Hints of dark in the light show

European furniture buyers are more open than ever to sourcing product from manufacturers around the world but manufacturers will only succeed at exporting to Europe, a furniture market as big as the US, if they design product specifically to fit European style and taste. That was the message from David Imrie, merchandise director of Furniture Village, at the eighth American Hardwood Export Council Greater China & Southeast Asia Convention, held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in December. And this increasing internationality of trends in cabinet furniture was strongly represented at January's three key European furniture exhibitions – Paris, Birmingham and Cologne.

More than 60% of turnover at the Furniture Village retail chain is from imports, a trend likely to continue, Mr Imrie said, as access to production around the globe enables UK and European retailers to experiment more. "Changing consumer tastes make international design more acceptable," he said.

In Europe, sales of traditional products are falling as contemporary lighter-coloured cabinets continue to rise in popularity, he explained. In the UK, oak, white maple, ash and beech dominate, cherry is a minor player, while black walnut is up and coming. Formal American-styled cabinets in lighter finishes, for example light maple and pecan, continue to sell to UK customers, while the casual styling of US retailer Crate and Barrel is being adopted in darker shades by retailers here.

Strong demand for oak

Demand for oak is strong, plus mangowood, shesham from India, Malaysian rubberwood and Indonesian mahogany.

Each European market has strong local traditions which seem impervious to import penetration. For instance, France's penchant for cherry, Germany and Holland's for oak and Italy's for decorated styles. According to Mr Imrie, French traditional style furniture is particularly idiosyncratic. It is mostly manufactured domestically and does not export. Germany, a strong market with an emphasis on semi-fitted products in timber, foils, veneer and solids, is the European country most concerned with 'green' issues and is sensitive to sustainable sourcing issues. A consequence has been a decline in the use of tropical species.

A key trend at the Furniture Show, Birmingham, last month was strong growth in light oak as more pine manufacturers diversify in search of differentiation and cabinet importers jumped on the bandwagon of last year's trend for contemporary light oak cabinets. Content by Conran, the joint venture between Christie-Tyler Group and Conran & Partners, launched new cabinet ranges including Balance storage featuring tall, low and alcove shelving.

YP Furniture's new Accents in Oak living and dining collection is made from a mixture of European oak solids and veneers, and is available in two finishes – dark Java and natural. The existing solid alder range, New Origins, was shown in a new natural finish.

Linnet was the new UK-made stained ash range from pine specialist Corndell. The company has been diversifying into birch and oak. Linnett has been introduced in response to demand for warmer colours and comes in a warm brown colour with a lustrous finish. Nimbus, Corndell's oak bedroom range, has been extended into the dining room, available in either a golden oiled or pale lacquered finish. "Oak is extremely popular in the current market," said managing director Brian Ahern, "and the huge success of our Nimbus bedroom, taken together with the very strong demand from our customers, made the decision to expand the range a natural progression." Matrix dining, designed for Corndell by Ralph Beckett in birch veneers, was extended into the bedroom.

So although light oak, and lighter finishes in general, are at the height of their popularity, darker finishes will regain ground at the top end as the light oak trend trickles down to the budget end of the market.