What our furniture is made of: beech, blockboard, veneer, foam and fabric

Solid beech: the hardwood in our furniture

Beech is a dense European hardwood with a fine, even grain and a pale cream to light pink colour. Beech that has been steamed during drying turns a warmer reddish tone and is sold in Lebanon as red beech. It is hard, takes glue, screws and dowels well, and accepts stain and lacquer evenly, which is why furniture makers have used it for generations in chairs, bed frames, legs and other parts that carry weight.

Like every solid wood, beech moves slightly as humidity rises and falls, so it has to be properly dried and sealed. Keep solid-wood furniture away from direct heater blasts and standing water, and it stays stable for many years. Our guide to the best wood for bedroom furniture compares beech with the alternatives.

Blockboard (latté): stable panels for wardrobes, beds and desks

Blockboard is a manufactured panel with a core of solid wood strips glued side by side between thin outer layers. In Lebanon it is called latté, and 18 mm is the common thickness. Because the strips run the full length of the board, blockboard holds screws well and resists sagging over long spans such as wardrobe doors, shelves and desk tops. It is lighter than MDF of the same thickness and less prone to swelling than chipboard.

Blockboard sold in the Lebanese market is often faced with melamine or laminate. On Gallery Elmir bedroom sets and office furniture, blockboard panels are faced with natural wood veneer instead, so the visible surface is real wood.

Natural wood veneer, in the species you choose

Natural veneer (qishr) is a thin sheet of real wood sliced from a log and pressed onto a stable core. On a wide surface such as a wardrobe door or a headboard, veneered blockboard stays flatter than a single wide panel of solid wood, and the grain can be matched across every piece of a set.

Gallery Elmir finishes bedroom sets and office furniture in natural wood veneer, and the customer chooses the veneer species and colour for each made-to-order piece. Veneer is not the same as laminate or melamine, which are printed decor papers. Our guide to wood veneer vs solid wood explains the difference and how to recognise real veneer.

SL foam in sofas and salons

The seat and back cushions of Gallery Elmir sofas and salons use SL foam. When you compare sofas anywhere, the figure to ask for is the foam density, measured in kilograms per cubic metre: density decides how long a cushion keeps its shape, while firmness is a separate property. Seat cushions take the most load, so they matter most. Our sofa fabric and foam guide explains density and firmness in detail.

Water- and stain-resistant upholstery fabric

Gallery Elmir upholsters its sofas, salons and dining chairs in water- and stain-resistant fabric. The fibres are made or treated so that a spill sits on the surface for a short time instead of soaking straight in, which gives you time to blot it with a clean cloth. It suits family living rooms, light colours and dining chairs that meet food and drink every day.

Stain-resistant does not mean waterproof: blot spills quickly, do not rub, and follow the care label for deeper cleaning.

Made to order in 2 to 3 weeks

Ordering starts with your room measurements and the delivery route. You choose the design, the veneer species and colour for bedroom and office pieces, and the fabric colour for seating. Made-to-order pieces are ready in 2 to 3 weeks, delivery is free anywhere in Lebanon, and payment is in cash in US dollars. See delivery and ordering for the details, or visit the showroom in Zahrieh, Tripoli, Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Questions to ask any furniture maker in Lebanon

• Which parts are solid wood, and which species?
• What is the panel core: blockboard, MDF or chipboard?
• Is the surface natural veneer, artificial veneer, laminate or melamine?
• What is the density of the foam in the seat cushions?
• Is the upholstery treated against water and stains, and how is it cleaned?
• How long will a made-to-order piece take, and is delivery included in the price?

From the collection

Marchetti Beige Living Room Set

Light neutral seating · Tapered wood-tone legs

$2,400

Como Beige Sectional Sofa

Low profile · Deep seats in a neutral palette

$1,400

Harlow Grey Bedroom Set

Grey padded headboard · Warm wood-tone storage

$3,300

Vesper Grey Living Room Set

Grey upholstery · Straight arms and curved chairs

$2,400