From time to time here at NBC, we like to experiment with different finishes and offer customers the option customise their beds! This is why, in recent years, we have expanded our solid wood bed finishes to include more than just our standard lacquer.
Our standard range of hardwoods is Ash, Beech, Cherry, Maple, Oak and Walnut. We also offer one softwood option; Pine.
All of our beds are available in the above hardwoods, and many of our beds are available in Pine. We also currently have some designs available in two new hardwood options; English Oak and Scottish Elm. For more information on what you can expect from each of the above timbers, check out the Our Timbers page.
Please note: not all of our finishes are available on every single timber. We also do not offer the option to have beds finished in a lacquer/oil that we do not use. If you would like to apply your own finish, we can quote for any of our beds sanded.
Our low-VOC, natural-look lacquer is the finish that we use on all of our bed bases as standard. Unless otherwise stated on the product page, this is the finish that you will receive if you order one of our bed bases. The natural-look lacquer, named for its clarity, allows you to appreciate the myriad colours and subtle variations in tone of natural timber. It retains a very subtle, soft sheen which protects the timber from grease marks and some stains.
Our standard lacquer is shown above, from left to right: top row – walnut & cherry | second row – maple & English oak | third row – oak & beech | fourth row – clear pine & Scottish elm.
We offer an oiled finish on ash, beech, cherry, maple, oak, walnut and English oak. At present, this finish has not been tested on pine or Scottish elm.
We use two versions of the same zero-VOC oil; on our lighter timbers (ash, beech, oak and maple) we use a light, more subtle tint; on the darker timbers (cherry and walnut), we use a darker tint that enhances the colour and depth in both timbers. Each version creates a more rustic, slightly textured finish. Particularly with walnut, we find the grain and tone are enhanced/highlighted with the oil.
Below, you can see the oiled finish in cherry, walnut and oak. Sample images of our six main hardwoods are shown slightly further down.
If you would prefer a zero VOC option, along with slightly more raw look to the timber, this may be the finish for you. Unlike with some oils, it requires no reapplication. It also protects your bed from grease marks and some stains.
The oiled finish costs more than the standard lacquer. For bed bases, we charge an additional £170.00 to the price shown online. For a bedside table, we charge an additional £60.00 to the price shown online.
First column (top to bottom): walnut (lacquer on left, oil on right), cherry (lacquer on left, oil on right), beech (oil on left, lacquer on right). Second column (top to bottom): oak (lacquer on right, oil on left), maple (lacquer on left, oil on right), ash (lacquer on left, oil on right).
Many love the warm, deep chocolatey tone of walnut, but what you may not know is that walnut is the only timber we offer that gets lighter with age. It will still keep that warm brown tone, but will lose some of its depth over time. Exposure to sunlight can hasten this process, and of course variation in timber also plays a part!
To combat some of the lightening process, as well as providing a close match to the smoked walnut Black Lotus furniture, we have introduced our own smoked walnut finish! This tinted finish darkens the walnut, creating a rich dark brown shade whilst still not dampening the look of walnut’s natural grain.
Below, the top row shows a Highbury and the bottom row shows the Malabar.
As standard, we currently only have this finish available to buy on the Malabar and Highbury bed bases. However, we can apply this finish to any walnut bed – simply get in touch for a quote!
Unlike the smoked walnut, we have two versions of this finish for our ash beds; warm smoked and cool smoked. The warm smoked is the same finish we use on our walnut beds (shown just above), and the cool-smoked is the same finish we use on our wenge pine beds (shown further down).
You don’t have to worry about either finish dampening the characteristics you’re used to seeing in ash! You can still appreciate all of the variety that it has to offer – all of its beautiful lines and swirls still shine through these finishes.
As standard, you can order either of the cool or warm smoked ash on the Camden and Carnaby bed bases. However, we can apply either finish on any ash bed base. Simply get in touch with us for a quote if you’re interested in a different design!
The warm smoked is a rich chestnut colour, which we find gives a mid-century feel. Below you can see this finish on our Camden and Carnaby designs.
The cool smoked has a more dramatic look. Its darker tint washes over the ash to create a deep, espresso brown shade. Below, you will also find this finish on our Camden & Carnaby designs.
We offer two different stained options for our pine beds; Wenge and Whitewash, the former is a deep espresso colour and the latter is a misty white colour. Each finish still allows the natural characteristics of pine to shine through, whilst still masking the orange colour pine is known to take on with age.
You can find all of the designs available in stained pine here.
Shown below you can see wenge in the left-hand column and whitewash in the right-hand column.