Choosing the perfect wood species for your project
Von Boyle Woodworking Co. primarily works with locally and sustainably sourced, premium-grade North American hardwoods for our custom furniture. These include, but are in no way limited to, black walnut, white oak, cherry, maple, and a number of other woods indigenous to the Northeast. Each wood has its own particular characteristics; their color, the size and pattern of their grain, how they feel under fingertips. Understanding wood species helps immensely when making selections for your piece. Ultimately, choosing the right species is one of the most important tasks when designing a build. Below is a brief overview of the most common species designed to help you select the perfect timber for your project.
Black Walnut
Black walnut is one of the most popular species for a number of different styles of furniture. When freshly finished, it is a beautiful chocolate brown color, with unique wood patterns and open grain. As it ages, it will lighten into a honey brown, while still maintaining its distinctive grain pattern. It can be fairly uniform and straight grained, or highly figured. There are many species of walnut, including claro, english, white and bastogne, available upon request.
White Oak
Varying from light tan, to a yellowish tan to even dark brown, white oak is a straight-grained wood that is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. It is hard and resistant to wear, making it a great choice for pieces that may see a lot of abuse, like a dining room table. White oak is also a popular choice for reclaimed furniture, due to its use historically in barns, homes and other structures in the Northeast.
Cherry
Strong, smooth and aged to a gorgeous auburn hue in as little as six months, cherry is one of the Northeast’s premier hardwoods. It’s straight, closed grain has a particularly smooth feel that makes it great under the fingers.
Maple
Maple has a clean, white to yellow color and an incredibly smooth, closed grain texture that makes it smooth to the touch. It is dense and resistant to wear, and can be found with a curly, quilted, burl or birdseye characteristic that gives it a unique beauty.
Ash
Ash is known for its uniform light color, smooth grain structure and relatively hard nature. It is typically straight grained and extremely durable, making it an excellent choice for furniture that will see frequent use. It also “ebonizes” well, and its open grain structure can shows a beautiful depth when the pores are left unfilled.
Cedar
A natural choice for outdoor furniture, both Western Red Cedar and Atlantic White Cedar are lightweight, naturally resistant to rot and insects, and aromatically pleasing. Though cedar often contains lots of small knots, it can also be found with clear, straight grain. Varying from shades of pinks, whites and browns, it has a beautiful grain pattern and can withstand years of outdoor abuse from the sun and rain if treated properly.
