Materials for Design

European Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

By beech I mean European beech, a plain, creamy brown wood sprinkled with an even distribution of fine flecks, as opposed to American beech, which has bolder pattern and more reddish colouring. Whichever beech you look at, it’s never been considered a flashy timber – it doesn’t overflow with the rich surfaces of tropical timbers or the tiger-like markings of Douglas fir. Although the actual tree is majestic, beech timber is a practical wood that has very good uniform density, a quality that allows it to be easily shaped and which has resulted in it being the workhorse of wooden products and utility furniture.

Beech is a valuable wood and is one of the most widely used in the UK. It is used for many things, from ...