When we make investments, we want to make sure we have all the right information to make a good decision. Custom furniture is no different. When a client commits to commissioning a custom piece, they should feel confident knowing they have the right information to help bring a furniture piece to life they will cherish.
A vital piece of the puzzle is choosing the right materials for the job. This post will scratch that itch.
There’s a huge range of hardwoods available for making furniture and an overwhelming amount of technical information to be found on each one.
But homeowners don’t care about the scientific name of the wood, the jenka hardness, or the cell fiber properties.
They’d rather know things like how a coffee table will hold up to their kid’s matchbox car play, how the color of a cabinet will change over time if placed near that south facing window, or what vibe the material is going to help bring to the room.
The four wood types I’ll cover in this post will give the homeowner a strong base for understanding how wood type can impact both design aesthetic and durability. No technical jargon, just simple, practical knowledge. Let’s jump in.
WHITE OAK
Appearance
White oak has subtle tones of creamy tan. It’s great for modern spaces or traditional spaces alike.
The look of the grain can change depending on the orientation of the boards cut from the log. Flat sawn boards produce what is commonly known as cathedral grain. Rift or quarter sawn boards have the growth rings coming through the face of the board – the result is a straight grain with wavy lines called “ray flecks”. Rift and quartersawn lumber is more expensive because the cutting method yields less material from the log.
Example of Different White Oak Grain Orientations
Over time, white oak’s creamy tan will gain subtle warmth and depth, enriching the wood grain.
White oak takes stain very well and is also amenable to a process called ebonizing which uses a combination of steel wool and vinegar to turn the wood to a stunning jet-black color.
Ebonized White Oak Furniture Piece
Strength and Durability
White oak is plenty strong for all types of furniture applications. It’s not the hardest material out there, but it will resist most abuse you throw at it, making it great for tables and other heavy use furniture pieces.
Rift and quartersawn boards are more stable through seasonal changes, so they’re often a great choice when wood movement in a piece is a concern.
Special Qualities
Unlike red oak which has large open pores, the pores of white oak are filled (with something called tyloses) making the grain much more water-tight. This makes white oak a great choice for outdoor applications or anything where water or rot resistance is crucial.
Cost
White oak has a price tag in the mid to upper range for domestic hardwoods. Connecticut local board foot costs are approximately $13 per board foot. (Board foot is a volume measurement which equals 12” x 12” x 1” of material)
(HARD) MAPLE
Appearance
Maple is creamy white to pale tan, and features very subtle, even grain. It’s great choice to enhance the brightness of spaces or contribute to a minimalist design.
Maple’s ability to take stain/color is less than other more porous woods – it can be blotchy, absorbing stain unevenly. Therefore, its best to use a natural finish.
Over time, the wood will gain a warm, golden tone from exposure to air and sunlight.
Strength and Durability
Maple is one of the strongest domestic hardwoods available, and very tight grained. It’s a great material choice for cabinetry, tables, or any piece of furniture that will take significant wear and tear.
Special Qualities
If you want a statement piece with some wild grain and figure, maple has some highly figured varieties that are sure to catch your eye. These include quilted maple, tiger maple, and bird’s eye maple. The visual brilliance of these woods comes with a higher price tag than hard maple.
Curly Maple Example
Bird's Eye Maple Example
Because it’s so dense and tight grained, hard maple makes for great kitchen applications. It is often used in wood countertops and cutting boards because of the anti-microbial properties of the wood structure.
Cost
Hard Maple has a price tag in the low to medium range for domestic hardwoods, at approximately $7 per board foot in Connecticut.
CHERRY
Appearance
Cherry has the most prominent color change over time. It starts out with a lighter salmon color when freshly cut, but over time it changes dramatically taking on rich reddish-brown tones. This happens quicker than with other hardwoods – a noticeable deepening in color can be seen after six to twelve months.
Fresh Cut vs. Finished/Aged Cherry
The grain is straight and relatively muted compared to other hardwoods.
Because of cherry’s receptivity to color change, homeowners should be cautious when deciding where furniture will live as uneven sunlight exposure can cause certain areas of a piece to age in color quicker than others.
Cherry takes stain evenly and predictably but looks just as good with a simple clear finish.
All in all, aged cherry wood is prized for its rich feeling of antique luxury - it’s the fine wine of hardwood.
Strength and Durability
Cherry has sufficient strength for all furniture applications. In terms of hardness though, it is the softest wood on this list. A homeowner should consider potential denting and need for repair if this wood is used for applications like coffee or dining tables.
Special Qualities
Cherry shines when wood movement is a concern for applications like casework and cabinets. Cherry wood has smaller seasonal wood movement than other hardwoods on this list. Less movement means more precision – no cabinet drawers getting stuck in the humid summer months.
Cost
Like hard maple, cherry has a price tag in the low to medium range for domestic hardwoods, at approximately $7 per board foot in Connecticut.
WALNUT
Appearance
There’s no argument here – walnut is gorgeous. Prized as one of the most beautiful and sought-after domestic hardwoods, walnut’s heartwood ranges from chocolate brown to deep espresso with occasional hints of red or purple. The transition from heartwood to sapwood also provides a striking contrast often showcased on live-edge furniture.
The grain is typically straight but quite prominent and can become further pronounced as furniture ages. It’s striking without being busy.
Walnut actually lightens slightly over time, compared to cherry which darkens.
Strength and Durability
Like the others, walnut’s strength is sufficient for all furniture applications. It’s hardness is less than that of oak and maple, but more than cherry, so it’s still a great choice for table tops as long as extreme abuse isn’t expected.
Homeowners might not care about this part, but woodworkers love walnut for it’s easy of machining. It’s high strength to density ratio makes it easy on tools. It also means furniture made from walnut will be lighter than other woods such as maple or oak, which should be considered if the homeowner will need to move the furniture piece on occasion.
Special Qualities
Walnut is really the only hardwood naturally grown in North America that has a rich and deep brown color. To find other woods with deep, dark brown color, you have to look at exotic species whose high wood densities often preclude them from being well suited for large furniture.
Cost
At nearly 2x the cost of white oak and 4x the cost of cherry and maple, walnut sits at around $26 per board foot in Connecticut, making it a premium hardwood choice due to high demand, slower growth rate and thus lower supply.
CONCLUSION
This is by no means a comprehensive list of furniture building material. The client should always be clear and forthcoming with their requirements so the craftsman can help guide them to the right material.
Homeowners may not know lumber science, but they do know what they want their custom piece to look like, where it’s going to live, and how it’s going to be used. Those details are vital to the craftsman so they can use their technical knowledge to recommend a wood choice.
If you have specific questions about materials used in custom furniture, shoot me an email at longoluccowoodworks2020@gmail.com.