European Fumed Oak: Getting this Antique Look with Reclaimed Wood

Anthology Woods offer the “smoked” and “fumed” wood look without the chemicals

Fletcher Oak gives an antique “fumed “ look with a light tan/gray color and white cerused grain patterning.

Deep gray tones give Zan Grey Oak finish a unique and sophisticated look for flooring or wall paneling applications.

Oxley Oak gives celebrates the wood’s natural grain patterning, with white cerused effect for a “fumed” look.

Oxley Oak wood paneling at Whole Foods Market

Antique European “Fumed” Oak

Fuming, or “smoking,” wood (predominantly oak species) is a process that involves exposing the wood to ammonia gas, which reacts with the tannins. Tannins are complex chemical substances stored in plants and wood that help trees ward off fungal and bacterial infections. The ammonia reacts with the tannins in a way that brings out darker, gray-brown tones of the wood. This process is highly variable, as the tannin composition and content varies across different oak species and even individual oak trees. Fuming works best on white oak species, due to the high tannin content of the wood.

This process was discovered by pure accident! As the story goes, centuries ago in England, someone found that a pile of oak stored in a horse barn turned a darker color, and concluded that it was from the ammonia fumes emanating from the horses’ urine. Eureka! A novel process was discovered! that became a popular method for treating wood flooring.

The fumed wood look soon became popular in the Arts and Crafts movement in Europe and was popularized in North America by Gustav Stickley, a furniture-maker and forerunner of the American craftsman style. This process is prized for the ability to retain the grain pattern, and at times, pronounce it, creating an attractive cerused look.

Anthology Woods offers a antique “fumed” wood cladding & flooring without the chemicals

This process involves harsh chemicals and requires proper safety precautions, as the ammonia can be harmful if inhaled or if it comes in contact with skin. We offer a variety of finished wood products that give you the same antique look as European smoked/fumed wood, without using any harsh chemicals. We use a non-toxic product that reacts with the wood’s tannins to create a graying effect similar to the classic fuming process. This creates an antique look that works perfectly for a herringbone floor and for wall cladding as well.

For a lightly smoked effect, our Fletcher Oak is a great choice. The specialty finish brings out the grain patterning in the oak, creating a cerused look that adds an elegant effect in any room. For a darker gray color, Anthology Woods’ Zane Grey Oak features unique color, grain, and depth from the expressive wood grain pattern and multi-step finish completed with a zero-VOC natural oil. Finally, our Oxley Oak combines modern sophistication with aEuropean antique wood look. Color tones of Oxley Oak range from warm, earthy tans to a white-washed quality.

Any of these styles will provide a uniquely antique effect to flooring and wood cladding applications. These products are available as our ThinClad 5/8” thick tongue and groove lightweight wall cladding, or in a variety of widths as solid or engineered hardwood flooring.