The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your Furniture wood type
How to pick the right wood furniture to fit your home.
Plus Two NEW Options!
The biggest question people ask when ordering their new piece of furniture is: How do I complement the wood I already have in my home? Whether it’s the already existing furniture, the wooden floors, trim or paneling, customers want to know how to blend wood tones harmoniously. Most commonly, people note that they are not necessarily interested in matching wood tones but finding something that “goes with” what they have.
FINDING HARMONY
Take note of what woods you have around the room. Consider the floors, furniture and trim. Do you note warm or cool undertones? Consider the grain pattern. While there is no strict set of rules to follow, most stylists can agree that adding various wood tones and patterns can give a room more depth. According to one stylist you should be contrasting your wood tones to add more layers, as well as using repetition to find balance. Another blogger advises using a three wood tone max, but then playfully breaks their own rule by adding textiles and other materials to strike the right balance.
The overall consensus for stylists is selecting woods with common undertones. Warm tones go with other warm tones, and cool goes with cool. Fortunately for our customers all of the wood types we offer have warm or neutral undertones that blend well together! So you really can’t go wrong if you get what you like. (*SPECIAL NOTE: Our newest options White Oak and Walnut (Natural) are neutral wood tones, so they can fall into either camp.)
Read on to learn more about each wood type. And when in doubt, order wood samples!
WHICH WOOD TYPE DO I CHOOSE?
Maple, Cherry, Oak & Walnut: These timeless American hardwoods all make great options for your new furniture. With their warm undertones, this group all complement one another.
WHITE OAK
Welcoming in White Oak to our available options by popular demand.
White oak leans slightly warmer but is a neutral tone, making it extremely versatile. This one has a Natural Effect finish which is a clear, matte polyurethane with a zero sheen.
We use Plain Sawn White Oak which features classic arch shaped wood patterns and shows a rich variation across the boards.
(Quarter sawn & rift sawn are pricier options, but are offered by request.)
MAPLE
Our lightest wood type and a very Scandinavian choice. Maple has an airy feel and makes a great choice for a room already weighted with darker colors.
Alternatively, a full-on cohesive maplewood look from floors to doors to furniture to kitchen cabinetry is a whole vibe.
Maple has a smart, simplistic yet sophisticated quality that lends itself to our straightforward designs. It is not showy and has the ability to recede into the background, making it an excellent choice for an artist workspace or kids play space, encouraging the art or imagination to take lead.
Maplewood is finished with our standard 10 sheen.
CHERRY
Inspired by the vintage teak furniture that shaped our brand. (We imported and sold Danish furniture for over a decade!) When looking for a glowing warm teakwood tone in an American hardwood, we found a pretty close match with our heritage stained cherrywood, finished with our standard 10 sheen.
Cherry can vary in tone based on the individual age of the tree or location. Just like teak, it deepens and reddens over time, especially when exposed to natural lighting. It is usually lighter when freshly cut and then goes through a process called “ripening” which occurs most noticeably over the first few months but can last for several years.
We love how well this wood tone blends well with other woods. It feels warm and inviting making it a great choice for entertaining spaces like the living room and dining room.
RED OAK
We love the sweet and subtle hints of pink undertones on Red Oak. It also also happens to be the more affordable wood option right now so we’re happy to have it available.
A forever classic, oak is an excellent choice for bookshelves. It’s reliable and comforting like your favorite novel. Oak also makes a great choice for dining tables, lending a timeless modern farmhouse vibe. It’s uncomplicated and sincere.
It is finished with our standard 10 sheen.
WALNUT
Did I save the best for last? You decide!
Walnut is probably our most popular customer choice (and also the priciest wood species we offer). Using our heritage stain we deepen and enrich this dark wood, bringing out it’s inner warmth and glow. Finished with our standard 10 sheen, it’s a show-stopping finish!
Walnut is extremely handsome and looks good on anything. It’s a top choice for sideboards, case goods and bedroom furniture. Walnut pairs well with lighter warm woods. It’s sophisticated, romantic, warm and timeless.
Consider using walnut to showcase your passions like a vinyl record collection. Or maybe you just love spending time at home with family and friends; consider investing in your living space with high-end looking and heirloom quality pieces in walnut.
WALNUT (NATURAL)
Another new addition is Walnut without our stain applied. This one has a Natural Effect finish which is a clear, matte polyurethane with a zero sheen.
Walnut is another neutral tone, making it extremely versatile, though it does lean a bit on the cool side.
