Teak

Oily tropical hardwood - naturally weather-resistant, honey-golden when new, silvery grey when left to weather. The signature timber of mid-century modernism.

Move over it to light it
Finish
Light
ReadingsIn use 1945 to 1975
WeightIn between
WarmthWarm
CostIn between
PermanenceIn between
PrecisionIn between
CarbonModerate

Making one kilo releases about 0.4 kg of CO₂: plantation teak; old-growth carries a different cost.

It saysMid-century warmthWeathered eleganceTropical resilience
Best for: Mid-century restoration, Outdoor decking, Coastal architecture.

01The building that proves it

Jim Thompson House, Bangkok
Photo: Clay Gilliland, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Jim Thompson House
Jim Thompson, from six Thai houses · Bangkok · 1959

Teak here: traditional teak houses reassembled around a garden.

About the building ↗

02Try it on a board

Pick up to three materials to sit beside teak. The board shows the styles that use all of them, and writes a prompt you can take to an image or video generator.

TeakAnodized Aluminum
Styles that use all of themMid-Century Modern
Setting
Scale
Light
Camera
Output

A house, on a dense urban street. Materials: teak that reads as mid-century warmth, anodized aluminum that reads as lightweight modernity. Golden hour, warm raking light. Eye level from across the street, 35mm. Architectural photograph, medium format, no people, no text.

03The styles built on it

Mid-Century ModernTropical Modernism
Also in these styles, in their own words

04Questions

Which design styles use teak?

Mid-Century Modern, Tropical Modernism and Biomorphic Modernism.

What goes well with teak?

Teak pairs well with travertine, plate glass and wrought iron.

What does teak communicate?

Mid-century warmth, Weathered elegance and Tropical resilience. It suits mid-century restoration, outdoor decking and coastal architecture.

What is the carbon footprint of teak?

Making one kilo of teak releases about 0.4 kg of CO₂, cradle to gate: plantation teak; old-growth carries a different cost.

05More timber

OakBambooCedarCLTReclaimed TimberBirch PlywoodPine
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