Satinwood was the most beautiful and highly valued wood used in the latter part of the 18th century, a period closely associated with George III. There were two or three varieties, but the two best known are the West Indian and the East Indian. They look very much alike but the East Indian was more often used although it was harder to work with.

As satinwood is so hard and close grained, it has an excellent finish. Together with other precious, newly discovered interesting timbers The elegant pale colour of the wood soon represented the new, rich, light colourful and bright age of neo-classicism, which brought straight edges and clean lines. The name Thomas Sheraton is closely linked to satinwood; his cabinet designs epitomise the elegant late Georgian taste for finely made, neat and superbly scaled cabinets, which are fine examples of great English furniture.