Materials & Finishes
Built for Longevity
Union Wood Co. specifies quality North American materials selected for structural integrity, stability, and long-term performance in shared environments. Recycled and FSC-certified materials support responsible sourcing requirements.
Materials are sourced through trusted domestic suppliers and evaluated for durability and finish compatibility in commercial applications.
Material samples are available to support specification and finish coordination prior to production.
See our FSC Hardwood Finishes
Natural Ash
Ash is a lightweight yet highly durable wood—a great choice for heavily-used furniture. The finish enhances its distinct blonde patterns. Ash’s light, airy colouring has a casual & contemporary feel, which perfectly suits a Scandinavian aesthetic.
Blackened Ash
This finish elevates ash to a bold, contemporary material. Though the stain is jet black, it offers subtle warmth highlighting the wood's characteristic grain. Not to be confused with black ash wood, which isn’t as strong as white ash.
Natural Oak
Oak is prized in fine furniture making for its durability, strength, and beautiful grain pattern. There are many types of oak in North America—we tend to use white oak for its versatile, soft colouring and effectiveness in taking stain colours.
Pale Oak
Pale oak features the characteristics of the natural and whitewashed finishes. The closest of the three to unfinshed oak, both warm and cool can be seen in the wood grain. With oak's durability and versatility, it has longevity in style and resilience.
Whitewashed Oak
Finishing hard-wearing oak with a subtle whitewash brings out some of the wood's natural cooler tones. It gives the wood's varying grain pattern and character a fresh look. This muted look works with a variety of decor styles.
Natural Walnut
Walnut offers strength, stability, and rich colour. Its excellent shock resistance makes walnut ideal for heavily-used furniture. We use a natural finish that enhances the deep chocolate heartwood. The lighter-coloured sapwood is also available.
See our Metal Finishes
Standard Powder
Powder coating is a hard, protective coating applied to steel. The process produces a long-lasting, durable, and attractive finish that’s tougher than paint and guards from corrosion. Our Standard finishes are Matte black & Semi-gloss Black
Natural Aluminum
Our natural matte aluminum finish carries a soft, understated sheen that reveals the character of the material without distraction. The result is a clean, contemporary presence that complements both interior and exterior applications.
Custom Powder
Powder coating is a hard, protective coating applied to steel. The process produces a long-lasting, durable, and attractive finish that’s tougher than paint and guards from corrosion. There are dozens of personalized colour options available. Please contact us about other colours.
See our Thermally Modified Timber Finishes
Thermory Treated Timbers
Thermory® thermally modified wood is engineered for long-term outdoor performance. Through a controlled heat treatment process, the wood’s cellular structure is altered to reduce moisture absorption and increase dimensional stability. The result is a highly durable, rot-resistant material that performs reliably in exterior and exposed environments.
Thermory Treated Timbers
Its refined grain and rich tone provide the warmth of natural wood with improved resistance to weather, movement, and decay. A penetrating oil finish enhances the material’s depth while sealing the surface to protect against moisture and environmental wear. Designed for long-term performance in commercial outdoor environments.
Forest Stewardship
We are committed to making better choices to reduce our environmental footprint and show our gratitude to the raw materials we work with everyday.
That’s why we’ve partnered with Blue Green Planet Partners, a nature-based sustainability service company focused on restoring forests across Canada.
Your purchase of Union Wood Co furniture directly supports reforesting areas affected by climate change and human activity.
Our work is rooted in solid materials and thoughtful construction, refined for shared and commercial environments.
Natural Wood Samples
Need a closer look at a natural wood sample for your furniture purchase? We've got you covered!
As an independent furniture studio, we take as much pride in our choice of materials and finishes as we do in our workmanship.
We work primarily with solid North American lumber, the finest and most durable wood on the planet. The timber used in our workshop is sustainably sourced to allow for a long future of woodwork for generations to come.
After years of testing solid woods, we've curated a series of finishes on our preferred species of wood. Every board of natural wood has differing grain patterns and character making each piece completely unique. Our stains and finishes aid in creating an even tone throughout the wood.
Our woodwork is sealed with a commercial-grade final coat of clear protective finish, unless otherwise specified.
Wood samples are 4" x 4" and 1/4" thick. Our tambour sample is unfinished to show the variation in wood and the material's profile.
Order one (or a few) to help confirm if the finish suits your space. The cost will be deducted from your final order total.
Materials matter. Finishes define the detail.
Once you’ve reviewed material and finish options, explore the collection to see available configurations.