The finish on every Kayuko wood top — Suar, oak or walnut — was chosen so the table could simply be used: no oiling schedule, no anxious reach for a coaster. Most of caring for it is nothing at all.
DAILY
Wipe with a soft, damp cloth. The sealed finish keeps spills, condensation rings and everyday marks sitting on the surface rather than in the wood — a simple wipe is usually all that is needed.
CLEANING
Avoid abrasive scourers, strong solvents and bleach-based cleaners, which can dull the sheen over time. A mild soap and water solution is all this finish ever needs.
HEAT & SCRATCHES
The finish resists everyday heat and scratching well. As with any finished surface, though, keep pans straight from the hob off the top, and never drag sharp objects across it.
THE LONG TERM
Unlike an oiled surface, this finish is not designed for at-home spot repair. If an edge is ever chipped or worn after years of heavy use, it can be professionally resurfaced rather than the table replaced — though for the vast majority of homes it is built to look right for a very long time, with nothing more than a regular wipe down.
Multi-layer PU and melamine, sealed. It is a film that sits on the wood rather than soaking into it, which is why there is so little to do: a spill has nowhere to go but the surface, so it wipes off instead of staining. An oiled top asks for a fresh coat once or twice a year and rewards you with a repair you can do yourself. This one asks for nothing and gives that repair up. For a table that is eaten at every night, that is the better trade — and it is the reason nothing here needs a coaster.
The same finish goes on every wood top, whichever timber it is, and it is applied in the workshop in Jepara before the piece ever reaches the UK.
Kayuko’s stone tables are marble rather than wood, honed and sealed rather than film-finished. Marble wants almost the same things as the wood, and one different one.
DAILY
A soft, damp cloth, the same as the wood. Honed stone shows a smear more readily than it shows a mark, so it is worth drying it off.
WHAT TO WATCH
Acid, not water. Wine, citrus, vinegar and anything sharp will etch marble if they are left to sit, and sealing slows that rather than preventing it. Wipe them when you see them and nothing happens at all.
HEAT
Stone does not scorch, but it can take a thermal shock from a pan straight off the hob. Use a trivet, as you would on the wood.
No. There is no oiling schedule and no waxing ritual. Every wood top carries a multi-layer PU and melamine finish, sealed, and a damp cloth is the whole routine.
A soft cloth and warm water, with a little mild soap when water alone will not do it. Nothing stronger — solvents, bleach and abrasive creams take the sheen off the finish long before they ever reach the wood.
A hot serving dish and a glass of red are what this finish was chosen for. Spills sit on the surface long enough to be wiped up rather than soaking into the grain, and everyday warmth is fine. A pan straight off the hob is a different matter — use a trivet, on the wood and on the stone alike.
Honestly, no — and this is the trade the finish makes. An oiled top can be spot-repaired with more oil; a sealed film cannot, because the repair would sit proud of the surface around it. What you get in exchange is a top that resists the marks in the first place. After years of heavy use a worn edge can be professionally resurfaced, which is still a good deal less than replacing a table.
Yes, in one respect. Marble is honed and sealed rather than film-finished, and the risk is acid rather than water: wine, citrus and vinegar will etch it if they are left to sit. Sealing slows that; it does not make stone inert. Wipe spills when you see them and the top stays as it arrived.
Slowly, and it is part of the material rather than a fault in it. Oak starts pale and warms towards honey over the first few years; walnut lightens rather than darkens, which surprises people; suar’s contrast between heartwood and sapwood softens. The finish slows the change without stopping it. Strong, direct sun on one half of a top is the only thing worth avoiding, because it moves that half faster than the other.
Every piece is finished, in the UK, and delivered and assembled within 48 hours. Enquiring costs nothing.