Decorative timber inlay work became popular in British and European furniture and other wooden items in the 18th century. European exploration of the so-called New World tropics and subsequent colonisation gave access to a greatly increased range of superb cabinet timbers. Cabinetmakers initially concentrated on the richly coloured mahoganies, but the discovery of multi-coloured timbers that incorporate stable colour variations sparked a new fashion for ornate inlays, marquetry, and parquetry.