Thanks for your question! That ceiling looks really terrific and fits this farmhouse really well. The material is utility oak (utility being the grade of oak). Utility means these are old, worn out, scrap pieces that otherwise would not be used (e.g. for a floor). We bought about twice as much as would be needed in the space and selected the longest pieces to use on the ceiling. It's very reasonably priced at about $1 per SF not including installation. From there we just used a mineral oil rub to bring out the grain. All in all a very easy project with great results.