Wood as used on furniture is as varied as the tree types that can be found from one end of the world to the other.  Sadly the great British Oak and Ash are no longer available and now most Oak and Ash comes from the Far East...Even Pine,once common throughout Europe is now mostly found in Northern Russia and China. It is also now rare to find Mahogany being used as it is a protected species and most furniture now being made in what is called Mahogany is probably Acaccia wood from Indonesia which is similar to Mahogany...Less common but gaining ground fast are the rustic and beautifully heavy grained woods from India such as Mango and Sheesham....These woods are used in the big chunky cube style furniture for which its rustic look are ideally suited...Making a comeback is teak which again has a beautiful heavy grain and is well suited to the new contemporary styles.. Walnut is also becoming popular again....Beech has been losing ground of late as it is a fairly bland wood with little or no character and as walls are plain and wooden floors have become popular many people need the furniture to stand out more and that is why the darker stronger woods are becoming more and more popular....Dont be frightened of contrast in a room...The very best designers mix styles and colour to great effect...Not everything has to be matching....Be bold in your choice and it will usually pay off...Thanks for reading