Our Materials
At Monarú, we specialise in designing and making furniture from birch plywood. While we have the capability to work with a wide range of materials — and do so when a project calls for it — birch plywood remains our preferred and primary material. Its combination of strength, stability, precision, and natural beauty aligns perfectly with the way we design and manufacture furniture.
Our material choices are always deliberate. We select materials that perform well, age gracefully, and support honest, contemporary design
Why Birch Plywood
Birch plywood offers a rare balance of performance and aesthetics, making it ideal for
high-quality furniture and fitted interiors.
We choose birch plywood because it is:
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Beautifully light and natural
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Defined by its layered edge grain, which we enhance using custom-built edge sanding machines
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Exceptionally strong, durable, and stable
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Produced in Europe
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Highly versatile
We use birch plywood as the primary core material in most of our furniture projects because it allows us to design with confidence, precision, and longevity in mind.
Natural Wood Veneers
Natural veneers allow us to introduce different wood species while retaining the strength and stability of a birch plywood core. Applied carefully, veneers provide natural alternative grain patterns and colours. We can source almost any natural veneers - our most common veneers used are Oak and Walnut.
Coloured Surfaces
We introduce both vibrant and pastel colours to our furniture designs through the use of carefully selected coloured and technical surfaces, while keeping birch plywood at the core of every piece.
We work with a range of high-quality finishes, including:
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HPL (High Pressure Laminates) such as Formica
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Anti-fingerprint, luxury matt finishes such as Fenix
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Natural, soft-to-touch surfaces such as Forbo Linoleum
These surfaces are applied to birch plywood in-house using our own press, allowing us to maintain full control over quality, consistency, and finish.
Coloured and technical surfaces offer advantages such as:
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Increased durability and resistance to everyday wear
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Consistent, even colour across large surfaces
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A wide palette of tones, from subtle neutrals to bold statement colours
Even when using coloured faces, we continue to expose and celebrate the birch plywood edge - maintaining an honest expression of structure and craftsmanship that is central to our design language.
