Ancientwood, Ltd., an importer and supplier of rare, ecologically harvested Ancient Kauri wood, has recently brought the largest board of ancient wood to the United States. This is one slab of wood measuring 40 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 4 1/2 inches thick! The Kauri tree this board came from took over 1,000 years to grow and has been buried underground for approximately 50,000 years.

It is very rare to find such an exotic material made available through environmentally friendly methods. Not one tree was cut down to harvest it; all the trees were felled thousands of years ago by natural forces. The wood is responsibly excavated from just under the surface of the ground, all the land that is disturbed in the process is carefully graded and seeded, and in a few months the land returns to its natural state.

Ancient Kauri qualifies for LEED credits, and is being sought out by leading architects and designers for green building and design. It can be used as (but not limited to): material for beams and posts, flooring, paneling, doors and frames, cabinetry and furniture, and decorative items.

To see Ancientwood’s latest creation, tune into the season premier of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” on September 27th at 7-9 p.m. EST. Ancientwood worked closely with the design team from the popular television show to add a seven feet long Kauri dinning table into the house of a family in need.

As you would expect, the grain and tones of the wood are lovely. It has a powerful shimmering iridescence that easily sets it apart from other wood species. The glow from within the grain adds to the wood’s beauty and illustrates that this is no ordinary timber, but something quite special. It makes anything built from Ancient Kauri more like a jewel. It is perfect for projects that require an extraordinary material.