Caring for oiled timber on a working desk

Unlike a lacquer, an oil finish is not a shell sitting on top of the wood. It soaks in. That means a coffee ring or a dry patch is not damage you live with, it is something you wipe and re-oil. Every few months, wipe the piece down, let it dry, and rub in a thin coat of food-safe oil with a cloth. Leave it overnight. That is the whole routine.

The Desk Cube and Bench Caddy both take the same treatment. Bamboo drinks a little more oil than walnut the first year, then settles.