Why Mango Wood?

Mango, a delicious, juicy, tropical fruit, native to India and Myanmar and other countries in East Asia. However, here at Casa Bella, we’re less concerned with the fruit, and far more interested in the wood.

Firstly, it’s not news to any of us that we are facing an environmental crisis, with the weather around the world being more volatile than ever, and resources being wiped out from overfishing to deforestation and excessive use of fossil fuels.

So how to be sustainable, whilst still supporting traditional crafts? The answer lies in being far more selective in the materials we use. And by not only having a conscience as a consumer, but by manufacturers and by businesses such as ourselves being responsible with where we source our products.

Mango wood is an excellent option, not only because of the range of colours in its grain, due to spalting, (a discolouration from natural fungus) the typically light to golden brown wood often has fantastic streaks of beige, black, green or even yellow running through. This coupled with the incredible grain patterns leaves us with a style both unique, and akin to far more expensive hardwoods.

Being a hardwood, albeit a softer one, it’s not only incredibly durable, but fantastic for a long lasting piece of furniture. Just as fast fashion is causing massive environmental problems within the fashion world, this almost disposable plywood culture is not only exhausting our forests, but ruining the soil below.

However, mango wood, is a byproduct of an existing farming practice, and, due to it being an extremely quick growing hardwood, maturing between 8-15 years it’s by far an improvement on the centuries it takes oak and mahogany.

We’re also extremely selective with the partners we use, subscribing to the Trees for Trees organisation, ensuring that the farmers are paid to plant new trees creating a truly renewable wood source and supporting the local economies and ecosystems.

By being a fast growing hardwood, mango is also extremely malleable, making it a much more preferable option for crafting with than more slow growing woods.

This allows for furniture just as, although we believe it to be more beautiful, than other options, whilst being far better value for money, due to it being a byproduct rather than the main product, and also being far easier to work with. These properties also make it unsuitable for hardwood flooring, leaning the furniture industry without competition for mango wood.

All this leaves us with a fantastic raw material, with beautiful natural properties that we can turn into furniture fitting countless designs and styles from chunky Dakota, to sleek Scandi or robust industrial. Whilst being as gentle with the planet as we can. Waiting for the mango tree to stop providing fruit before it takes its next adventure as multi generational furniture.

Check out our range and it’s easy to see how you don’t have to compromise on style to shop with a conscience.