MILAN, 16.03.26
Local woodworking studios along Via Tortona reported a 34 percent spike in orders for bespoke wooden staircases during the first quarter, according to data released Tuesday by the Lombardy Artisans Guild. Master carpenter Giuliano Ferri told reporters outside his workshop that suppliers have struggled to source seasoned European oak since January.
The surge reflects a broader shift in Milanese residential preferences, with homeowners increasingly favouring warm timber finishes over industrial steel or glass alternatives. Newel posts and solid-wood treads have become defining features in renovated apartments across the Navigli and Isola districts. Short lead times are now rare. When we spoke with Elena Parisi, a project manager at interior studio Legno Vivo, she explained that clients often wait twelve weeks for materials alone, a period that would have seemed excessive just two years ago. The Istituto Nazionale di Statistica reported last month that imports of kiln-dried hardwood fell by nearly a fifth compared with the same period in 2025, although the timeline for recovery remains unclear. Small workshops feel the pinch most acutely because they lack the buying power to secure bulk contracts with Baltic and Croatian mills.
Our correspondents in Milan observed queues forming outside specialist timber yards near Porta Genova early on weekday mornings, a sight once reserved for holiday sales at fashion outlets. According to figures that could not be independently verified, some yards have capped individual purchases to prevent hoarding. The situation has prompted several ateliers to experiment with alternative species such as ash and chestnut, though purists argue these lack the tight grain structure that defines premium stair stringers. Meanwhile, the Consorzio Legno Italia has urged the Ministry of Agriculture to expedite phytosanitary approvals for shipments delayed at Trieste. A faint smell of sawdust drifted through the spring air as workers unloaded planks behind a warehouse on Viale Papiniano. Prices for quarter-sawn oak boards have climbed roughly eighteen percent since December, squeezing margins for installers who locked in fixed-price contracts months ago.
Industry veterans caution that the current bottleneck may persist well into autumn if European forestry output does not stabilise. Handrail turnings and baluster profiles require wood that has dried for at least eighteen months, limiting any quick fix. Some firms have pivoted to engineered timber cores clad in solid-wood veneers, a compromise that preserves aesthetics while easing material constraints. Not everyone approves. Architect Marco Dellacasa dismissed the approach as a short-term patch that sacrifices decades of durability for expediency. Still, client budgets remain finite. The Lombardy Artisans Guild plans to host a symposium on sustainable sourcing in late April, inviting sawmill representatives and forestry officials. Whether policy changes will arrive in time to ease the spring building season is a question few in the trade are willing to answer with confidence.