When Sophia de Domenico When the interior architect and designer moved into a historic Eichler home in Thousand Oaks, California, she knew she wanted to restore it to its original splendor, using authentic materials wherever possible.
What she didn’t expect, however, was that the search for the Lauan mahogany plywood panels and ancient redwood used in these homes would connect her with an entire community of followers in search of rare wood.
It’s a dilemma faced by many owners of iconic mid-century modern homes, such as those owned by real estate developers Joseph Eichler or architect Frank Lloyd Wright. To preserve the historical authenticity of these homes, some go to great lengths to track down wood finishes that are no longer widely available.
“Mid-Century Modern enthusiasts have a cult-like following and have an incredible appreciation for these homes,” says deDomenico, who notes that many owners try to keep these homes historically honest.
However, preserving mid-century modern homes is challenging because many wood products that were commonly used in the 1950s and 1960s are no longer manufactured.
“A lot of the difficulty with these projects is that people aren’t just looking for ‘mahogany’ or ‘sequoia,'” he says Luke Zale, Managing Director of Rare Woods USA. “You’re looking for the same material that was used 50, 60 or 70 years ago, and this is a very different proposition.”
What happened to Lauan mahogany and old-growth sequoia?
Lauan mahogany – also called luan or Philippine mahogany – is one of the main materials used for interior trim in mid-century modern homes and is no longer mass-produced due to deforestation restrictions on this Southeast Asian tree. It’s not real mahogany either.
“‘Filipino Mahogany’ is a particularly confusing name,” says Zale. “Historically, this was a trade name for a number of Philippine dipterocarp species commonly sold as lauan. It is not the same as true mahogany.”
There’s also a big difference between looking for “sequoia” and looking for old-growth, clear sequoia that looks like what was installed in a 1960s home. Old-growth sequoias come from giant trees that grew for centuries in relatively undisturbed forests. Because these trees developed slowly in the shade and competition of larger trees, they formed narrower growth rings and denser, more durable wood.
Although there have been reforestation efforts for some of these rare forests, including efforts to restore native dipterocarp forests in the Philippines, Zale explains that restoring the forest does not necessarily mean preserving the same wood that was harvested in virgin forests generations ago.
“Nature is difficult to imitate. Trees grown on plantations are slightly different from trees grown in a natural forest environment,” says Zale. “Another problem with finding the original material used in these homes is that commercial milling has changed over the years and larger pieces are increasingly relegated to specialty markets.”
How the hunt for rare wood developed
With no easily accessible sources available, owners of Eichler and Wright homes had to explore a variety of restoration and replacement options.
For some Eichler homeowners, e.g Kevin Saxon from San Jose, California, who bought his home in 2023 and has been lovingly renovating it ever since, the search evolved into finding something close enough.
“When we moved in, only one room and one bathroom had wood paneling left. The rest were either painted or covered with drywall—and while we tried to save as much as possible, we generally didn’t find it worth it,” says Saxon, who ultimately chose new Meranti replacement panels, also from the Filipino mahogany family.
“The Aquatek product I found is, in my opinion, as good or better, even if the wood isn’t quite the same, and it cost about $60 for a 4×8 sheet, which isn’t bad compared to some of the more exotic alternatives,” he says.
However, Saxon couldn’t find anything immediately available for the baseboards, so he essentially had to “mill” his own.
“I bought a few boards of African mahogany and cut them into strips with a table saw, planed those strips so they were flat and the same thickness, milled the edges, sanded them, and finished them with a durable polyurethane clear coat,” says Saxon. “The color of the wood doesn’t quite match our wood siding, but that’s okay. At least in our experience, we tried to preserve the Eichler soul while modernizing the house so that it will be livable for another 60 years.”
For other mid-century modern homeowners like deDominico, online communities play a key role in sourcing authentic wood products that are now virtually extinct.
When she and her family moved into their Eichler home in 2021, the kitchen, utility room, and dining room were outfitted with Lauan wood, and the home’s ceiling was tongue-and-groove old-growth redwood.
“As a designer who set out to restore and artfully modernize the home without compromising its original intent, I immediately recognized that the wood was a crucial part of the overall visual story,” says deDominico. “So the goal was how much of it we could save, what needed to be replaced and where we could find it.”
In deDomenico’s case, half of the dining room panels and one panel in the kitchen could no longer be saved.
“We searched extensively for an original Lauan replacement that we were able to snag through a Mid-Century Modern Facebook group and use in the kitchen,” says deDomenico. They had to opt for replacement African mahogany furniture in the dining room, stained to match the originals, because the amount of solid panels needed exceeded the amount available.
“While there are no new options available, the Eichler community is strong and actually one of the best resources,” deDomenico added. In fact, it’s a common practice for community members to offer parts they no longer use.
“That’s why the Facebook groups, neighborhood groups and Eichler conservation communities can be so useful,” says deDomenico. “It’s not uncommon for people to offer doors, paneling, light fixtures, hardware and all sorts of other original pieces.”
When deDomenico remodeled her home in Eichler, she did just that with old kitchen appliances. While the cabinets were falling apart from years of neglect, the dining centerpiece was in great shape, so she listed it online and someone came by and took it.
“There is almost an informal recycling system within the Eichler community,” says deDomenico. “Someone remodels a house and keeps the original doors or wood paneling, and a few years later another owner needs that exact piece.”
Another reason to source recycled wood from a similar home is that the aging process is difficult to replicate.
“You try to find something that has a certain grain, color, veneer and finish, and has also been aged for 60 or 70 years,” says deDomenico.
“I wish more people would stop throwing away original materials when renovating—what looks like an old piece of paneling to one person might be exactly what someone else needs to restore their home,” adds deDomenico. “Not only would we be freeing up landfills, but we would also have the opportunity to preserve a part of our history in creative ways.”
More ways to replace rare woods
If someone can’t find a facsimile or Facebook giveaway, their last resort may be a rare lumber dealer.
These dealers stock rare wooden items and sometimes wait decades for a buyer.
“I would also call specialty lumber dealers instead of relying solely on an Internet search. Rare lumber doesn’t always show up online,” Zale suggests. “A dealer may have a board sitting on a shelf that was purchased 20 or 30 years ago, and it may never have been photographed or listed on a website.”
Matching rare woods requires more than just color. As Zale notes, you also need to consider grain, density, dimensional stability, rot resistance, and the wood’s workability and workability.
“If you’re doing a historic restoration, I would always try to compare the original species first,” Zale says. “If you’re just trying to restore the appearance, you have a lot more options.”
In some situations, using a high-quality veneer provides a practical way to achieve the look of rare wood while preserving rare solid wood.
Smart ways to manage rare wood in your home projects
When handling rare wood when renovating or restoring a home, it is important to take some precautions. And conservation is key.
“If you’re remodeling a mid-century modern home and a piece of the original trim is damaged or removed, don’t throw it in the dumpster,” Zale instructs. “Even a small piece can be extremely valuable later in identifying the species and finding a match.”
Ultimately, the best thing homeowners and preservationists can do is save what they have.
For example, if an electrician needs to drill an opening through the original paneling, try to remove and save the original material so it can be reinserted when the job is complete.
“With historic homes, the wood is part of the history of the home,” says Zale. “It’s not just the type of wood that’s important. The wood itself is a snapshot of the forestry, milling, sorting, drying and woodworking practices of that time period. That’s something that can’t really be restored once it’s gone.”
