Hardwood Species Guide
Choosing a Wood Species for Your Furniture
Selecting a wood for your new furniture may seem intimidating, but don't worry, we're here to help! This guide explains the features and differences between hardwood furniture options including Brown Maple, Cherry, Hard Maple, Hickory, Oak, and Quarter Sawn White Oak. More questions? Give us a call to talk with a specialist. Already figured out your wood choice? View our hardwood furniture stain options.
Select a Wood:
Janka Hardness Scale
In our wood description below, we include the numbers from the Janka Hardness Scale. What do we mean by, “Janka Hardness Scale”? This test measures the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball up to half its diameter into a piece of the wood. The hardwood industry uses this scale to gauge how effective each type of hardwood will be in tolerating normal wear and denting. The Janka hardness number also indicates how much effort it will take to nail and saw a specific wood type. The higher the number, the tougher the wood.
Brown Maple Wood
Grain
In terms of grain, Brown Maple is very much the opposite of Red Oak. Red Oak has a strong, deep grain pattern while Brown Maple has a very smooth and subtle grain pattern.
Durability
Brown Maple checks in the Janka Hardness Scale with a rating of 950 and garners an overall hardness score of 6 out of 10. It is similar in hardness to Cherry. Brown Maple is still very much an American Hardwood, yet if furniture in your household takes a beating every now and then, we may recommend an upgrade to Brown Maple's big brother, Hard Maple.
Color
Typically, we finish our Brown Maple furniture on the medium to darker side of the stain spectrum. While we certainly can and will finish Brown Maple in a light or natural finish, we recommend the medium to dark tones because of brown mineral streaking in the grain pattern. Popular finishes on Brown Maple include Seely, Michael's, Asbury and Rich Tobacco.
Style
The smooth grain pattern in Brown Maple lends the style towards contemporary and shaker styles. Brown Maple is also found on Victorian style furniture as a less-than-Cherry option.
Cherry & Rustic Cherry Wood
The difference between Rustic Cherry vs Cherry can be summed in 'grain variation'. In Rustic Cherry furniture, there is more grain variation allowed. Meaning, small grain burls and even small knots are allowed. Because there is less waste using Rustic Cherry, the cost is less than regular Cherry. In many cases, our customers want this variation and cost savings and prefer the Rustic Cherry.
Grain
Cherry is widely considered one of the most beautiful American hardwoods. With a deep, wide and exotic grain pattern, it is easy to see why.
Durability
Cherry checks the box on the Janka Hardness Scale with a rating of 950 with an overall hardness score of 6 out of 10. Like Brown Maple, if furniture in your household takes a regular beating we may recommend a change to Hard Maple, Red Oak or QSWO.
Color
Cherry truly looks great in any finish. Modern style furniture in Cherry is commonly finished in Natural. Current trends are toward the true brown tones and grey finishes. Cherry also looks great in the dark tones. Popular finishes on Cherry include Natural, S-14, Michael's, Asbury and Earthtone.
Style
Over the years, builders have created many different styles out of Cherry. Cherry is very common on Victorian style furniture, modern, shaker and even provides a unique and attractive twist to traditional style.
Quarter Sawn White Oak Wood
Just like with Cherry, we can build our furniture out of regular Quarter Sawn White Oak (QSWO) or Rustic Quarter Sawn White Oak. The difference can again be summed in 'grain variation'. In Rustic QSWO furniture, there is more grain variation allowed. Small grain imperfections, burls and even small knots are allowed. In many cases, Rustic QSWO costs less than Regular QSWO. Many of our customers want this grain variation and cost savings and prefer the Rustic QSWO.
What is Quarter Sawn White Oak?
The term 'quarter-sawn' actually refers to how the log is milled. Quarter sawing is a type of cut in the sawing of logs into lumber. The log is cut once, then turned a quarter turn and cut again. The resulting grain pattern on White Oak is a very tight grain with horizontal 'flakes' called tiger stripes. This grain pattern has been widely preferred for generations.
Grain
QSWO is often considered the counterpart to Cherry and is preferred over Red Oak. The grain is very tight and deep. The hallmark of the 'quarter-sawn' milling process is referred to as 'tiger stripes'. These tiger stripes are horizontal 'flakes' that accentuate the beauty of White Oak.
Durability
QSWO rings the bell on the Janka Hardness Scale with a rating of 1335 and garners an overall hardness score of 10 out of 10. Plain and simple. Furniture made out of QSWO will last for generations.
Color
Like Cherry, QSWO wood has been popular in a broad spectrum of finishes over the years. Current trends on QSWO are more toward the medium brown and red tones. Popular finishes on QSWO include Seely, Michael's, Lite Asbury and Asbury.
Style
You'll find this grain pattern on furniture dating back to the turn of the century. The most popular style of furniture ever created out of QSWO is definitely the mission style. QSWO also looks great on traditional and shaker styles as well.
