Wood Species & Solid Wood Cabinetry

Wood is a popular choice for cabinet doors due to its timeless decorative style and durability. Solid wood not only looks good, it’s usually sturdier and more durable than composite products.

Wood is divided into two categories, hardwood and softwood.

Hardwood comes from trees that lose their leaves in the winter, and softwood comes from trees that do not lose their leaves. Example: Oak is a hardwood and Pine is a softwood.

Each species of wood has its own identifiable grain pattern and coloring. Darker wood, the "heartwood," comes from the center of the tree. Lighter colored wood, called "sapwood," is from the outer region of the tree.

The natural properties of wood can also affect design decisions. Some woods are light by nature and some are dark. These details factor into how light or dark a stain your cabinets will be able to handle.

Before deciding on wood cabinet doors, you should be aware of the following:

• All wood doors have 'imperfections' which are characteristic of wood. (spots, shade variances, etc.)

• All wood will change color when exposed to light, some more so than others. New finishing methods will help slow the process, but none completely stops it. Natural color differences in wood are caused by variations in minerals found in the soil in which the tree was grown, and will differ by tree and parts of the tree.

• A solid wood cabinet door will not have full matching grain or color. Every wood species exhibits other characteristics such as knots, pinholes, sap runs and darkening with age. It is the beauty of natural wood to have these characteristics as well as natural variations in graining and color. If this is important to you, you should consider the less expensive veneered doors.

Colored stains, paint and glazes will look different on different types of wood. Softer areas of the wood and end grain surfaces will accept more stain and often appear darker than other areas. This is a natural reaction when finishing wood products, and potential variances in color cannot be controlled. Be sure you see the color on your choice of wood before you order.  Please refer to our Ordering Samples page for more information.

Wood Characteristics

Alder (hardwood)

Alder wood’s straight and close grain has made it a popular choice for fine cabinetry and furniture. Colors of this medium-density hardwood vary from white to tan to pinkish-brown.

• Similar to cherry in its darker finishes, giving it a rich traditional appearance.
• Minimal, uniform grain pattern but may show mineral streaks and pin knots.

Allspice	Allspice Chocolate	Butternut	Clove	Distressed	Ginger
Pecan	Plumwood	Shortbread Fudge	Toasted Nut	Truffle	Walnut Brown

Cherry (hardwood)

• Considered a medium strong wood
• Mellows (darkens) considerably within the first 3 years, especially noticeable in lighter stains

Butternut Fudge	Shortbread	Fawn	Natural	Natural Chocolate	Natural Fudge
Clove	Ginger	Toasted Nut	Walnut	Walnut	Tuscan Brown

Light, strong and rather hard, cherry's grain is subtler than some other hardwoods. The fine-grained wood has a smooth texture and satiny feel. Cherry has a lustrous appearance that seems to glow.

The sapwood (outer tree region) has a creamy white appearance. The heartwood (tree center) ranges in color from rich red to reddish brown, with localized color variations of green, pink or yellow streaks and may contain small knots and pin holes.

Distinctive figures (patterns) and wood grains are brought out through quarter sawing. It is usually finished in a medium or dark finish to bring out the mahogany-red tones.

Cherry helps define Shaker, Mission and country styling, as well as more formal traditional styles.

Maple (hardwood)

• Two main types of maples: hard maple and soft maple. Both are hardwoods, but of the two, soft maple is physically softer. Hard maple is more expensive than oak or soft maple

• Natural characteristics of maple cabinetry include gray mineral streaks and variations in grain patterns and color. Maple will take on a warm golden hue as it ages

Butternut Fudge	Shortbread	Fawn	Natural	Natural Pearl	Shortbread Fudge
Tuscan Brown	Truffle	Allspice Fudge	Tuscan Brown	Bisque	Heatherstone

The sapwood of the hard maple is preferred for cabinets. It is dense, close-grained, strong, smooth and predominately white in color, although it may contain light hues of yellow-brown, pink, light tan, or small dark mineral streaks.

The wood is generally straight-grained, but it may exhibit special grain patterns that are also much sought after, including "birds-eye" (dots resembling the eyes of birds) "curly" (a tight wavy pattern in the annual rings), and "blister figure" –(resembles a 3 dimensional landscape)

Hard maple takes lighter stains well, but darker stains will exhibit uneven levels of penetration. Hard maple is most often finished in a light color or whitewashed.

Soft maple is not as heavy, hard, or strong as that of the hard maples, but their characteristics are similar. Soft maple is close-grained and well suited for use with enamel finishes and brown tones, and takes a polish well.

