Identifying common timbers to match your kitchen worktop surfaces| Worktop Express Information Guides

If you take pride in the appearance of your home, you will appreciate the considerable amount of effort that is often required to source and combine decorative features that suit your overall design scheme. If you have decided to make a feature of timber in your home, this is – of course – a decision we fully support! Real wood is not only stunning but is also full of character, whilst being extremely versatile; nonetheless, choosing the perfect kitchen worktop surfaces can be tricky, and as such we would like to tell you a little more about how to identify common timbers around the home (making it easier for you to choose a worksurface to match).

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Oak

One of the most commonly used timbers for furniture, traditional oak can be characterised in several ways:

Oak can be distinguished by its warm, golden colouring.
The distinctive grain pattern of this timber is generally large and open.
Oak is a highly hard-wearing material and is also incredibly dense. If you suspect your timber furniture is made from oak, it is likely to be fairly weighty.
As a hardwood, oak will also be highly resistant to scratches. If you press your nail against the wood, it should not leave a mark (if it does, it is more likely to be a softer wood such as pine).

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Ash

A hard-wearing timber, ash is known for its ability to bend, and is therefore commonly used for furniture such as chairs with curved backrests.

Ash is a pale timber with a caramel figuring.
Its easily distinguishable, open-grain pattern combines straight grains with ‘curly’ formations.
Oak is a highly hard-wearing material and is also incredibly dense. If you suspect your timber furniture is made from oak, it is likely to be fairly weighty.
Ash is a hardwood, giving it excellent shock-absorbing properties that make it resistant to splintering.

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Bamboo

Officially a grass rather than timber, bamboo has become a particularly popular choice for furniture in recent years, thanks to its sustainable nature and water-resistant properties.

Whether standard or caramel bamboo, this material is easily identified by its slender ‘staves’
Another highly recognisable feature of bamboo is the small, darker bands where the notches on the plant would naturally occur.
Bamboo furniture also has a very fine, uniform texture.

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Beech

Beech is another weighty hardwood that is ideal for making sturdy furniture and wooden worktops.

This durable timber is noted for its pinkish hue, which is perfect for bringing warmth to your home.
The grain pattern of beech can be identified by the presence of unique darker lines, as well as small darker flecks and dots.
Beech has a tight and straight grain structure that gives it a fine and even surface.

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Walnut

Walnut is a timber that is celebrated for its versatility, strength and rich colouring.

Walnut, as a material, is made up of an intriguing mixture of pale sapwood and dark heartwood. This produces areas of highly contrasting colour in walnut surfaces – a sought-after, beautiful feature – and means that walnut furniture comes in a range of different shades.
Whether a paler or darker part of the wood, walnut has a rich chestnut hue and is known for its stunning and luxurious lustre.
Pale sapwood displays a tight, even grain structure, whilst the darker, open-grained heartwood will often feature distinctive ‘curly’ formations.

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If you have any questions about our wooden worktops please feel free to contact us.