Riva 1920

Riva 1920 works exclusively in solid wood, with its headline Kauri tables carved from ancient New Zealand trees preserved for over 50,000 years in peat bogs. The Italian workshop produces sculptural tables, benches and stools in walnut, oak and cedar, finished with natural oils that let the grain do the talking.

Kauri is an ancient New Zealand timber preserved underground in peat bogs, with some of Riva 1920's sourced logs dated at over 50,000 years old. The wood is dense, deeply figured and considered one of the most remarkable tabletop materials in the world.

All pieces are made at the family-run workshop in Cantù, Italy, using solid-wood joinery and traditional finishing techniques. The workshop has been working with wood since 1920, and the fourth generation of the family still runs production.

Riva 1920's position is that a tabletop or bench should be what it appears to be, solid timber, with the character of the tree visible end-to-end. Veneer can look similar in photographs, but behaves differently over time and cannot be re-finished indefinitely.

The natural-oil finish should be refreshed every six to twelve months with the brand's recommended product, which keeps the timber hydrated and deepens the colour. Water should be wiped promptly, and coasters protect the oiled surface during everyday use.