Soft maple takes stain more readily than does hard, and the sapwood has more gray hues, which are more visible in certain light when given a light stain. Soft maple is also much easier to dent than hard. Soft maple is often stained to look like cherry, walnut and other more expensive hardwoods. Because soft maple mellows (darkens) at a much slower rate than cherry wood, the color will maintain its original appearance longer.

Oak (hardwood)

Oak is the most popular of all the cabinet woods due to its availability in many regions.

• Two main types: Red Oak and White Oak.

• Oak can have dramatic variations in color, knots and grain pattern. It contains natural characteristics such as pin knots and flecks, and may contain streaks of green, gold and black mineral deposits. The prominent flame-shaped grain pattern is beautifully enhanced when finish color is applied

Allspice	Allspice Fudge	Butternut	Natural	Natural Chocolate	Shortbread Fudge
Truffle	Walnut	Walnut Black	`Black	Heritage Vanilla	Heritage Red

Most oak cabinets are made from white oak; red is usually a premium. Both are considered strong woods.

Red oak is a very strong, open-grained wood that ranges in color from salmon-pink to almost white. It is sometimes streaked with green, yellow and black mineral deposits, and may contain some wide grain.

The sapwood of red oak is white to light brown and the heartwood is pinkish, reddish brown. The wood is similar in general appearance to white oak with a less pronounced figure (patterns). The wood is mostly straight-grained, with a coarse texture.

White oak is harder and heavier than red oak. It has a tan tone where red oak has a pink tint. The majority of oak cabinets are made from white oak.

The sapwood of white oak is light-colored and the heartwood is light to dark brown. White oak is mostly straight-grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than red oak. White oak therefore has more figure (patterns).

Unlike the extremely porous red oak, white oak is impervious to liquids making it highly desirable for use in bathrooms or other areas with high humidity.

Hickory (hardwood)

Hickory is one of the hardest, heaviest and strongest woods in the United States and is a member of the Pecan family.

• Strong, open grained wood, distinguished by dramatic contrasts of light and dark wood, even within a single board. It is not uncommon to see doors, or parts of doors, ranging in color form light to a deep brown when light or natural stains are applied. Darker stains will mildly tone these color variations.

Butternut Fudge	Shortbread	Fawn

Hickory's color is brown to reddish brown in the heartwood and nearly white sapwood. It may have random bird pecks, water spots and mineral streaks. The wood takes stain well, but the natural variance in color will still be visible. For a more even color, hickory is often finished with opaque paint.

Pine (softwood)

• Usually the least expensive wood for cabinets

• Several different varieties of pine: Western White, Eastern White, Yellow

• Extremely soft - dents easily

Like cherry, pine mellows (darkens) with age within 1-2 years. The characteristics of "knotty" pine's natural grain and color shades give each piece its own unique personality, ensuring that no two pieces look alike. However, the knots will "bleed" through washed or light finishes and they tend to darken with age.

Pine's physical characteristics are extremely soft. Pine dents easily and hinges may loosen after time. Pine takes most finishes well, but staining can produce "blotchiness.">

Western White Pine has straight and even grain with a medium to coarse texture. The heartwood is cream colored to light reddish brown that darkens on exposure and yellowish white sapwood.

Eastern White Pine has a comparatively uniform texture and is straight grained. The sapwood is white to pale yellow with a reddish tinge. The heartwood is light brown, often with a reddish tinge. The wood darkens with age and air exposure, eventually turning to a deep orange color.

Yellow Pine is classified as a hard pine and is harder than white pine. Warm pale yellow in color with brown knots, it has a distinctive light and dark grain pattern.

Medium Density Fiberboard-MDF (manufactured hardwood)

A composite panel product typically consisting of lignocellulosic wood fibers combined with a synthetic resin or other suitable bonding system and joined together under heat and pressure.

• MDF is flat, smooth, uniform and free of knots and grain patterns, which simplifies finishing operations, especially for thin laminates.

Cabinetmakers use MDF when they require a shelf or panel free of defects. The consistent density of MDF allows for intricate and precise machining and finishing techniques. Its stability and strength hold to close tolerances in accurately cut parts.

MDF has many qualities that make it an ideal upgrade from plywood or particleboard. It is dense, flat, and stiff, free from knots and is easily machined. Its fine particles provide dimensional stability without the grain common to lumber. Unlike most plywood, MDF contains no voids, and will deliver sharp, clean edges.

MDF is used as core material for paneling with veneers, printed surfaces, vinyl and low pressure laminates. It is stable, flat, smooth, has no grain to telegraph through the overlay, and can be installed quickly and easily.