Consumer Information
Real wood has remained a favorite material for cabinets. These materials let you bring a bit of nature into your home while offering a style as unique as you. Real woods are strong, solid materials that will last for a long time, yet they are flexible enough to create beautiful designs. Choosing the type of wood for your cabinets depends on your personal preference and budget. Here are a few of the most popular options:
Alder – a cost-efficient choice
- Qualities: When freshly cut, it is almost white, but exposure to air causes it to darken slightly with a yellow or reddish tint. It is considered a soft hardwood with a medium density and is readily available, making it a cost-effective option.
- Finishes: This wood is easily stained and blends well with other woods, such as walnut or cherry, for a beautiful design.
- Styles: Its attractive, straight grain creates a nice, uniform texture that is perfect for a rustic modern look or urban feel, but it is certainly not limited to these styles.
Cerused Oak Cabinets
Maple – a versatile choice
- Qualities: There are over 120 different species of Maple, which fall into two categories: soft maple and hard maple. Although soft maple is called soft maple, both hard and soft maples are considered hardwoods. Maple typically has unusual, varied grain patterns and ranges from white to creamy white, with occasional reddish-brown tones. It is also durable and abrasion-resistant.
- Finishes: With its beautiful natural grain, it stains well, yielding stunning results. Due to the tight, closed grain of maple, it can also be painted in various colors.
- Style: Maple can be used in a variety of design styles, including contemporary, transitional, modern, and traditional.
Cherry – a sophisticated choice
- Qualities: While it is in the hardwood family, it is softer than most in this group. It can come in several shades, ranging from rich red to reddish-brown. A rich grain that can have the occasional knot is one of its characteristics.
- Finishes: When sanded and given a nice stain, it produces a beautiful, smooth finish that makes it an elegant finished product.
- Style: This wood creates sophisticated and elegant cabinets. It is a good choice for any number of projects, including kitchen cabinets, a home office, or built-ins.
Oak – a timeless choice
- Qualities: It is strong, heavy, and durable. There are around 600 species of oak, and it has been used for thousands of years in construction, making it a reliable and timeless choice.
- Finishes: Due to its natural light color, it stains easily in various colors. It is also popular to curse the oak. This is achieved by applying a unique finishing technique that enhances the wood’s natural grain. Learn more about cerused oak here.
- Style: It has a beautiful style of its own, and because of the many ways it can be finished, it is an excellent choice for any home and multiple styles.





Walker Woodworking