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The Soho Home guide to timber

A natural and durable material, timber brings warmth and character to a space with no two finishes the same. You can see plenty of reclaimed wood panelling and flooring across our Houses, with many of our wood furniture pieces serving to enhance these original features, from oak and walnut to ash and beech.

Our wood types

Oak

Hard, heavy and dense, oak is less affected by moisture and temperature changes than softer woods, making it a durable choice for our tables and dressers

Walnut

Walnut is a heavy wood, and is fairly resilient to warping and moving with moisture and temperature changes. We use it across many of our dining tables and chairs

Ash

Ash shares oak’s hard quality and durability making it a great alternative that's naturally lighter in colour. We often use this particular wood across our bed styles

Beech

Beech has good strength and high abrasion resistance, and is therefore suitable for the construction of chairs

Birch

Birch is a medium weight wood and has good strength properties. You’ll find it across a range of our seating styles

What is veneer?

Veneer is a sheet of wood that is always applied to a substrate - this could be over solid wood of the same type, or more durable materials such as MDF or ply. As veneer is made from real wood, each product will be one of a kind.

Why we use it

All of the veneer we use at Soho Home is real wood, as opposed to laminates made from plastic, paper or foil. We use veneer to strengthen the product, and prevent movement and warping, which can alter the overall shape of the unit. We also use it to control the grain and colour of a piece so that it has an even overall finish.

Burl veneer

Burl veneer has many different variations depending on the tree it comes from, displaying a range of beautiful knots and swirls in the wood. We recently introduced this finish to our interiors collection, as well as Pippy Oak Burl as seen in our Noelle range. Other finishes we've launched include Oak Burl, Pippy Oak Burl, Mappa Burl, Olive Ash Burl and Walnut Burl.

Shop our range of burl furniture

Wood finishes

In our Houses, we use a mix of different wood finishes for a classic Soho House feel with each finish unique to the next.

Natural

Naturally a light wood with a warm, yellow tinge and a close grain

Shop furniture in a natural finish

Mid tone

Adds warmth and character to a room with a mid-brown finish

Shop furniture in a mid tone finish

Dark

A rich colour that has a mid-century finish, as seen with the Belsa bed and Aldo desk

Shop furniture in a dark finish

Marquetry

This refers to intricate veneer layering and woodwork. Our Anuel and Duetoni ranges showcase marquetry techniques, as they have used a more complex veneer lay-up than standard. Starburst veneer lay-ups can also be seen with our limited-edition Bistro Table for Soho House Bangkok

Shop furniture in marquetry finish

Laquer

Echoing the 1970s-inspired design of 180 House, glossy lacquer adds a new point of interest to a room. The hard-wearing and scratch-resistant surface also makes it ideal for busy homes. Find out more on our care tips below.

Caring for lacquer

  • Though durable, our lacquer pieces can be vulnerable to chips, scratches and wear. To prevent damage, keep your table dry, and do not place hot pans, plates or mugs directly on top or heavy items; instead, use placemats and coasters.

  • Dust regularly with a clean, soft cloth. For general cleaning, wipe with warm water and a soft, clean cloth. Ensure it is damp (not soaking wet) and wipe in downward strokes, rather than circular motions.

  • Avoid bleach-based products or steel wool.

Shop our range of lacquer furniture

  • We suggest not placing your furniture next to radiators, air conditioning units or stoves to avoid the wood moving and warping.

  • To prevent damage and unwanted markings, keep your table dry; instead use placemats and coasters.

  • The colour of your wood furniture will mature as it is exposed to daylight, with the biggest change in colour occuring at the beginning of your furniture's life. We recommend leaving the larger wooden surface uncovered for the first few months to avoid darkened areas on the wood.

  • Be prepared for regular touchpoints to change colour faster than the rest of your furniture item, e.g. handles and the arms of chairs, due to natural oils in the skin.

  • Never drag or push furniture, as it can cause undue stress on the joints.

General timber care

How to care for different wood finishes in the home

Cleaning

  • For daily cleaning, wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth. Buff with a dry, lint-free cloth to remove any moisture.

  • Avoid furniture sprays that contain silicon and always wipe in the direction of the grain. Clean up any spillages immediately with a damp cloth.

  • Do not clean with abrasive or aggressive products, acidic detergents, bleach, or abrasive paper or steel wool.

  • If your furniture becomes scratched, stained or chipped, or suffers other damage, we recommend professional help to restore it.

Caring for oil finishes

  • Our oiled wood finishes, such as those used on ourCalneandMatis ranges, require a different method of cleaning.

  • Oil your table three to four times a year or when needed.

  • If you're uncertain of when to use oil, put a drop of water on the table top. If it penetrates the surface within a couple of minutes, it's time to oil your table.

  • Always sand the table and apply the oil in the direction of the grain. Use a fine-grain sanding sponge and dry lint-free cloth to apply the oil. Dry the table with another cloth within 15 to 20 minutes to remove any excess oil. ATTENTION: If you use linseed oil, do not throw the cloth in the bin, as it can self-ignite. Instead, soak it in water before throwing it away.

  • Oiled tables with pigment, such as blonde oil, white oil, grey oil, black-brown oil or smoked oil, should be oiled in the direction of the grain and by pouring oil onto the cloth rather than the table top. You should dry the table within a few minutes of oiling it in the direction of the grain. The longer you wait, the more pigment will penetrate the wood.

  • In case the surface becomes rough or any stains or watermarks need to be removed, use a fine-grade sandpaper (grade 240-320) and sand slightly in the direction of the grain. Re-oil as instructed above.

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