Wood: a humble word with an extraordinary history. It is somewhat awe-inspiring to consider how much wood is part of our day to day lives. Take a look around you. From chairs to tables, from cabinets to blinds, from jewellery to shoes, from homes to gardens; the versatility of wood is breathtaking. The relationship between wood and man is intrinsically linked. Wood is fuel, fashion, furniture, and, evidently, our future.

Yet, how much do we really know about wood? It is one of the most ubiquitous materials available, and one of the most mysterious.

Kenny Wulffsberg, co-owner of Mario and Son, has been working with wood for more than 25 years. The carpenter, who hails from Denmark, loved the creativity and craft inherent in this material from an early age.

“Since I was a little boy, I always liked to go into the forest and cut down branches, and make things,” Kenny says with a laugh.

Nowadays, Kenny creates beautiful, customised pieces for the home and office, ranging from cabinetry to furniture. He has not lost his love for the craft, which he describes as “a very creative job”.

When it comes to constructing his unique works of art, Kenny says different woods serve different purposes, depending on their individual characteristics. For interiors, he prefers to work with maple, a light medium-to-hard wood with a fine grain.

For exterior use, Kenny loves using teak, a tropical dark wood largely found in South and South-East Asia, although he admits that due to its exorbitant price tag, teak is not regularly chosen by clients.

Kenny has also seen a rising demand in ipe, a wood from Central and South America that has grown in popularity in Cayman. The durability of ipe has meant it is commonly used in outdoor decking and furniture.

“I love to work with teak, but it’s so expensive,” he says. “Ipe is a beautiful wood and we’re using it a lot in exteriors. Teak is actually a nicer wood, but it is triple the price.”

Much of the appeal of wood lies in the durability and diversity of the product. Wood can be used inside and out, in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, wine cellars, offices; in fixtures, furniture and accessories.

In traditional woodworking, the most popular types of wood are oak, walnut, maple, mahogany and pine. This has changed in recent years as more woods have come on to the market. The focus on eco-conscious materials has also had an impact on the types of woods available, as many customers are now searching for products that are sustainably grown and friendly to the environment.

Randy Stafford, owner of Stafford Flooring, has seen this rise in new woods and believes it is having a positive impact on the market, as there are more options available to consumers.

“There are so many varied species of wood becoming available,” explains Randy, who began his business nearly 25 years ago in his native Bermuda. “[In flooring] it used to be just oak, pine, cherry and walnut, but there is wood from all over the world.”

Randy believes that where customers once choose a standard wood floor that would last for a lifetime, now wood floors have become “an experience”.

“Wood floors are usually driving the look of the home,” Randy says. “There are many different styles and custom finishes coming on to the market. There is wood that looks like tile, which is strong and just clips together. There is wood that looks like leather, which is more resilient than normal leather.

“Wood floors are not taking a back seat to the rest of the room anymore.”

Randy, a hardwood floor inspector, loves the uniqueness of working with wood, as no two pieces are ever the same.

“Each piece of wood is different, which can be a challenge,” Randy says. “As wood is a natural product, no two pieces are the same. But some people come and see a wood sample and find one they like. Then when I turn up with the wood, they don’t know why the colour is so different. That’s why we try to use as big a wood sample a possible.”

Randy has noticed that respective clients are now more aware of where the wood is sourced from, and are asking for wood that has been grown sustainably in regulated forests. Both Kenny and Randy only use wood from suppliers that belong to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an independent organisation established to promote responsible management of the world’s forests.

“With so much information available, people can now do their research and become much more aware of what they put into their homes,” Randy says. “I use FSC woods, which have a very stringent standard managing the replenishment of the forests. I find a lot of people ask for bamboo now, but there are lots of other sustainable products on the market.”

Tara Parker, owner of Beyond the Horizon, has also noticed the increasing demand for eco-conscious wood. As a result, she primarily stocks Sheesham, a fast-growing, richly-hued hardwood native to India. Tara says the Sheesham forests are monitored by government bodies, ensuring immature trees are not cut down and deforestation is not carried out. Sheesham is then handcrafted into stunning furnishings, by skilled craftsmen in Rajasthan, one of India’s most impoverished regions.

“Sheesham wood is all from renewable sources,” explains Tara, who has travelled to India to visit the furniture suppliers. “[The furniture] is all handmade. It’s not mass produced. And I only work with Fair Trade manufacturers, because they ensure that the artisans are taken care of and everything is above board.

“Sustainability has become the big buzz word,” Tara admits. “But it is the only way to help reduce poverty throughout the world.”

Tara now provides information to her customers on the origins of each piece of furniture, including where the wood was sourced from and how many craftsmen worked on the project. This level of education helps customers to discern between the quality and background of different woods, and guarantees that their money is helping both the craftsmen and the environment.

For Tara, the beauty of wood furniture lies in its timelessness.

“Wood furniture never goes out of style,” she says. “If you buy the right piece, and take care of it, it won’t lose its value. It will last a lifetime.”

Kenny agrees, saying that when it comes to wood, the options are endless.

“(Mario and Son Woodwork) create mostly cabinets, but we also do doors, gazebos, garden features, closets, anything made from wood,” Kenny says. “There is always something new and always new things to learn. It’s never exactly the same.”

Thousands of years after its discovery, wood remains the backbone of our developed civilisation. In versatility and durability, wood cannot be matched. Despite technological advances, society continues to depend on this relationship with wood. The secret life of wood has been revealed, yet so much still remains unknown about this ubiquitous material. As we move into the future, the only hope is that our appetite for this natural wonder can be satisfied.   

When it comes to constructing his unique works of art, Kenny says different woods serve different purposes, depending on their individual characteristics. 

Randy, a hardwood floor inspector, loves the uniqueness of working with wood, as no two pieces are ever the same