm (Ulmus minor, of which English elm is often treated as a form) and wych elm (U. glabra), have light to medium reddish-brown heartwood with clearly paler sapwood and a coarse, pronounced grain. Interlocked fibres make the wood very resistant to splitting, which is why elm has long been used for chair seats. It is used solid and as veneer in furniture, and darkens slightly with age. Dutch elm disease has greatly reduced the supply of large mature trees. Interlocked grain can tear out during planing.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Tectona grandis
- Origin
- South and Southeast Asia; plantations throughout the tropics
- Janka hardness
- 4740 N
- Density
- 655 kg/m³
- Trade
- Not listed in the CITES Appendices. Since 2021, sanctions by the EU, UK and US affect teak from Myanmar's state timber enterprise; plantation teak from other countries is widely traded.
Teak (Tectona grandis) has golden to medium brown heartwood that darkens with age, a straight to slightly wavy grain and a slightly oily feel. Its natural oils make it highly resistant to decay and moisture, which explains its long use in boat decks and outdoor furniture, as well as indoor furniture and veneer. Left untreated outdoors, it weathers to a silver grey. Most supply now comes from plantations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Silica blunts tools, and oily surfaces may need solvent wiping before gluing.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Swietenia macrophylla
- Origin
- Southern Mexico to central South America; also plantations
- Janka hardness
- 4020 N
- Density
- 590 kg/m³
- Trade
- Listed in CITES Appendix II (neotropical populations); international trade in logs, sawn wood, veneer and plywood requires CITES permits.
American mahogany, mainly big-leaf or Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), ranges from pale pinkish brown to deep reddish brown and darkens with age. The texture is even and the grain straight to interlocked, sometimes showing ribbon or ripple figure and a noticeable lustre. It is stable, easy to work and finishes well, so it has long been used for furniture, cabinetry, boat interiors, carving and veneer. Plantation-grown wood tends to be lighter and paler than old-growth timber. Legal trade requires CITES documentation, so origin papers should be checked.
Photo: Das Ohr, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Entandrophragma cylindricum
- Origin
- Tropical Africa (West and Central)
- Janka hardness
- 6060 N
- Density
- 665 kg/m³
- Trade
- Not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) has golden to deep reddish-brown heartwood that darkens with age. Interlocked grain produces a regular ribbon stripe on quartersawn surfaces, and logs can also show mottled, fiddleback, quilted or pommele figure. It is somewhat harder than mahogany and is used solid and especially as veneer for furniture, cabinets, doors and panelling. Its stripe and colour make it a common alternative to mahogany, to which it is related. Interlocked grain can tear out during planing, so sharp tools and light cuts help.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Medium
- Botanical name
- Milicia excelsa, Milicia regia
- Origin
- Tropical Africa
- Janka hardness
- 5310 N
- Density
- 660 kg/m³
- Trade
- Not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Iroko (Milicia excelsa and M. regia) is a tropical African hardwood whose yellow to golden heartwood darkens over time toward a medium brown. The grain is usually interlocked, with a fairly coarse texture. It is very durable and resistant to rot and insects, so it is used for outdoor furniture, boatbuilding, flooring and joinery, as well as indoor furniture and veneer. It is sometimes offered as an alternative to teak, though it is not related to it. Calcium carbonate deposits in some boards can blunt cutting edges.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Dark
- Botanical name
- Quercus spp. (ammonia-fumed)
- Origin
- Process applied to European or American oak
- Janka hardness
- 4980 N
- Density
- 675 kg/m³
Fumed oak is not a separate species but oak, usually white or European oak, darkened by exposure to ammonia vapour in a sealed chamber. The ammonia reacts with the wood's natural tannins, producing tones from mid brown to very dark brown while leaving the grain fully visible. Popularised by Arts and Crafts makers around 1900, it is still used for solid boards and veneers. Results vary between boards because tannin content differs, and red oak tends to turn greenish rather than brown. The colour reaches some depth below the surface.
