All wood is my weakness

I love creating furniture with this “queen” of wood, which is characterized by its lovely smell, intricate grain and colorful tones ranging from yellow to red. Its texture is very workable, and any finished material will surely be an eye-catcher.

Some refer to it as rosewood, and I do not mind, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

This is the first hardwood that I fell in love with, as it is very weather resistant and can surely stand up to my fickle-mindedness when I stain, strip, stain again and strip again.

This is very much a local wood, and is often referred to as local mahogany. But do not be fooled because this is as strong, heavy and tough as narra.

I have known this legendary wood for a long time, but it was my visit in Baguio that made me realize how much I am awed by its uniqueness and elegant beauty.

With kamagong or ebony, what you see is what you get, it is never pretentious in its dark splendor, and sometimes layering itself with streaks of whites and browns. It is certainly bewitching, and will not shy away from showing its tantrum from time to time, breaking up and ever teasing you with what is inside.

Now, molave is another story. This is like a clean crisp canvas, very smooth and exquisitely stunning. This wood is not afraid of hard work, and that is why I believe that it is the best hardwood for your most abused furniture.

It was a no-brainer that its name became mine too, because it is truly Filipino, and so unassuming in its simplicity, reliability and inner strength.

Another species of local mahogany, tanguile is easily a wood of choice for most furniture because of its abundance and resilience.

It is like a friend we all want to keep, easy to be with and never demanding too much attention.