As we work with natural, raw materials, they do change and develop over time. Customers often ask us how this happens and what those changes are for each type of timber we use. With this in mind, we thought we’d give a break down here of how they develop. They also all change a little as they get older. Read on to find out more about how our timbers age.
Our only softwood, pine has a very recognisable colour and contrasting grain patterns. It features bold stripes of varying thickness, and is often punctuated with dark knots within the grain. As pine gets older, it takes on a deeper, more yellowed hue.
Pine is our cheapest timber and the only softwood we carry. We offer it finished in our standard, natural-look, low VOC lacquer, or with a Whitewash or Wenge stain. Our pine comes from Scandinavia.
With a very simplistic grain and minimal colour variations, beech is characterised by a mutd, almost pinkish hue. Often evenly spaced, the grain is made up of small, sharp lines. Although on the whole it is quite uniform, beech is sometimes scattered with darker marks where its grain clusters together. As beech ages, it takes on a deeper, richer tone, enhancing its warmth over time.
Coming to us from Northern Europe, beech is our cheapest hardwood. It is offered finished in our standard, natural-look, low VOC lacquer as standard.
Ash is best known for its high contrast in grain pattern. This is a classic example of ash, but it also often has bold sections of darker grain. As ash gets older, it gets a little deeper and a little warmer. Often, the contrast between the grain can lessen, but will always remain prominent.
Grown in Northern USA or Canada, ash is one of our paler timbers. It is offered finished in our standard, natural-look, low VOC lacquer as standard.
Our palest timber, maple features a subtle, swirling pattern and offers a muted, milky tone. We love it especially on our Camden collection beds, where its delicate grain is matched with the delicate curves of these designs. As maple ages, it develops a warmer, deeper shade. Its grain can also lose its contrast slightly over time.
Grown in Northern USA or Canada, maple is our palest timber. It is also offered finished in our standard, natural-look, low VOC lacquer as standard.
Cherry develops the fastest out of all the timber we offer. At first, cherry has a muted red, quite pale shade, almost similar to beech. However, it ages quickly and soon takes on the deep, warm red tone it is best known for. Furthermore, cherry’s grain is quite swirly, with very dark chinks every now and then where the grain clusters together.
Our cherry is also grown in Northern USA or Canada. It is offered finished in our standard, natural-look, low VOC lacquer as standard.
One of our most popular timbers, oak is a timeless classic. Boasting a neutral, honey-gold colour, oak has minimal variations, though it can sometimes vary between cool and warm tones. As it ages, it takes on a more golden, warmer shade, and is our heaviest timber. Moreover, oak is easy to match with existing furniture, and is often a decent match between species.
Our American White Oak is sourced from Northern USA or Canada. It is also offered finished in our standard, natural-look, low VOC lacquer as standard.
Walnut is our most sought-after timber. Characterised by a deep, cool chocolatey brown shade, it boasts a luxurious, contemporary look. Due to to its warm undertones, walnut does become warmer, but is the only timber which becomes lighter over time. It is our lightest timber in terms of weight, and also has a lot of variation in its grain. Moreover, it has quite a broad spectrum of tones; some pieces of walnut can appear almost black, where some are much lighter and warmer.
Our American Black Walnut is sourced from Northern USA or Canada, and is our most expensive hardwood. It is also offered finished in our standard, natural-look, low VOC lacquer as standard.
We hope this article has given you a good insight into how our timbers age. For more information on all our timbers, and to order samples, see the Our Timbers page. You can also see some of our favourite ways to style our solid timber beds over on Pinterest.