In the last couple of months, both maple and walnut have enjoyed something of a resurgence in popularity across our full range, from the minimal Kyoto and Oregon beds to the contemporary Tibet and Malabar bases, chosen multiple times in each wood. There have been weeks where these timbers have even overtaken the perennially popular oak, so it would seem like a good time to take a look at these new bestsellers….

Maple Wood Beds

Maple is a pale timber, the lightest hardwood in our range, with a tight grain pattern, interrupted by swirls and waves in larger pieces. This is best seen on the large headboard panels on beds such as the Oregon. The paleness of the timber makes maple an ideal choice when creating a light, airy room or a minimal space. A popular, non-standard choice is to add a white-wash to the timber, emphasising the pale tone, without losing the impact of the grain.

It is easy to create contrast with maple, either though bedding choices- our range of vibrant Indian duvet covers would work well- or through an addition of a strip of darker timber in the headboard panel. In the past, we have added Zebrano to a maple Tibet headboard, which worked to break up the uniform tone of the timber. A rich, dark wood such as walnut or cherry would have a similar effect.

Maple works best with our range of Japanese or Contemporary beds. The Tibet bed, with its high headboard and sleek, linear design shows of the subtle tones of the timber and our Kyoto bed, with headboard, with its minimalist design creates a contemporary feel. Choosing a headboard with the latter base allows more of the timber to be seen whilst maintaining the simplicity of the bed shape.

Walnut Wood Beds

In stark contrast to maple, walnut is a deep chocolate brown, with dramatic swirling grain. Like maple, walnut works best with beds with large headboards, where there is plenty of the timber on show. However, unlike the pale, subtle tones of that wood, walnut is very much a statement timber – any bed made from this material will be the focus of the room.

Beds such as the Zanskar, Samarkand and our range of four posters really accentuate the differing tones and the stunning patterns found in the large timber sections used to make up the headboard panels.

As walnut lightens over time, it is worth planning ahead when it comes to choosing complementary bedroom furniture. Here with more than any other timber in our range, other than perhaps cherry, it is advisable to purchase under-bed drawers and bedside tables (our range of cube tables work particularly well with the beds mentioned above) at the same time as the bed base. This way you ensure that each piece ages, develops and changes in tone at a similar rate.

If you decide to visit our Sheffield store to view our range of beds and furniture, we currently have both a maple Oregon and Tibet on display, and an Orchid four poster in walnut. If, however, you are too far away to make the trip to come and see us, we can arrange for samples of the timber to be sent out. Either call on 01142721984 or email details of the timbers you are interested in, along with a full delivery address to [email protected] and the samples will be posted out to you, first class.

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