A prie-dieu with drawers

Walnut

Walnut wood comes from the plant whose botanical name is juglans regia , probably originally from the East but very common in Europe. Light or dark brown in color, it is a hard wood with a beautiful grain, widely used in antique furniture. It was the main essence in Italy throughout the Renaissance and later had a good diffusion in Europe, especially in England, until the advent of mahogany. It was used for solid wood furniture and sometimes carvings and inlays, its only big limitation is that it suffers a lot from woodworm. In France it was widely used more than anything else in the provinces. In the second half of the eighteenth century its use decreased significantly because mahogany and other exotic woods were preferred.

Olive

Extracted from the plant called olea europaea which lives in all the Mediterranean lands, it is a hard and compact wood. It has a characteristic light color, greenish yellow, with particular dark veins. It is widely used in cabinet making both as a solid wood for entire furniture, and for inlays, veneers and decorations. As it is very hard, it is also suitable for round work and for the manufacture of small objects.