Hardwood Species Guide

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.

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.

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.

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 is widely considered one of the most beautiful American hardwoods. With a deep, wide and exotic grain pattern, it is easy to see why.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Elm wood furniture has a showy wood grain that’s unique and bold for a variety of styles.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Typically, the Oak grain pattern lends the styling towards Traditional.

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.

One of the harder wood species, Walnut hardwood rates at 1010 on the Janka Scale.

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.

A wood species that speaks for itself and often needs no introduction, Walnut makes an impression.