Photo: Friedrich Böhringer, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Dark
- Botanical name
- Quercus spp. (mainly Q. robur), subfossil
- Origin
- Europe (notably Britain, Ireland and central/eastern Europe)
Bog oak is oak timber, mostly Quercus robur, that has lain buried in peat bogs or river sediments for centuries or millennia. Low oxygen prevented decay, while iron salts reacting with the wood's tannins darkened it to deep brown, grey-black or nearly black. Supply comes only from occasional salvaged trunks, so it is used mainly as veneer, inlay and small solid components in furniture. Drying must be slow and careful, as the wood is prone to cracking and warping, and embedded sand can blunt tools.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Dark
- Botanical name
- Millettia laurentii
- Origin
- Central Africa
- Janka hardness
- 8600 N
- Density
- 870 kg/m³
- Trade
- Not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Wenge (Millettia laurentii) from Central Africa has medium to dark brown heartwood with dense, nearly black streaks and a coarse, straight grain; under an oil or clear finish it can look close to black. It is hard and heavy and is used as solid wood, veneer, flooring and turned parts, often in contemporary furniture. Unlike most dark woods, it can lighten with sun exposure rather than darken. The wood is very splintery, and its splinters can be slow to heal, so edges should be eased and surfaces finished carefully.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Dark
- Botanical name
- Diospyros celebica
- Origin
- Indonesia (Sulawesi)
- Janka hardness
- 14140 N
- Density
- 1120 kg/m³
- Trade
- Not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Macassar ebony (Diospyros celebica), native to Sulawesi in Indonesia, is a very heavy, hard wood with dramatic dark brown to black stripes on a lighter yellowish or reddish-brown ground; the sapwood is pale and sharply defined. Supply is limited and the wood is prone to checking during drying, so it is used mainly as sliced veneer for cabinetry, tabletops and panels, and in solid form only for small parts. It takes a high polish. Its density makes it hard on tools, and dust extraction is advisable when sanding.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Dark
- Botanical name
- Dalbergia latifolia
- Origin
- India, Sri Lanka; plantations in Indonesia
- Janka hardness
- 10440 N
- Density
- 855 kg/m³
- Trade
- Listed in CITES Appendix II, as part of the genus-wide listing of Dalbergia; commercial international trade, including furniture and veneer, requires CITES permits. No change was made at CITES CoP20 (2025).
Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), also sold as East Indian rosewood or, from Indonesian plantations, as sonokeling, has golden brown to deep purplish-brown heartwood with darker, almost black streaks and a sharply defined pale sapwood. It is hard and heavy, with a medium texture and narrowly interlocked grain. It is used for furniture, veneer, inlay, turned items and musical instruments. With age the colour generally deepens to a dark brown. Because all trade in the species is regulated under CITES, legal origin documents are essential.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Dark
- Botanical name
- Cordia dodecandra
- Origin
- Mexico and Central America
- Janka hardness
- 8780 N
- Density
- 805 kg/m³
- Trade
- Not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Ziricote (Cordia dodecandra) from southern Mexico and Central America has medium to dark brown heartwood, sometimes with green or purple hues, and darker, irregular growth lines that form the characteristic spider-web figure. Quartersawn surfaces can also show ray fleck. It is hard and heavy and is used as veneer for cabinet fronts and tabletops, and as solid wood in musical instruments, turned items and small furniture parts. The wood tends to check during drying but is stable once dry. Its strong figure suits flat, simple surfaces.
Photo: Friedrich Böhringer, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Juglans nigra
- Origin
- North America (eastern United States)
Walnut burl comes from rounded outgrowths on the trunk or base of walnut trees, where dense clusters of dormant buds create a swirling, knotty figure in dark brown with lighter and darker patches. Because burls are small, irregular and prone to cracking, the material is almost always used as thin sliced veneer, laid up in matched patterns on tabletops, doors and panels. Like solid walnut, it tends to mellow toward a warmer, lighter brown in light. Burl veneer leaves can be brittle and often need flattening before pressing.
