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The Beauty of Veneer

The Beauty of Veneer

It is often misconstrued that veneer plays secondary to solid timber in bespoke furniture. There is no doubt solid timber has a natural beauty and sometimes this cannot be replicated in any way. There are drawbacks however to solid timber as it can come with restrictions in terms of design scope. The other consideration now to using solid wood must be the preservation of our natural surroundings. Whether we look to make our furniture from solid timber or veneers, it must be properly sourced and FSC registered – wood harvested from forests that are responsibly managed.

The history of veneers

Veneering is known to have been used as far back as the Ancient Egyptians, though it was not until the Renaissance and Baroque period that veneering became predominantly used as a method for decorative purposes. By the mid 18^th century, the craft of marquetry was spreading through Europe from Italy across to Spain and France. This form found its way across the channel to Britain where cabinet makers developed a unique style featuring decorative Walnut veneers. Throughout the Regency period, Flame and curl Mahogany – this was the section of the tree where two large branches divide forming the flame effect – were extensively used through to the Edwardian period in Britain. Fast forward to the 21^st century and veneer is not just used for decorative purposes but also in the mass production of board material. This comes in large sizes, so that furniture can be made economically and sustainably. The furniture therefore looks like solid timber but in fact just uses a thin layer of the desired substrate.

The beauty of wood veneers and their possibilities

The range of veneers that can be sourced now are staggering from traditional natural decorative veneers such as burrs, burls, curls, figured and bird’s eye. In addition, there are normal, crown and quartered cut veneer from many species of timber as well as dyed and man-made or engineered veneers. The laying of veneer is a traditional skill that cabinet makers of the past learned. Though it has almost been lost, this skill has seen a revival in the last 20 years or so with also the introduction of modern machinery such as lasers that can be used to cut the veneers. Using veneers within a piece of furniture, gives the designer more freedom to be creative as the substrate is more stable. When using solid timber, more thought and consideration must be given for the natural expansion and contraction of timber. Veneer can be laid in many ways from slip matching to book matching to create decorative patterns and forms.

Here at Ashton Bespoke, veneering is something that we’ve been doing for decades and have a wealth of experience in this field. Within the coming weeks we currently have two cocktail cabinets in a man-made engineered veneer, a drinks cabinet in a natural figured dyed veneer and a traditional style writing desk in a decorative burr oak veneer. Keep an eye out on our Instagram for upcoming posts on the finished pieces.

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History

Many trees have an incredible heritage dating back thousands of years but none more so than the Cedar of Lebanon. It is a tree that is referenced in many books including the Bible described as strong and durable as well as graceful and beautiful. Academics are agreed that the Cedar of Lebanon is a symbol of Mary.  The history books have also recorded that the ancient civilisation of Phoenicia traded Cedar of Lebanon and made merchant ships from it marking the Phoenicians as the world’s first trading civilisation. The most famous forest, known as the Cedars of God, has diminished over the centuries and has just 25 acres remaining. This site has been an area of preservation since 1876 and in fact UNESCO declared it a world Heritage site some 20 years ago. The tree is so important to Lebanon that it features on the Lebanese flag because it is believed the tree symbolises prosperity, eternity, and happiness

Cedar Use In Furniture

Cedar of Lebanon (cedrus Libani ) is known for its unique fragrance and is prized by furniture makers for wardrobe interiors and the internal of drawers as the scent the wood gives off is known for keeping fabric eating moths away. Cedar of Lebanon is not to be confused with Western Red Cedar which has similar properties but is more widely used for external timber such as cladding to buildings. Cedar is a large evergreen conifer that can be quite ornamental featuring in the gardens of many stately homes. It is an incredibly special timber known for reflecting warmth giving an attractive neutral background. A softwood timber, cedar is easy to work with hand tools which make it sought after by the craftsman although you must be wary as it can be quite knotty and bark inclusions occur.

Spirituality & Wellness

Cedar has many spiritual associations including healing, prayer, dreams, and protection against disease. These trees have different meanings for many civilisations, mortality, strength, and resilience being among them. Some tribes see the cedar as a symbol of generosity and have rituals around the felling of the trees. Its fragrance can evoke a sense of calm and well-being something we all need in today’s world.

Cedar of Lebanon & Sustainability

Anyone planting cedar of Lebanon does so in the knowledge they likely will not live to see the tree fully mature as this will take decades and trees have been known reach 40m in height and have a girth of some 2.5m. As you can imagine Cedar of Lebanon is exceedingly rare so sustainability must be at the heart of any harvesting. They only have one trunk that has many branches growing out and can live as long over 1000 years old. A tree that has survived wars and seen kings and empires rise and fall should be truly treasured, as with all the magnificent wonders of this world.

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