Narra in Furnitures

Narra is a favorite material for many wood furniture makers not only in the countries where it is grown natively and abundantly, but are quite popular in other countries as imports that often find themselves in palatial homes. It is a hardwood which is reddish and has termite resistance that makes it an excellent home interior construction material for floors and stairs. In fact, old storied houses in many Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Thailand use Narra for flooring that are known to have withstood the two world wars and some for centuries in existence.

Many palaces and mansions in this part of the world use Narra in various interior locations, mostly for flooring, main entrance doors and staircases. The Malacanang Palace, home to Philippine presidents, is almost exclusively made of Narra for much of its interiors and flooring. Even the presidential bed and most of its furniture are made of this wood.
But furniture made of Narra is just as ubiquitous as they are for interior construction materials. Many high end furniture as well as antiques are made of Narra. The wood is naturally rose-scented though it loses much of that over time. The color ranges from pale yellow to deep blood red with a maroon streak. Its wood grain is mostly entirely straight but sometimes wavy, crossed, or interlocked. The wood lumber is particularly hard, strong and extremely durable. But even so, it is quite easy to work with hands and power tools. It glues and nails nicely and always takes on an excellent finish with sanding and polishing by hand or machine. This lends the Narra wood a decided edge among other wood and makes it a standout favorite among furniture makers in making durable and beautiful furniture that can and often become heirloom pieces.

Many furniture makers import this exotic material and promptly fashion some of the most exquisite furniture on sale. Narra display cabinets and massive dining tables are quite common. They often command steeper price than many similar furniture with equal if not greater hardness and beauty. The importation duties account for much of that.
Narra is a hardwood that belongs to the species of Pterocarpus and is indigenous to many Southeastern Asian countries. Australasian as well as Polynesian countries have them in abundance as well. It is known by others names where they grow like Sonokembang in Indonesia, Angsana or Sena in Malaysia.Singapore, Tnug in Cambodia, and Pradu in Thailand.
The Narra tree is a large deciduous tree that often reaches a height of 30–40 meters with a trunk growing up to 2 meters in diameter. Most Pterocarpus species prefer seasonal weather but the species P. indicus prefer rainforests. Their abundance makes them suitable for unrestricted logging operations for commercial use and their repopulation is relatively easy to accomplish.

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