Woods & finishes

Eight woods and finishes, all in solid homegrown timber, oil-finished.

French woods carry a light of their own: they play on nuance rather than contrast, fine tones, a delicate grain. Their slow growth, under our temperate climates, gives them a fine grain. Walnut shows it well: American walnut is dark and uniform; French walnut ranges from greyish brown to chocolate, with a lively figure, never quite the same from one board to the next. That sobriety lets the material settle without imposing itself.

The finish. We were not looking for a colour, but for nothing at all between the hand and the wood. Our oil penetrates the fibre instead of covering it: no varnish, no film, nothing that flakes or yellows. The grain stays legible, the wood keeps breathing and moving. A vivid tint changes none of that: the wood stays in the foreground.

What we use. A single oil, linseed-based, for all eight finishes, from the palest to the most vivid. It contains no solvent and no varnish, and is certified food-safe by an independent laboratory and compliant with the European standard for the safety of children's toys. Our artisans also use it on worktops and counters. It is cared for with soapy water, and can be touched up locally without redoing the whole piece.