Choosing Timber That Ages Well In A Family Home

Every timber marks. The question is whether it marks in a way you will come to like, and that is mostly a question of species and finish.

Hard Enough, Not Hardest

Oak and ash take a knock and keep their colour. Walnut is softer and dents, though the dents read as patina rather than damage. Pine is cheaper, moves more and needs a finish that can be repaired rather than replaced.

Oil Or Lacquer

Oil can be spot-repaired with a cloth on a Sunday afternoon; lacquer cannot, and once it chips the whole surface has to be redone. For a table that will be used every day, oil is almost always the right answer even though it needs feeding twice a year.

Let It Move

Solid timber expands across the grain with the seasons, which is why a fitted worktop needs a shadow gap and a wide door needs a breather joint. Detail the movement in and the piece lasts decades; detail it out and it splits in the second winter.