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Wood you like Some Wenge with That?

Black is not a color. ~Edouard Manet

According to physics, there is no wavelength that corresponds to the color black. In fact, science tells us that black is actually the absence of color. Still, from the perspective of the human eye, we’re content to call black a color. Moreover, from a decorating standpoint, black furniture and accents are considered powerful and stabilizing.

Enter wenge. It’s not really black and it’s not really brown. You may have heard it pronounced ‘when-jay’ or ‘when-gay’. If you’re one of those people who thought wenge was an actual wood species, you’re right…and for those of you who consider it a wood color or finish, you get a gold star, too. Wenge is both the name of a wood and a popular wood finish color for today’s contemporary furniture.

The Dark Wood of Africa
Wenge is a hard, durable and stable wood. Its botanical name is Millettia laurentii and it grows in swampy areas of Zaire and Cameroon. A modest sized tree, it grows about 60 feet tall and averages about 2 feet in diameter.

This special wood has been used for centuries to make ceremonial masks and carved statues. Today, it’s primarily used for hardwood flooring. Since it can be shaped beautifully using a lathe, this hard wood is also used to make musical instruments and walking canes.

The heartwood or middle woody core of wenge has distinctive dark streaks which is what gives the wood its mystical allure.

The Dark Color of Wenge
The actual color wenge could be described as being a deep, rich brown with coppery undertones.

The furniture industry describes it as almost black. For you coffee drinkers, think espresso, rather than cappuccino. Either way, it’s a delicious dark wood finish that has captured the imagination and hearts of many designers and contemporary furniture buyers.

Our selection of modern furniture has a wide assortment of cool contemporary looks in gorgeous wenge finishes. If you’ve always shied away from dark wood finishes, it’s time to put your bashful ways behind.

You say you’re ready to buy a gorgeous piece of contemporary wenge furniture? We knew you wood!