Trend Watch: Burl Wood
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What is burl wood?
“It’s commonly called burl in the US and burr in the UK. To identify it in the simplest terms, it’s the big knobby growths on tree trunks and branches. It comes from a tree that is stressed from an illness or infestation which causes the grain to grow around a foreign object and form burls. This growth creates beautiful grain patterns which can be used to make sheets of thin slices of wood called veneer.” – Julia Ransom & Johanna Dunn, co-founders of Ransom & Dunn
Can burls occur in different types of trees?
“Burls can form on any type of tree, most commonly walnut, cherry, oak, maple and redwood. When it is harvested, the process of creating something beautiful from something that has been stressed begins.” – Daisy Brown, Six The Residence
What is the most common type of burl?
“Ash burl wood, which is found at the base or trunk of the tree, rather than underground. It has a more modern and cleaner feel as it's paler or ashier in colour – which is why it’s so popular right now.” – Julia & Johanna
Can you explain its popularity a bit more?
“Burl wood's increasing popularity is easily attributed to its rarity. Current trends indicate people are favouring furniture that exudes warmth and colour, with a preference for tactile pieces that are inspired by nature. This shift involves a move away from synthetic materials towards natural, earthy materials like wood and marble, and a move towards more rustic design trends. Burl wood represents a natural evolution in response to this change, as it offers a natural yet still luxurious aesthetic.” – Daisy
“Burl wood emerged in the early 1900s, became popular in the 20s and 30s Deco era, and reached a peak in the 60s and 70s. It's recently seen a rise in popularity and is quite on trend again; there are many materials from the 1960s and 70s that are resurfacing and reinventing themselves right now, such as stainless steel, which is probably not a coincidence.” – Julia & Johanna
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What does it add to a piece of furniture that standard grained wood doesn’t?
“First, it exudes luxury due to its rarity. It adds dimension and an intriguing marble-like appearance due to the intricacy of the naturally occurring knots within the wood. Additionally, burl wood can come with a rich array of colours, including deep browns, golden ambers and pale shades. These contrasting colours make it ideal for use on clean and simple pieces, as the complexity of the wood itself becomes the key design element.” – Daisy
You mentioned it was popular in the 1970s – does it still have that retro vibe?
“Definitely, the vibe is very 70s – even though it was originally integrated into many Art Deco designs back in the 1920s and was long associated with Hollywood glamour. But the furniture designs from the 70s are more reminiscent of what we see today.” – Daisy
“It certainly has a retro feel to it, but today’s pieces are less busy and not as honey hued. They are paler and the veneer is being used on furniture shapes that are cleaner and more contemporary.” – Julia & Johanna
What do you love most about it?
“Its innate ability to evoke that feeling of luxury. I love that, beyond furniture, it’s also used in timeless spaces to give them a sense of opulence. From first-class airline cabins to the dashboards of classic cars, burl wood always exudes a sense of glamour. Its enduring presence in design throughout the last century and its continued relevance today affirm its status as a timeless material. To me, it feels like the ‘new neutral’, a material that will fit into a wide range of designer schemes and existing home décor.” – Daisy
“It has a marble-like appearance and, just like natural stone, no two burl patterns are alike. We personally find burl wood blends well with traditional and modern aesthetics. We love a small selection of burl wood in a home but would not recommend going overboard as it's highly patterned and should be used only as an accent statement.” – Julia & Johanna
Visit SixTheResidence.co.uk & RansomAndDunn.com for more information
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