What is real wood veneer?

As you might expect from its name, real wood wall panelling is indeed made from actual timber!

Unlike solid timber, wood veneer is a very thin sheet or layer of a superior or decorative grained wood. Frequently used in furniture production, the veneer is bonded to a lesser grade substrate such as plywood, or supplied unbonded for use as a feature inlay or for marquetry.

Harvested from the trunk of the tree, each veneer sheet consists of a thinly sliced piece of timber, cut from the length of the wood to maximise the surface area of each veneer. However, some veneers are cut from a cross section of the trunk to create circular discs, which clearly define the trees’ growth rings.

It’s somewhat understandable why some people perceive wood veneer as ‘second best’ to solid timber, or that it isn’t really made from real wood, especially when some of the veneers available are so different, eye-catching and occasionally rare!

Specialist suppliers including The Wood Veneer Hub source premium grade veneers from around the world, only choosing species that have been responsibly harvested. Frequently the selected trees have been cut down to make way for many more trees to grow, to ensure that the trees will thrive in the long term.

Due to the unique way that every tree grows, no two pieces of veneer will ever be truly identical. Each sequential veneer sheet is likely to appear almost identical to the previous cut, making it ideal for use in cabinetry, and especially when multiple doors or drawers are required.

In fact, unlike solid timber, wood veneer has many positive properties and benefits including ‘book-matching’. This term refers to the appearance of the continuation of the woodgrain across adjacent doors and drawers, made only possible by the use of wood veneer. 

At The Wood Veneer Hub, we hold an extensive library of stocked veneers. This ultimately means that we are recognised as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of real timber veneer, and the ‘go-to’ place for matching up veneers that have been damaged.

Much like raw timber, it will be necessary to apply an oil, wax or varnish to the unbonded wooden veneer surface, allowing you to choose or customise your desired veneer finish. However, not all the wood veneer products that we supply need further maintenance or treatments.

As well as being supplied unmounted, The Wood Veneer Hub also offers paper backed veneers. Finished with a resin, these types of veneer are both flexible and designed for ease of use, making them ideal for someone who has less experience in the use of real wood veneer.

‘Lusso’ is one of the latest additions to our portfolio of wood veneer products. Designed in the UK and manufactured in Italy, each Lusso finish has been carefully selected by our in-house designers, along with leading architects and designers to meet with the latest interior trends.

Real wood veneer is also used on many of our wall paneling ranges too!

TimberStik is an easy to apply wall paneling, as each plank is supplied with a pre-adhesive tape, making it the perfect choice for any novice DIYer looking to update a room in their home! 

Ever popular Slatpanel is made from veneer strips, carefully applied to a felt like backing.

Unlike some veneers that are bonded to a base and used in furniture production, each Slatpanel has a distinctive three dimensional appearance, whilst offering acoustic sound insulation properties.