The Woods We Choose
At Nkara, every piece of furniture begins with a decision about wood. It is the most important choice we make — because the timber determines not just how a piece looks, but how it feels, how it ages, and how long it lasts.
We work with six primary timbers: oak, kiaat, SA pine ,Ash wood ,South African blackwood, and reclaimed Oregon pine. Each has a distinct character, a distinct history, and a distinct story to tell. Here is what you need to know about each one — and how to decide which is right for you.
01 — Oak
The Timeless Classic
Oak is one of the most recognised and respected furniture timbers in the world. Prized across centuries of European craftsmanship, it has earned its reputation the honest way — through centuries of proven performance in homes, cathedrals, and workshops across the globe.
The oak we work with is a dense, hard, and exceptionally stable hardwood. Its grain is one of the most distinctive in furniture-making — a tight, straight pattern punctuated by characteristic medullary rays that catch the light and shift with the angle of the eye. No two pieces of oak ever look exactly the same.
Character & Appearance
Oak has a warm, pale to medium-brown tone that deepens beautifully with age and light exposure. Finished with an oil like Rubio Monocoat, it develops a rich, living patina over the years — getting better the longer it's used. The grain is confident without being distracting, making it equally at home in a minimal contemporary interior and a warm, traditional one.
Durability
Oak is one of the hardest and most durable timbers we use. It resists denting, scratching, and the wear of daily life with exceptional composure. A well-made oak piece is genuinely generational — built to be handed down, not replaced.
Best For
Dining tables, desks, bookshelves, and bedroom furniture. Any piece that needs to hold up to daily use while aging with grace.
At a Glance
Hardness: Very Hard
Tone: Warm pale-to-medium brown
Grain: Straight with distinctive medullary rays
Ageing: Deepens and enriches with time
Best Use: Dining tables, desks, bedroom furniture
02 — Kiaat
Africa's Own
If oak belongs to Europe, kiaat belongs to Africa. Known internationally as African Teak — though it is not a true teak — kiaat is native to the woodlands of southern and central Africa, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and Mozambique. It is one of the few timbers that carries the African continent in its grain.
Kiaat has been used by African craftspeople for centuries, and once you work with it, it is easy to understand why. It is generous with its beauty — warm, richly figured, and immediately striking.
Character & Appearance
Kiaat has a warm golden-brown to reddish-brown colour with a natural lustre that seems to glow from within. Its grain is often interlocked or wavy, producing a figuring effect — subtle ribbons and shifting patterns of light and dark — that makes each piece entirely unique. It can look almost carved by nature before a tool has touched it.
Durability
Kiaat is a medium-to-hard timber with excellent natural resistance to moisture and decay. It is stable, works well, and holds its finish beautifully over time. It is naturally oily, which adds to both its durability and its distinctive warmth of feel.
Best For
Console tables, coffee tables, dining tables, and statement pieces where you want the wood itself to be part of the conversation. Kiaat suits interiors that celebrate natural warmth — earthy, organic, African-inspired spaces.
At a Glance
Hardness: Medium-Hard
Tone: Warm golden-brown to reddish-brown
Grain: Often interlocked with natural figuring
Ageing: Develops a rich, lustrous patina
Best Use: Console tables, coffee tables, statement pieces
03 — South African Blackwood
The Rarest in Our Workshop
South African Blackwood — Dalbergia melanoxylon — is one of the most prized timbers on the African continent. It is closely related to African Blackwood, long considered among the finest tonewoods in the world, used in the making of clarinets, oboes, and high-end acoustic instruments. As a furniture timber, it is rare, distinctive, and extraordinary.
We work with South African Blackwood sparingly and intentionally. It is not a timber we use for every piece — but when a client wants something genuinely exceptional, it is our first recommendation.
