Wood Slabs for Home and Office
Wood slabs in Singapore
A wood slab is a single piece cut through the length of a tree, with the natural edge of the trunk left on. No two are the same. The grain, the colour, the knots and the shape of the edge all come from one particular tree, which is why a slab table looks different from anything you can order from a catalogue.
We keep wood slabs at our Toa Payoh showroom and sell the actual piece you choose. There is no ordering from a photograph and hoping the grain matches — you pick the slab in front of you, and that is the slab you take home.
What people make with a wood slab
Most of ours become dining tables. A slab seats a family without the visual bulk of a conventional table top, and it takes the place of artwork in a room that does not have much wall space.
After that: coffee tables, bar and counter tops, office desks, and reception or meeting surfaces where a company wants one piece of real timber rather than a laminate run. Shorter offcuts work as benches, shelves and window seats.
We fit bases to order — steel, or timber legs — once you have chosen the slab and decided on a height.
The wood: Sarawak hardwood
Our slabs come from Sarawak in East Malaysia, where the hardwood species run larger and more varied than anything available closer to Singapore.
Species we stock include Agathis, Arau, Bintangor, Kapur, Nyatoh, Kempas, Keranji, Ranggu, Red Meranti, Resak, Sepetir, Tampa Hantu and Tapang.
They are not interchangeable. Red Meranti runs reddish-brown with a coarse, open grain. Kapur is pale pink to reddish-brown and noticeably hard, which suits a surface that will take daily use. Nyatoh is pinkish-brown and finer. Kempas is heavy, dense and dark. Sepetir and Tampa Hantu are lighter, closer to yellow-brown, with a finer texture. Which one suits you depends as much on the light in your room as on the timber itself, which is the other reason to see them in person.
Why we do not sell wood slabs online
A photograph flattens a slab. It loses the depth of the grain, the way the surface catches light at an angle, and the true colour — screens shift colour, and on a natural timber surface the difference between the screen and the real thing can be considerable.
It also cannot show you scale. A slab that looks manageable in a photograph can be far heavier and wider than expected once it is in a room.
So we ask you to come and look. You can put your hand on the surface, sight down the length of it to see how flat it sits, and check the live edge on both sides before you commit. For a piece of furniture you will keep for twenty years, it is worth the trip.
Looking after a wood slab
Dust it with a dry cloth. Clean marks with mild soap and water, then dry the surface rather than letting it sit wet.
Use coasters and mats — a slab is real timber and will mark. Keep it out of direct sun and away from an air-conditioning vent blowing straight onto it, since both dry the surface unevenly.
Every few years, a fresh coat of oil or wax brings the colour back. Unlike a laminate surface, a solid slab can be sanded and refinished more than once over its life, so a scratch is not permanent.
Come and choose one
Our showroom is at 1003 Toa Payoh Industrial Park, #01-1527, Singapore 319075.
Visits are by appointment, so message us before you come and we will make sure someone is free to go through the stock with you. WhatsApp 9093 5003 or email spc@mrnanyang.com.
Tell us roughly what you are after — a dining table for six, a desk, a counter — and we will have suitable pieces ready to look at.
Common questions
How much does a wood slab cost in Singapore?
It depends on the species, the length, the width and the thickness. A slab is priced as an individual piece rather than by a size chart, so tell us the dimensions you have in mind and we will show you what falls in that range.
Can I buy a wood slab table top on its own?
Yes. Plenty of customers take the slab alone and have their own base made, or fit it to an existing frame.
Is a wood slab solid wood?
Yes. A slab is cut from one piece of timber, all the way through. It is not a veneer or a laminate over a core.
What size wood slab do I need for a dining table?
As a rough guide, allow about 600mm of table length per person. Bring your room measurements and we will work it out against the slabs in stock.
Do you deliver?
Yes, across Singapore. Slabs are heavy, so tell us the floor and whether there is lift access when you order.
Can I see the wood slabs without an appointment?
We would rather you booked. The showroom is not always staffed for walk-ins, and a slab purchase takes time.
See also: Solid Wood Tables · Coffee Tables · Office Furniture