Rubberwood is actually a byproduct of rubber production and has only been commercially utilized in rubber plantations in Asia since the 1980s. The rubber tree, also known as the "Gummibaum" in Germany, naturally has nothing to do with our ornamental plant. Rubber is tapped from the bark of this tree as latex sap, and the wood is then harvested when old trees no longer produce enough sap and are felled. The wood, which is also marketed as Rubberwood, has several characteristics that make it very suitable for furniture production and construction.
Rubberwood's hardness is significantly greater than that of oak, it is very robust and insensitive to moisture. The wood is yellowish-white in color, very uniform in structure, and can be easily stained.
Due to its hardness, rubberwood can also be processed into relatively large panels of a thinner gauge. The furniture pieces made from it appear more delicate and thus fit very well into modern, spacious living areas. For example, tables with an organically curved live edge made of rubberwood are significantly lighter as dining tables or conference room tables than comparable tables made of other woods, as the tabletop can be thinner and therefore weighs less.
Furniture made of rubberwood is absolutely easy to care for and durable. Nevertheless, the fine structure on the surface of the furniture panels remains clearly visible. Rubberwood furniture is best cleaned with a damp cotton cloth; intensive care is unnecessary under normal use due to the material's robustness.
In larger rooms, fine rubberwood furniture looks particularly good. Due to its subtle grain and light color, it can be easily combined with light furniture or furniture pieces with lively grain. A deliberate light-dark contrast also looks very interesting, for example in a table group with a light dining table and dark chairs – here you can specifically play with color contrasts to achieve a desired effect.