Character & Appearance
Blackwood lives up to its name. The heartwood ranges from deep dark brown to near-black, often streaked with subtle brown and purple undertones that reveal themselves in different light. The grain is typically straight and fine, with a natural high lustre even before finishing. Against metal accents — particularly raw steel or brushed brass — it is visually extraordinary.
Durability
Blackwood is extremely hard and dense — one of the hardest timbers we work with. It is resistant to wear, scratching, and moisture. Because of its density, it requires careful, skilled workmanship, which is part of why it remains rare in furniture. At Nkara, it is worked entirely by hand.
Best For
Accent pieces, bedside tables, console tables, and feature furniture where darkness and drama are the intention. Blackwood works particularly well in modern and industrial interiors, and alongside the metal accents we often incorporate into our designs.
At a Glance
Hardness: Very Hard (among our densest timbers)
Tone: Deep dark brown to near-black with purple undertones
Grain: Fine and straight with natural high lustre
Ageing: Stable; retains its depth and drama over time
Best Use: Accent furniture, bedside tables, dramatic statement pieces
04 — Reclaimed Oregon Pine
A Century of South African History
Reclaimed Oregon pine is, in many ways, the most South African timber we use — even though it originated in the forests of North America.
In the early 1900s, Oregon pine — technically Douglas-Fir — was imported in vast quantities from Canada and North America to help build South Africa's growing cities. Cape Town's Victorian homes, Johannesburg's Edwardian terraces: thousands of houses were built with Oregon pine underfoot and overhead. It became the backbone of an era.
When those buildings are eventually renovated or demolished, the salvaged timber is something remarkable. It has been drying and hardening naturally for 80, 100, sometimes 120 years. What we reclaim is not raw wood — it is seasoned history.
Character & Appearance
Reclaimed Oregon pine has a warm amber-to-honey tone that no stain can replicate — it is earned through time. The grain is tight and even, a result of the slow growth of the Pacific Northwest forests where these trees originally grew. And then there are the marks: small nail holes, saw traces, the occasional patina of a century of footsteps. These are not imperfections. They are the proof of provenance.
Durability
Because of its age, reclaimed Oregon pine is denser and harder than freshly milled timber. The resin has long since set. The wood is dimensionally stable in a way only decades can produce. It resists marking and wear with quiet confidence.
Sustainability
Reclaimed Oregon pine is one of the most sustainable choices in our workshop. The wood has already lived one full life inside a building. By giving it a second life as furniture, we extend its story — no new forests are felled, no additional carbon is spent in production. The environmental cost was paid a century ago.
Best For
Dining tables, server units, shelving, and rustic or industrial pieces where warmth and character matter as much as clean lines. Reclaimed Oregon pine suits homes that value story alongside style.
At a Glance
Hardness: Medium-Hard (aged and densified)
Tone: Warm amber to honey, deepening with age
Grain: Tight and even; naturally marked by history
Ageing: Already well-aged; continues to warm over time
Sustainability: Fully reclaimed — a second life for heritage timber
Best Use: Dining tables, shelving, server units, rustic/character pieces
05 — SA Pine
The Everyday Workhorse
SA Pine is the most widely used timber in South Africa — and that familiarity can sometimes cause it to be underestimated. In the right hands, however, SA Pine is a genuinely versatile and beautiful material. At Nkara, we respect it for exactly what it is: an honest, affordable, workable timber that serves its purpose with quiet reliability.
SA Pine is a collective name for several plantation-grown pine species — primarily Pinus patula, Pinus elliottii, and Pinus pinaster — that have been commercially farmed in South Africa for over 100 years. It is not indigenous, but it is deeply embedded in the South African landscape and timber trade. Sustainably managed plantations supply the bulk of the country's structural and furniture-grade timber, making SA Pine one of the most responsibly sourced woods we work with.
Character & Appearance
SA Pine has a pale, creamy-white to light yellow tone with a characteristic straight grain and the occasional knot that gives it personality. It is a softwood — lighter and less dense than oak or kiaat — with a natural warmth that suits casual, relaxed interiors particularly well. One of its great advantages is how beautifully it takes stain: it can be finished to resemble richer, darker timbers, giving it remarkable versatility for budget-conscious projects without sacrificing visual appeal.
