Materials | Kalon Studios EU

Materials With Integrity

From material selection to method of production to environmental and social impact, Kalon collections are the result of immense consideration.

We work primarily with natural materials, embracing their unique character and color as an integral part of our designs. Each material is selected for longevity and the ability to grow more beautiful with age and use. Our aim is to let each material tell its story and through these stories reinforce an appreciation of the natural world and invite us all to consider where the objects we live with come from.

Visit our Journal for a series of pieces exploring Kalon’s relationship with living materials (Flax, Wood and Brass).

For an honest look at how Kalon pieces age, visit our With Age Series.

Wood

Wood is our most renewable natural resource. All our woods are sustainably harvested from forests local to our factory. We put minimal restriction on the grain structure of the woods that we select, which is vitally important to reducing waste in the timber industry. As wood weathers and ages, its tonality transforms and takes on something akin to the patina of well-loved leather.

Take a closer look at sustainable forestry and where our wood comes from on our journal.

Maple

Raw

Light, creamy color. Pitch fleck and mineral streaks add a reddish-brown hue. Color deepens with age. Honey-gold patina. Sanded to a smooth finish. No oil.

Maple

Kalon Bare Finish

White with some reddish-brown highlights. Fine, uniform texture

Ash

Raw

Light, pale-beige to light-brown hue. Deep pitted grain structure. Amber patina

Ash

Kalon Bare Finish

Light colored, smooth-grained hardwood, beige brown hues, golden patina

Ash

Natural Oil/Wax Finish

Light colored, smooth-grained hardwood, beige brown hues, golden patina

Sugar Pine

Kalon Bare Finish

Pale yellow to nearly white, buff or light brown streaks, occasional knots

White Oak

Kalon Bare Finish

Light to medium brown, rich caramel patina

White Oak

Natural Oil/Wax Finish

Light to medium brown, rich caramel patina

Black Walnut

Natural Oil/Wax Finish

Rich chocolatey hues, blond highlights. Lighter patina, lighten with notes of honey.

Finishes
Applying finish to a piece of furniture may be the last step, but the choice of whether and how to finish is something we consider from the very beginning. Wood is a living, breathing material. It responds to its environment and, like all living things, it ages. Finishing changes more than just the look of the wood, it changes how the wood interacts with the environment. And, different finishes have very different impacts.

Raw Finish

Ash

Sanded to a silken, smooth finish, no oil finish applied

Kalon Bare Finish

Ash

For our lighter woods, we use Kalon Bare Finish, a premium, organic plant-based oil/wax finish, painstakingly developed to preserve the delicate, luminous beauty of raw wood. This hand-rubbed finish is water repellent and allows the wood to remain lighter for longer as the wood develops its natural patina through age and use.

Kalon Bare Finish

White Oak

For our lighter woods, we use Kalon Bare Finish, a premium, organic plant-based oil/wax finish, painstakingly developed to preserve the delicate, luminous beauty of raw wood. This hand-rubbed finish is water repellent and allows the wood to remain lighter for longer as the wood develops its natural patina through age and use.

Natural Oil/Wax Finish

White Oak

Our standard wood finish is a premium, organic plant-based oil/wax finish that brings out rich, honeyed tones in wood. It contains a sophisticated combination of natural resins and waxes that together penetrate the wood to create a durable, water repellent, water-mark resistant finish, enhancing and maintaining wood’s beauty and breathability.

Metals
The metals for our custom parts and hardware are selected for their durability and beauty. Our standard finish for metal is wax. Wax allows our metals to develop a beautiful patina over time.

Brass

Machined, Wax Finish

Our live wax allows our metals to develop a beautiful patina over time

Brass

Machined, Wax Finish

Our live wax allows our metals to develop a beautiful patina over time

Blackened Steel

Machined

Inspired by traditional Japanese metalworking and ironware techniques, particularly tetsubin cast iron kettles and the labor-intensive wara-ibushi patina technique

Textiles
We select the purest, all-natural fiber textiles, working primarily with linen, organic cotton and wool. These textiles are reverently sourced from farmer to mill, and minimally processed with no flame retardants or harmful additives, which means no off-gassing.

For durability, we allow for up to 10% synthetic content in our upholstery fabrics.

Cognac Leather

Vegetable-tanned, Aniline Leather

Medium honey-brown

Honey

Pure Aniline Leather

100% Velvet Mohair

Silvery-Fawn hue. Plush durable & resilient velvet. Resistant to moisture, stretching and creasing and is inherently flame resistant

100% Velvet Mohair

Deep emerald green. Plush durable & resilient velvet. Resistant to moisture, stretching and creasing and is inherently flame resistant

Umber

Velvet Mohair

Rich, caramel-tan hue. Plush durable & resilient velvet. Resistant to moisture, stretching and creasing and is inherently flame resistant

Sage

Stonewashed Belgian Linen

Warm khaki-green with a soft, brushed texture

Nopal

Stonewashed Belgian Linen

Mossy, army-green with a soft, brushed texture

Oatmeal

Cotton Linen Blend

Soft, white with gray undertones

Apricot

100% Belgian Linen

Warm yellowish-orange hue

Egg

Cotton Linen Blend

Golden, egg-yolk yellow

Yves

Cotton Linen Blend

A deep, ultramarine blue

Toostripe Ochre

Wool Blend

Alexander Girard

Macclesfield Walnut

100% Linen

Rose Cumming Archive

Macclesfield Blue

100% Linen

Rose Cumming Archive

Sonoma Check

100% Linen

Navy, White Check

Flora Chocolate

Egyptian cotton percale

Warner Textile Archive

Navy Steelcut Trio 883

Wool Blend

Weave of deep and electric blue. Hardwearing with a three-dimensional surface

Grey Steelcut Trio 113

Wool Blend

Weave of grey and light blue. Hardwearing with a three-dimensional surface

Beige Steelcut Trio 225

Wool Blend

Weave of red, yellow and blue. Hardwearing with a three-dimensional surface

White Steelcut Trio 105

Wool Blend

Weave of white and grey. Hardwearing with a three-dimensional surface

Pink Steelcut Trio 515

Wool Blend

Weave of red, yellow and white. Hardwearing with a three-dimensional surface

Upholstery Fill, Cushioning & Mattresses
Chosen with the belief that less is more, our upholstery fill and mattresses use only pure materials. Each is carefully sourced and certified for natural, organic content at the various stages of production, from farmer and crop to factory. They are naturally hypoallergenic and resistant to bacteria and mold, naturally fire-retardant and naturally cooling. They are entirely free of additives, chemical flame retardants, and toxins.