Photo: Friedrich Böhringer, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Fraxinus excelsior
- Origin
- Europe
Olive ash is European ash whose heartwood carries irregular dark brown streaks on a pale ground, a pattern reminiscent of olive wood; it is a natural discoloration, not a separate species. Ash burl comes from growths on the trunk and shows a pale, swirling figure with small knots, and olive ash burl combines both. These materials are used mostly as sliced veneer for tabletops, cabinet fronts and panelling, often book-matched. The pale areas warm slightly in light. Because the streaking is irregular, sequence-matched leaves help keep large surfaces consistent.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Acer saccharum
- Origin
- North America (north-eastern US and Canada)
- Janka hardness
- 6450 N
- Density
- 705 kg/m³
Bird's eye maple is a figure, not a species, found almost always in hard (sugar) maple, Acer saccharum, from north-eastern North America. Small, round 'eyes' scattered across a creamy white ground give the surface a dotted, three-dimensional look. The cause is not fully understood, though it is linked to buds that fail under poor growing conditions. It is mostly sold as veneer for panels, boxes and furniture fronts, and the figure is clearest on flatsawn or rotary-cut surfaces. The pale wood gradually warms toward a honey tone in light.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Acer pseudoplatanus
- Origin
- Europe and south-western Asia
- Janka hardness
- 4680 N
- Density
- 615 kg/m³
Flamed, or curly, maple from Europe is usually sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), the tree commonly called sycamore in Britain. Its pale, creamy white wood shows bands of light and shadow running across the grain, an effect caused by wavy fibres that reflect light differently as the viewing angle changes. Strongly figured logs are cut mainly into veneer for furniture, panelling and musical instruments; violin backs are a classic use. The pale colour tends to yellow slightly over time, especially under oil finishes. Plain stock suits kitchenware.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Ulmus procera (traded as Carpathian elm burl)
- Origin
- Europe
Elm burl comes from knotty outgrowths on elm trunks and is traded mainly as veneer, often under the name Carpathian elm burl, which is burl of English elm. It shows a dense, swirling figure of small dark knots and eyes on a light to medium brown ground. The veneer is used for tabletops, cabinet doors and decorative panels, frequently in four-way matched patterns. Like solid elm, it deepens slightly in tone over time. Burl leaves are fragile, may contain small voids and usually need flattening before pressing.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Betula pendula var. carelica
- Origin
- Northern Europe (Finland, Karelia, Scandinavia)
Karelian birch, also called masur birch, is a figured form of silver birch (Betula pendula var. carelica) and, less often, of downy birch. Although it resembles a burl, the figure is a hereditary growth trait that produces dark brown flecks, streaks and flame shapes in pale cream wood. The trees grow slowly and stay small, so the material is cut almost entirely into veneer for marquetry, furniture fronts and small objects. It has a long tradition in nineteenth-century Russian furniture. The pale ground warms toward a golden tone with age.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Platanus × acerifolia
- Origin
- Western Europe
- Janka hardness
- 4180 N
- Density
- 560 kg/m³
London plane (Platanus × acerifolia) is a pale hardwood, largely sapwood, in white to light pinkish tan with occasional reddish-brown streaks. When quartersawn, its broad rays produce a dense pattern of darker flecks on a light ground, sold in the trade as European lacewood. This figure is used mainly as veneer for cabinet fronts, panelling and decorative furniture surfaces, while plain plane is used for interior trim and plywood. It is not related to the tropical woods also marketed as lacewood, so the botanical name is worth confirming when ordering.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Entandrophragma cylindricum
- Origin
- Tropical Africa (West and Central)
- Trade
- Not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Pommele sapele is sapele veneer with a blistered figure of small, rounded, overlapping shapes; pommelé is French for dappled. The figure occurs in a limited share of sapele logs and is sliced into veneer for tabletops, cabinet doors and panelling, where its depth shifts with the viewing angle. The colour is reddish brown and darkens with age like ordinary sapele. Matching consecutive leaves is important, as figure intensity can vary within a single log. Finishing with a clear coat brings out the three-dimensional effect.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Microberlinia brazzavillensis, M. bisulcata
- Origin
- West-Central Africa (Gabon, Cameroon, Congo)
- Janka hardness
- 8160 N
- Density
- 805 kg/m³
- Trade
- Not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Zebrano, or zebrawood (Microberlinia brazzavillensis and the closely related M. bisulcata), has a light brown to cream ground with sharp, dark brown to nearly black stripes. Quartersawn material gives narrow, regular stripes, while flatsawn surfaces show wider, wavier bands. It is hard and heavy and is used mostly as quartersawn veneer for furniture, panelling and accent surfaces, and in solid form for small items. The wood has an unpleasant odour when worked, and its wavy or interlocked grain can tear out. Strong striping means veneer layout needs careful planning.