Reclaimed Barnwood: Smooth vs Rough Sawn
Our reclaimed wood is not distressed new wood. It's literally pulled from an old barn. We take a 100+ year old antique, rework it, and make it last for another 100 years. Each piece is unique with nail holes, knots, and all sorts of rustic charm. Both the smooth and rough sawn barnwood are shown below with natural finish. You can also mix or match on any piece of reclaimed wood furniture (ie. smooth top, rough legs).
Grain
Barnwood varies in wood species, although it's often Oak with a distinct character that it has gained throughout its lifetime. The aged texture and grain patterns give a unique appeal to the pieces you use in your home.
Durability
Hardwood that is sourced from a forest or tree plantation is processed in order to endure heavy use. However, wood that has been used in old buildings has spent its life air drying, giving it added strength, stability, and durability that new wood does not have.
Color
Each piece of reclaimed wood tells a unique story with rustic character. Barnwood has a natural wooden patina shade. We recommend a light to natural stain to keep the natural character.
Style
If your furniture requires long panels of wood, you might want consider reclaimed wood. In the past, construction projects used wood directly from the tallest trees. Today, there are regulations that prohibit wood from being harvested from old growth trees.
Elm Wood
Grain
Elm has a prominent growth ring pattern and interlocking wood grain. This type of grain occurs when the fibers of the wood grain reverse their direction as the tree grows. This results in a grain that spirals and swirls with a look that’s bold and beautiful.
Durability
Elm wood has a Janka Hardness rating of 830 and is classified as a soft hardwood, meaning it’s quite durable and tough, but it is softer than other hardwoods. Elm’s interlocked grain adds to its toughness and makes it resistant to splitting.
Color
Elm is a beautiful wood with heartwood colors that range from light to medium reddish-brown and a paler sapwood that is tan to off-white in color. The interlocked grain features unique swirls and waves that make it stand out when stained.
Style
Elm wood furniture has a showy wood grain that’s unique and bold for a variety of styles.
Hard Maple Wood
Grain
Much like its soft Maple counterpart, Hard Maple has a very smooth and feminine grain pattern. The wood grain on Hard Maple is not meant to distract from the overall decor in a room but silently compliment it.
Durability
Hard Maple wood is at the top of the chart on the Janka Hardness Scale with a rating of 1450 and garners an overall hardness score of 10 out of 10. Plain and simple. Furniture made out of Hard Maple is guaranteed to be very heavy. And will last for generations.
Color
Hard Maple looks excellent in any finish. Also known as Clear Maple, it's common on kitchen cabinets with a Natural finish because of its clarity and lack of grain imperfections. If you want a light and consistent color, Hard Maple is a great choice. Popular finishes include Natural, Michael's, Asbury and Rich Tobacco.
Style
The smooth grain pattern in Hard Maple lends the style towards contemporary and shaker styles. Hard Maple is a versatile wood and does look great on all styles of furniture.
Hickory Wood
Grain
Like Oak, Hickory has a distinct and deep grain pattern. Hickory is available in either Rustic Hickory, for those who want the grain variation and visible knots, and regular Hickory.
Durability
Hickory wood is way up on the Janka Hardness Scale with a rating of 1820 and garners an overall hardness score of 15 out of 10. Plain and simple. Furniture made out of Hickory is guaranteed to be very heavy. And will last for generations.
Color
Rustic Hickory with a Natural finish is very distinct and fits well with rustic themes, Hickory with a stained finish is very attractive as well and has been gaining popularity. Popular finishes include Natural, Seely, Michael's, Asbury and Earthtone.
Style
Hickory furniture is typically associated with either rustic masculine styles or traditional styles. However, Hickory is a very versatile wood species and would complement a home in almost any style.
Red Oak Wood
Grain
Red Oak exhibits a strong grain pattern commonly referred to as "Cathedral" because of the large arch patterns. Oak has been widely used over the past several decades for many reasons including the beauty of the grain pattern, durability and relatively low cost in comparison to other American hardwoods.
Durability
One of the reasons Red Oak has been so popular is because of how dense and hard it is. With a rating of 1290 on the Janka Hardness Scale, Red Oak garners an overall hardness score of 9 out of 10. Oak also wears very well over years of tough use and hides minor dents and wear very well in its wide and thick grain pattern.
Color
For many years, Oak was almost exclusively finished in Natural, Light (Golden) and Medium finishes. While we still build a lot of lighter Oak furniture, we are seeing a prominent trend towards the medium to dark color tones on this wood type. Popular finishes on Oak include Fruitwood, Michael's Cherry, Asbury and Rich Tobacco.
Style
Typically, the Oak grain pattern lends the styling towards Traditional.
Walnut Wood
Grain
Walnut, the only dark brown hardwood grown in the USA, possesses a lovely grain pattern that’s usually straight, but can be irregular. Walnut has a medium texture and moderate natural luster.
Durability
One of the harder wood species, Walnut hardwood rates at 1010 on the Janka Scale.
Color
Walnut’s rich, chocolate color with hints of black, gray, and even dark blue or purple make it a beautiful, complex wood. Over time, walnut turns slightly golden brown. The change is so small that it often goes unnoticed.
Style
A wood species that speaks for itself and often needs no introduction, Walnut makes an impression.