How natural wood ages

Solid wood is a natural material, and it keeps responding to light, air and use for as long as you own it.

Light changes colour. Oak and ash usually warm towards amber. Walnut tends to lighten. The change is fastest in the first months and then slows. Moving objects around on a surface now and then helps it age evenly.

Wood also moves with humidity. Boards expand slightly in humid weather and shrink in dry, air-conditioned rooms. Good furniture is designed to allow for this, with tops fixed so they can move rather than crack.

Finally, use leaves its own record: softened edges, a polished patch where hands rest. On solid timber these marks can be sanded and re-oiled, which is one of the main reasons solid furniture can last for generations.