Walnut Furniture: An Expert Guide to Style, Care & Restoration

Antique walnut furniture is some of the most popular and highly prized due to its connection to early British interiors. From the 17th century onwards, walnut was one of the most valuable timbers for chairs, tables and chests, as well as decorative pieces and clock cases. Walnut came in a variety of attractive grains and was well suited to the British climate, allowing it to stand the test of time.

Above: a variety of walnut antiques featuring solid wood and veneers, including a long case clock, chest, tables, decorative sculpture and drop leaf dressing table

Today, walnut furniture may face deterioration from decades or even centuries of continued use, resulting in stains, abrasions or loss of detail. It may have also faced disasters, from floods, fires or accidents. We restore walnut furniture in our studio with a historically accurate result, ensuring that these treasured items of British craftsmanship are protected for centuries to come.

This article will look into the history of walnut furniture, as well as its typical appearance and value. Our furniture team also shares their insights into caring for walnut furniture and how it can be safely and professionally restored. 

Identifying Walnut

Walnut has a rich colour and can present on a spectrum from a warm tan to dark chocolate brown. Most antique pieces will be on the darker side of the spectrum, unless they feature golden-toned veneers. When it is used as solid form it has a very fine grain and a dense, firm weight.

Above: walnut desk (1755-70), settee (1720) and chest of drawers (1700-30)

Many pieces of antique furniture feature a fine veneer layer on top of an interior casing. The most popular is called Burr Walnut, appearing as a knotted grain with naturally elegant patterns found within the timber. Contrast in light and dark curls in these patterns made them more attractive and they were carefully selected and joined to create an impressive surface. 

How Is Burr Walnut Created?

Burred grain is not a natural way for timber to grow. The wood is diseased in a way that encourages an unusual pattern of growth through stress on the tree, resulting in the knotted appearance. Burr walnut would have been purposefully grown in this way and was therefore an early form of selective cultivation by timber yards.

Above: furniture featuring burr walnut veneers – card table (1720) and writing cabinet (1690-1710)

A Valuable Resource 

Much of the timber used in the early furniture trade was imported from the Baltic due to higher demand than British forestry could cover alone. Using ships to trade bullion for timber was a frequent political topic, as they often passed through enemy territories. Importing timber was primarily needed for building fleets of naval ships, but the influx of high quality wood could also be purchased by furniture makers and joiners. 

Above: dressing table with burr walnut veneer (1730-60), Queen Anne side chair (18th century), bracket clock with walnut case (1720)

By the early 18th century, French walnut was favoured for its dark colour, but when trees were killed in a severe cold spell, this export was no longer available. There was a push to use timber from the colonies rather than Europe, resulting in the ‘exotic’ varieties such as mahogany, as well as newly sourced American walnut.

Walnut Through The Ages

Under the reign of William and Mary, interior design flourished. Furniture from this era, as well as the later Queen Anne style, are some of the most well-known shapes in furniture making. You can find a history of chair shapes here, as a starting point for identification. These pieces were often a combination of solid walnut and caning for the base or back of a chair. Caning became popular in the 17th century following the Great Fire of London, as an affordable way to replace lost furniture.

Above: chairs carved from solid walnut / featuring burr walnut veneers from the mid 16th century to the late 19th century

Burr walnut veneer was popular throughout the 18th century, with increasingly decorative designs. Whilst many new timbers were in use by the regency, such as birds eye maple and interior fashions continued to become more diverse. 

In the Victorian era, many revival periods unfolded, allowing for the return to Queen Anne and William and Mary shapes as well as much older designs in pursuit of a traditional interior. Walnut would have been especially favoured in the Arts and Crafts period alongside oak, as they favoured home-grown timbers and natural designs in response to the influx of industrial furniture manufacturing.

Caring for Walnut Furniture 

Walnut furniture should be cleaned sensitively without the use of chemicals or liquids. Using a soft, dry cloth should avoid any interference with the solid surface or the veneers – this is especially important if the item is very old or has fragile areas. 

Waxing should only be undertaken every 3-4 months to avoid a sticky build up. Use wax sparingly and only apply it to stable surfaces. If you have concerns about stability or the finish, please contact our team for professional maintenance. 

Above: our furniture expert finishing a table, this process requires an expert approach and a studio setting due to the treatments involved

Although most antique furniture has been seasoned and is less likely to warp by comparison to modern pieces, it can still suffer from extreme fluctuations in humidity and temperature, as well as an influx of water. Monitor the environment for any drastic changes, if possible. The best humidity level for antique furniture is around 45%. Do not place the item near radiators or areas of the home that may experience high heat or moisture.

Walnut Furniture Restoration 

We have restored hundreds of pieces of fine furniture in our specialist studio. Many of them have been solid walnut or featured delicate burr veneers. Some of the most dramatic issues have been caused by household disasters, notably water damage that has allowed mould growth to develop and veneers to lift from the surface.

Walnut veneers often require stabilisation as they can lift away and break off over time or in the aftermath of an incident. When burr walnut is damaged, we can replace it with a matching grain or sympathetically retouch losses so as not to detract from the original appearance. Loose joins and instability in the overall structure can be treated to allow for safe preservation and continued use of the furniture. 

Tables, chairs, cabinets and other pieces of fine furniture often come to us for re-finishing. In some cases this will be a specialist french polishing technique, in others it will be an expert clean followed by waxing and polishing. We can also strip back stains and refinish surfaces if it is deemed appropriate for the item. This includes the removal of water stains, cup marks and mould, as seen in the example below.

How can we help?

If you have any questions about art restoration and conservation, please do not hesitate to get in touch. As part of our service we offer a nationwide collection and delivery service as well as information on worldwide shipping to our studio. E-mail us via [email protected] or call 0207 112 7576 for more information.