our timbers

virginia black walnut (juglans nigra)

native to north america, where the finest black walnut is said to grow in the state of virginia. an impressive rich dark masculine timber with an impressive high arched rolling figure shading from intense dark chocolate brown with hints of aubergine, through to paler milk chocolate with occasional creamy golden brown and a rich cream.

durable and strong, black walnut has traditionally been used for the stocks of finest sporting guns such as purdey. during the war for the propellers of spitfires, and of course for the dashboards of famous marque english motor cars rolls royce and aston martin.

the black walnut tree produces a desirable walnut which is often used to flavour ice cream, and the black walnut oil is used for cooking. because of the delicious nuts squirrels are very attracted to black walnut trees.

freshly milled and unfinished, black walnut is a pale smoky coffee colour. newly waxed and/or oiled is a deep rich chocolate aubergine colour which lightens to a warm mid chocolate, but deeper in tonal variation and figure.

black walnut can be sealed with a finish which retains the smoky coffee colour without losing the definition of the magnificent figure. we call this tobacco walnut.

dark and sophisticated with antiques and dramatic objet d’art. classic with traditional furniture. contemporary with classics such as charles eames. strikingly minimal with other dark woods, leather or stone, with string or putty walls. and of course in its natural setting of virginian georgian period estate house, or 18th century east coast federal or simple shaker


exotic collection