Photo: Friedrich Böhringer, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Figured & burl
- Botanical name
- Eucalyptus spp. (e.g. E. globulus, E. grandis)
- Origin
- Australia; plantations in South America, southern Europe and Africa
Figured eucalyptus veneer comes from several Eucalyptus species, native to Australia and widely planted elsewhere; suppliers often name Eucalyptus globulus. The base colour is light tan to light brown, sometimes with silvery, pinkish or yellow tones. Fibres that ripple across the grain create mottled and fiddleback figures that shimmer as the angle of light changes, and burl and curly figures also occur. It is sold mainly as quartered veneer for furniture fronts, panelling and interiors. Because species vary, colour and figure can differ between batches.
Photo: Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
Surface photographs are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences chosen by their authors; photographer and licence are given in the details of each entry. Photographs are examples: in natural stone and wood every piece is different.
Why kiln-dried beech for the frame?
Beech is a hard, close-grained wood (Janka hardness 6,460 N) that bends very well with steam. For furniture used indoors, the moisture content of the wood should be roughly 6 to 10%. Wood that has not been brought down to that level in a kiln carries on drying in the home: it shrinks, warps and the joints work loose. Kiln drying gets that movement out of the way before the frame is built.
Species
| Species | Hardness (Janka) | Density | Colour and grain |
|---|---|---|---|
| European beech | 6,460 N | 710 kg/m³ | Pale straw; straight grain, fine even texture |
| European oak | 4,980 N | 675 kg/m³ | Light to medium brown; coarse texture, pronounced grain |
| American white oak | 5,990 N | 755 kg/m³ | Light to medium brown; straight, coarse |
| American black walnut | 4,490 N | 610 kg/m³ | Pale brown to dark chocolate; medium texture |
Solid wood or veneer?
| Solid wood | Veneer on a panel | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Wood in one piece | Real wood sliced from the log, about 0.6 mm thick |
| Strength | Can be sanded deeply and refinished | Stays flat on wide surfaces; the grain can be matched |
| Weakness | Moves across the grain with humidity; a wide top can split or cup | A deep scratch that goes through the veneer is hard to repair locally |
| Where it belongs | Frames, legs, edges | Table tops, doors, wide flat surfaces |
Veneer is real wood. MDF and plywood are standard practice in quality furniture as the base under veneer. E1 means the panel emits 0.124 mg/m³ of formaldehyde or less; from August 2026 the European Union limits furniture to 0.062 mg/m³.
Finishes
| Finish | Resistance | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| Oil or hardwax oil | Moderate; stands up to wine, coffee and water, but a spill left for many hours marks | Easy: re-oiled locally |
| Nitrocellulose lacquer | Moderate | Easy |
| Polyurethane or catalysed lacquer | High: best against moisture, scratches, heat and solvents | Difficult to repair invisibly in one spot |
How wood behaves
The ideal room is at 40 to 60% relative humidity. Swings in humidity do more harm than a steady level. Light changes colour: as a rule, pale woods darken and dark woods lighten. Walnut tends to lighten and warm over the years. A finish slows this down; it does not stop it.
Care
- Dust with a dry, soft cloth.
- Wipe up spills at once with a dry cloth.
- Use trivets under hot dishes and coasters under glasses.
- Keep away from radiators and out of direct sunlight.
- Do not leave the same object in the same place for months; it leaves a colour shadow.
- Lacquered surfaces: a damp, well-wrung cloth. Oiled surfaces: re-oil locally when needed.
Never use: silicone spray polish, detergent, abrasive pads, steel wool, bleach, acetone or steam.
Water rings. A white ring is moisture trapped in the finish and can usually be removed. A dark mark means water has reached the wood, and is a job for a professional.
Frequently asked questions
Is veneer real wood?
Yes. It is a layer of natural wood about 0.6 mm thick, sliced from the log.
Is solid wood better than veneer?
Each has its place. Solid wood suits frames and legs; veneer is more stable on wide flat surfaces.
Oak or walnut?
Oak is harder and coarse-grained. Walnut is darker, with a medium texture.
Will the colour of the wood change?
Yes. Pale woods darken and walnut lightens; a finish only slows it down.
Is MDF poor quality?
As a base under veneer it is standard practice. Its weak point is moisture getting in at the edges.
What does E1 mean?
A panel class with formaldehyde emission of 0.124 mg/m³ or less.
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