A lot of Danish Modern Furniture is wood. The vintage Danish modern furniture is often a pale wood rather than a dark wood. Frequently these are woods that are native to the area of Scandinavia, where Danish modern comes from, although some of the woods are imported.
- Teak: This wood is perhaps the quintessential Danish modern material. It is a medium tone, not the pale of pine, but a dark honey color. The grain is straight and long. Teak is often stained to a darker, almost oak tone, or bleached to a pale sand. It is so durable that teak is often used for outdoor furniture as well.
- Ash: Ash is pliable and is used whenever a “bentwood” technique is called for in the creation of furniture. Steam is applied to ash to create beautiful curves. The grains are deep.
- Pine: This is less expensive than teak. Some pine furniture is beautiful, but some looks cheap. The song title “Norwegian Wood” is meant to subtly mock Danish pine. Pine is generally pale although sometimes it is darker. “Knotty pine” is so-called because the wood grain often has knots.
- Beech: Beech wood is often as pale or more pale than pine, with a hint of gold. The grain is light and even and not prone to knots. It is smooth and stylish.