Wood / Wooden Gifts & Home Decor

VanEss Expressions is all about Wood. Solid wood – no laminates, plywood, wood products, or wood veneers. The majority of our wood/wooden gifts and home decor items are made from domestic hardwoods like Oak, Walnut, Ash, Maple, Cherry and Hickory; or a combination of different types of wood (multi-wood). We also use some more exotic woods, typically as accents.

We also like wood natural (without stain or wood dyes), though we do have a variety of wood stains and dyes available for custom orders. Each type of wood has its own unique characteristics and natural coloration. By combining different types of wood you can achieve wonderful natural color patterns. Combining contrasting woods like Walnut and Ash, these patterns can be quite dramatic. Combining more similar types of wood like Oak and Maple these color patterns are more subtle.

The individual descriptions shown for the gifts and decor items listed in our On-Line Store identify the specific type of wood(s) used to create the piece. When we say an item is ‘Hickory’, it is made of solid Hickory. When we say an item is made of ‘Ash with a cherry stain’, the item is made of solid Ash and a cherry stain was applied. This may seem obvious, but it is amazing how often this is misrepresented.

Some websites just refer to their items as wood or wooden – but never specify what kind of wood. Some of these ‘woods’ are actually more of a thick cardboard, pressed or scrap-wood product with a laminate applied. They look good now, but over time (and sometimes relatively quickly) the laminate begins to wear through, bubble or peel. Some websites identify an item as (example) ‘Rosewood’, but then in the write-up you see that it is only a rosewood finish – a rosewood stain applied to ??? I’ve seen several websites referring to Blond Wood – referencing it more as the type of wood rather than just the lighter color. I have yet to figure out what blond wood is.

When you are looking for wood / wooden gifts, home decor or furniture items – make sure they are really made of wood, and the wood that it is represented to be, or you might find yourself quite disappointed a couple years down the road.