All of today's Heywood-Wakefield furniture is American-grown and American-made from 100 percent Northern Yellow Birch, the same wood used for the company's highly-sought vintage furniture. We acquire our lumber from environmentally responsible tree farms in New Hampshire, where at least one tree is planted for each one harvested. Because our current finish is lighter and more transparent than the original, we now use an even higher grade of lumber for many furniture components for the most appealing natural look. Our furniture is made of solid wood. We don't use veneer, and particle board or plywood are only used in a very few instances for minor features, namely drawer dividers and backings for case goods. Strength and durability are ensured by cutting individual furniture components from a single piece of hand-selected lumber and by only using the sturdiest reinforced joining methods. Today's Amber finish is lighter than the original Wheat and Champagne finishes. It was specially designed for us to recreate the look of vintage HW furniture that has been stripped and refinished in a natural color. It is Kemvar, a newer finishing technology that provides superior protection to the older Duralac finishes. Many of today's pieces are still finished by hand, just as the vintage pieces were.