Wood made from Tulips, you must be joking !

Good morning, my faithful blogworms, my title says "you must be joking", actually that's part true, let me explain.

This week is all about the Tulipwood tree

More correctly known as Linodendron Tulipifera

Tulipwood is a very sustainable hardwood that's been grown in managed forests in the USA for decades and is a stable, easy to work and tremendously durable timber. Given it's name as the flowers of the tree do strongly resemble tulips.

It is essentially a pale hardwood that can have subtle streaks of reds, yellows, greens and even the odd bit of purple tinting its grain.

Depending on where it's grown, can influence the strength of colours you find and generally the closer to the heartwood you get, the paler the timber.

In the States it's commonly used for:

Sidings for houses

Interior joinery and furniture

Guitar bodies

And with it's resistance to termites, used for barns and barn doors, outdoor seating & benches and even coffins !

It's so workable and durable, you can even build cars out it !! see pic below

Note the number plate ! ... that car's in the UK somewhere and I really, really want one !!!

We do use Tulipwood over here in Britain but it's under-used and under-publicised and when we do use it, it's usually as a painted kitchen which is a massive shame.The timber in it's natural state is absolutely gorgeous. 

With it's characteristics, it's sustainability and the fact that it's a hardwood comparable in use to Oak but at about a third less cost, we feel we really need to bang the drum for Tulipwood and get people more interested in it's use for kitchens.

We are certainly going to be doing our bit to raise it's awareness throughout 2014 and we have sample doors made right now for anyone to come in and have a look at. 

Wood made from Tulips ! .... No, but it does look as fabulous as a field of tulips in springtime and as springtime is right around the corner, now would be a good time to give it a coat of looking at !!

Jules.