Mother Nature is well known for providing humans with some of the greatest resources all at our disposal. Chief among which are all the renewable sources of energy like wind and wave power that are slowly becoming more widely used, as our old friends oil, coal and gas fade into the pages of history. You could almost liken the three big players of the energy world to the furniture making trade, in the sense that hard woods and soft woods are like coal and oil. We all like and want hard wood, solid oak tables etc, as it’s a sign of quality and us Brit’s like our quality products. Just look at any Rolls Royce or Bentley, most of which have half of the Brazilian rain forest nailed to the dashboards. This is all very well but the way in which oak trees and the like grow, they take hundreds of years and this causes problems, such as the prices paid for the wood. It would be nice if we could plant all the old Rolls Royces and hope that the tonne of oak on the dash will grow back into a new tree, but it’s a pipe dream.
So what about wood veneers? Would veneers are essentially strips or slithers of wood glued onto a pre-made backing. Generally between 0-3mm in depth, not only are veneers real wood, but they are more sustainable, cheaper to produce larger quantities and just as appealing. Veneers can also be shaped into a massive variety of articulate shapes for tables and cabinets. Even in the new Bentley Mulsanne, the exquisite craftsman can now engineer superbly detailed veneers into the wood work. The picture demonstrates what can be done with wood veneers in the brand new Mulsanne. The beautifully curved strips in the traditional ship decking for the passenger centre console. Bentley pen also veneered comes standard.
Choosing veneers for a kitchen or piece of furniture is a quicker and easier way of producing a quality product without losing the looks of a solid oak unit. With the great ease of use, veneers are known for it and makes a much more practical choice when building a product or integrating into a product such as the Bentley. There is also a wide range of veneers on offer, so you can have anything you want from European hard woods to exotic far eastern woods. It is true, luxury does come at a price but you can still enjoy every aspect of a luxury product knowing that no oak trees had to lay down their lives for it, just a few slithers.
Stephen Graver Kitchens 