Durability
As a softwood, SA Pine is more susceptible to denting and scratching than our harder timbers. It is best suited to pieces that won't face heavy daily abuse — shelving, bedroom furniture, accent pieces, and children's furniture where character marks over time are part of the charm rather than a problem. Properly finished and cared for, SA Pine furniture lasts many years with grace.
Best For
Shelving, bedroom furniture, children's rooms, and any project where budget matters but solid wood quality is still the goal. SA Pine is also a strong choice when a lighter, painted or stained finish is desired.
At a Glance
Hardness: Soft (most approachable of our timbers)
Tone: Pale creamy-white to light yellow
Grain: Straight with natural knots
Stainability: Excellent — takes colour beautifully
Sustainability: Plantation-grown and responsibly sourced
Best Use: Shelving, bedroom furniture, painted or stained pieces
06 — Ashwood
Strength Wrapped in Light
Ashwood occupies a unique position in the furniture world — it has the hardness and durability of oak, the lightness and brightness of a pale timber, and a grain character that is entirely its own. It is one of the most underappreciated woods in South African furniture, and one of our favourites to work with.
The ash we use at Nkara is American Ash (Fraxinus americana), imported through local timber merchants and sourced from responsibly managed forests in North America. It is closely related to European Ash, and shares the same combination of strength, flexibility, and visual refinement that has made ash a favourite of craftspeople for centuries — from Viking longships to English cricket bats to fine contemporary furniture.
Character & Appearance
Ashwood has a pale, creamy to light brown heartwood with a subtle greyish or yellowish undertone that gives it a fresh, contemporary feel. Its grain is typically straight and open, with a coarse but uniform texture — often compared to oak, but lighter and cleaner in tone. It is one of the few timbers that holds its grain and texture beautifully even after staining, meaning it can be finished to resemble darker woods like walnut or blackwood while still carrying its own distinctive character.
Durability
Ash is harder and tougher than it looks. It has outstanding shock resistance — it is the timber used for tool handles, sports equipment, and load-bearing joinery precisely because it absorbs impact without splitting. In furniture, this translates to excellent resistance to the wear and stress of daily use. It machines, glues, and finishes beautifully, making it a pleasure to work with at every stage of the build.
Best For
Dining tables, desks, benches, and any piece where you want a lighter, more contemporary aesthetic without sacrificing hardness or longevity. Ash works especially well in Scandinavian-inspired and modern minimalist interiors, and pairs beautifully with the metal accents we frequently incorporate into Nkara designs.
At a Glance
Hardness: Hard (comparable to oak)
Tone: Pale creamy-white to light brown with grey/yellow undertones
Grain: Straight and open; coarse but uniform
Stainability: Exceptional — holds grain even after staining
Best Use: Dining tables, desks, benches, contemporary pieces
Which Wood Is Right for You?
Every timber we use is exceptional — the choice comes down to the feeling you want in your home and the life you expect your furniture to live.
Choose oak if you want timeless versatility, exceptional hardness, and a piece that ages with quiet confidence.
Choose kiaat if you want warmth, natural figuring, and a timber that carries Africa in its grain.
Choose blackwood if you want drama, density, and a piece that commands a room.
Choose reclaimed Oregon pine if you want warmth, character, history, and a piece that carries a story.
Choose SA pine if you want solid wood quality, staining versatility, and honest value without compromise.
Choose ashwood if you want a light, contemporary aesthetic with the toughness and durability of a true hardwood.
Not sure? That's exactly what a custom order conversation is for. We'll walk you through the options, show you samples, and help you find the timber that belongs in your home.
Ready to Build Something Worth Keeping?
Start a custom order conversation with us — no obligation, no pressure. Just wood, craft, and your home.