Mohogcrny in 1954

By George N. Lomb Mohogony Associotion, Inc.

It is difficult enough to make predictions for the u'hole timber trades industry, let alone one small segment of it covering the market for lumber and veneer of a single kind of wood. As with most industries today, Mahogany prospects depend upon what happens to business in general and to building and to furniture and allied industries.

In considering 1954 we take cognizance of the fact that for quite a few past years, business has been helped by a series of external and internal boosts that have kept our economy progressively on the rise. At this time it is difficult to foresee any continuing pressures for continued expansion.

I think it is the general consensus that we are in for a drop off in business varying in intensity by industries and geographical considerations. On the average it would not be surprising to find out as the year unrolls that the slide will be somewhere between 5/o and'L}/o. This may or may not apply to all of the Mahogany markets; some of them could even be better than last year.

In furniture we expect that Mahogany traditional styles may be level with last year or even may make a gain. A considerable number of furniture merchants report that they curtailed traditional Mahogany too drastically when contemporary styles finally caught on and became dominant in furniture. They have found that there is a substantial market for traditional not only in replacement or expansion buying but also in furniture for new homes and apartments.

We also have found a very encouraging note in the increasing use of Mahogany in furniture of contemporary design. In the past Mahogany finishes were mostly the darker finishes for traditional and bleached or blonde finishes in modern. Today in addition to the darker finishes there is a wide range of Mahogany finishes in the copper tone and light brown categories. Also in modern we still have plenty of the light finishes but to them have been added the light browns that range from the Provincial colors to the cherry tones.

In current decor, the neutral light browns are very much in vogue and this style preference has had a very marked effect on Mahogany finishes. It is our belief that the brown finishes are going to keep on encroaching upon the traditional but unnatural red Mahogany finishes. As a matter of fact, there is more brown than red in natural Mahogany as can be seen in old pieces that happily escaped the dark red stain.

Another encouraging development is the very definite increase in the architectural use of Mahogany in the past year. Here again, new finishes and natural finishes have made Mahogany more attractive,especially in combination with the interior use of brick and stone. It has given a rich warmth to such interiors not possible with the plainer woods. The use of Mahogany also makes possible the free use of color needed to soften what would be otherwise too austere for friendly living. The judiciious use of Mahogany with the proper finish, turns a house into a home and in working quarters, brings the home into the office.

One of the main reasons for the increased use of Mahogany for architectural purposes is its cost. In Mahogany plywood

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