Walnut Chalet Urn

Walnut darkens with age, which is worth knowing before you choose it: the grain you can see now will deepen over the first few years and then hold steady. The chalet form gives it a low pitched top rather than a flat lid, and every board takes the grain differently, so the urn that arrives will not match the photograph line for line.

It holds 220 cubic inches, enough for an adult of about 220 pounds or under. The base unscrews for filling, which keeps the wood on the sides and top unbroken by seams. Wood suits a mantel or a bookshelf indoors. It is not the right choice for burial in the ground or for an outdoor niche where damp can reach it.

• Bottom-loading base panel, opened with a screwdriver.
• The pitched top adds height, so allow more than the 6.5 inches for a niche.
• Walnut is a hardwood and takes a knock better than pine, though the edges still dent.