Solid Wood

European walnut

European walnut is a fine, durable hardwood with a lively, often irregular grain. It is characterised by its natural resilience and good workability, making it ideal for high-quality furniture and interior design. The colour palette ranges from medium to dark brown with grey nuances, giving rooms an elegant, warm atmosphere.

What does walnut wood look like?

Walnut wood is known for its elegant, irregular grain and vivid color variations. The palette ranges from light brown to rich chocolate tones, often with gray or violet hues – and a silky sheen.

As a natural material, each piece of walnut can vary greatly in appearance. Especially with solid walnut wood, no two pieces are alike – each one is unique.

European Walnut vs. American Walnut

Compared to American walnut, European walnut is usually lighter and often shows a livelier mix of colors. Its grain is finer, giving the wood an especially refined look.

Characteristic	European Walnut (Juglans regia)	American Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Color	Light to medium brown, often with gray or violet tones	Dark brown to nearly black, occasionally reddish
Grain	Lively, often irregular, sometimes cloudy	More uniform, elegant and deep
Hardness	Slightly softer	Slightly harder
Origin	Europe, Western Asia	USA, Canada
Usage	High-quality furniture, veneers, interior finishing	Luxury furniture, gunstocks, instruments
Environmental impact	Good when sourced regionally	Less favorable due to long transport distances

How is walnut wood treated?

Walnut is typically oiled or waxed to highlight its natural color and grain. Lacquers are used less frequently, as they may mask the wood's character.

Oil protects the surface while allowing it to breathe. Oiled finishes are easy to care for, can be refreshed when needed, and minor scratches are easy to repair. Furniture oil is usually the more eco-friendly option thanks to its natural ingredients.

Dining table Form S and chair June made of European walnut

European walnut, distinctive dark grain — European walnut wood, distinctive dark grain

Environmental footprint of walnut wood

Walnut is a renewable resource and considered one of the more refined and durable hardwoods. Despite its limited availability, it is seen as a sustainable choice – especially when sourced regionally and certified.

1. Sustainable sourcing

European walnut primarily grows in Southern Europe, the Balkans, and parts of Central Europe. As it grows relatively slowly, responsible forestry is essential. Certifications like FSC and PEFC ensure sustainable harvesting and replanting practices.

2. Processing and energy use

Processing walnut wood requires relatively little energy compared to industrial materials. From felling to cutting, drying, and finishing, the energy footprint remains moderate. Regional sourcing further reduces CO₂ emissions.

Thanks to its durability and quality, walnut is replaced less frequently – which also conserves resources.

Walnuts on the tree

3. Durability

Walnut wood is known for its long lifespan. It’s stable, dimensionally consistent, and resistant to warping. Walnut furniture retains its beauty and function for decades.

4. Reusability

Most walnut wood is incinerated in biomass power plants via the recycling system and as bulky waste. Although the incineration is CO₂-neutral – the walnut tree has previously removed the CO₂ from the atmosphere and generates energy – what is more interesting from an ecological point of view is the good repairability of the material. In the furniture sector, in particular, oak can simply be glued, sanded or re-oiled when damaged or worn, and it will look like new again.

5. Biodegradability

Like all solid woods, walnut is a fully biodegradable material. In nature, it decomposes and becomes nutrients for the soil again. Unlike plastic or other synthetic materials, walnut does not leave any toxic residue.

Technical properties of walnut wood

Property	Value
Wood type	Hardwood
Density (raw)	0.60 - 0.70 g/cm³
Compressive strength	40 - 50 N/mm²
Bending strength	90 - 110 N/mm²
Brinell hardness	26 - 30 N/mm²
Modulus of elasticity	9,000 - 11,000 N/mm²
Durability	Good, moderately wear-resistant
Weather resistance	Moderate, recommended for indoor use
Color	Light to dark brown, often with reddish or violet tones
Workability	Very good, easy to plane and sand
Uses	Furniture, veneers, interior finishing, woodturning

Walnut wood at ekomia

Thanks to its noble character and natural beauty, we use walnut wood for our custom tables.

We exclusively use European walnut from sustainable forestry with FSC or PEFC certification. We do not use American walnut due to the long transport distances.

We treat walnut with ecological, vegan furniture oil. This keeps the surface breathable, low-maintenance, and easy to refresh when needed.

Detail view of Form S coffee table made of European walnut

Questions & answers for European walnut

Here we answer some questions about European walnut that are frequently asked by other users.

The term ‘European walnut’ usually refers to the common walnut tree (Juglans regia). The American walnut is also known by the scientific name Juglans nigra, i.e. the black walnut. It is usually indicated whether the wood is European or American walnut.

Walnut wood comes from different regions of the world, depending on the species. The European walnut (Juglans regia) grows mainly in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the Balkans. It prefers temperate climates with deep, nutrient-rich soils and is often found in mixed forests or cultivated plantations. The American walnut (Juglans nigra), also known as black walnut, originates from eastern North America. There it grows in deciduous forests from Canada to the southern United States and is deliberately cultivated in many places for forestry.

European walnut is one of the more valuable hardwoods. Raw sawn timber costs around €2,000–3,500/m³, solid wood panels are around €150–250/m².

Walnut wood is expensive because it grows slowly, is only available in limited supply and has a particularly elegant look. The elaborate drying, processing and sorting (e.g. by grain and colour) also drive up the price. Dark pieces with an even grain are particularly sought after – and correspondingly rare.

Light to medium-light floors go particularly well with walnut wood, as they create a beautiful contrast to the dark wood. Ideal choices are oak, maple, ash or light-coloured natural stone or concrete looks. If you like things to be harmonious, you can also choose a floor in warm grey tones. It is important that the floor emphasises the elegant appearance of the walnut without visually overpowering it.

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Do you still have any questions?

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European walnut

What does walnut wood look like?

European Walnut vs. American Walnut

How is walnut wood treated?