THE BEAUTY OF THE DIFFERENT WOOD SPECIES
A product made to last a lifetime starts with a quality foundation. Chris’s Custom Cabinets are made with all wood construction to ensure strength and integrity. Chris’s Custom Cabinets offers many wood species. If you require your custom cabinets in a wood species not mentioned below, just contact one of our showrooms. Our designers will see to it that Chris’s Custom Cabinets can make that possible too.
MAPLE. –
Hard Maple is a strong, closed-grained wood that is predominately off white in color. A uniform wood that occasionally shows small areas that are reminiscent of bird’s eyes, areas of curly grain, and sporadically small tan-brown mineral streaks no wider then 3/16”. These characteristics will appear randomly as they do in nature. Maple reflects a more subtle appearance when finished than other wood species.
CHERRY. –
Cherry is an elegant multi-colored hardwood. It ranges in color from a white to a reddish brown. Cherry is often stained a reddish brown to tone out the color variations. It will have small gum pockets, streaks and pin knots that are common in this wood species. Age and exposure to light, especially direct sunlight will cause the natural wood colors to deepen, turning the darker areas a deep, dark, reddish brown while the lighter areas darken to shades of yellow and a light rich brown. These color variations are random. The aging process is a dominant feature in this rich and satiny wood and is what makes it a benefit of owning solid cherry cabinetry.
KNOTTY CHERRY. –
Knotty Cherry is a multi-colored hardwood. It ranges in color from a white to reddish brown with additional small and large split knots and open knots that vary in size, shape and color. These knots may show completely through the wood. This hand selected knotty cherry cabinet style provides an Old World look, adding to the wood’s appeal. Knotty cherry is often stained a brown to tone out the color variations. Along with the knots it will have small gum pockets, streaks, pin knots that are common in this wood species. Age and exposure to light, especially direct sunlight will cause the natural wood colors to deepen, turning the darker areas a deep, dark, reddish brown while the lighter areas darken to shades of yellow and a light rich brown. These color variations are random. The aging process is a dominant feature in this wood species and is what makes it a benefit of owning solid cherry cabinetry.
ALDER. –
Alder is a medium density hardwood that features a color range of pale yellow to light reddish brown or peach hues. This straight-grained hardwood has a uniform texture. Natural characteristics of alder include small sound knots, modular rays, some curly grain, pinholes, and mineral streaks. Alder wood finishes out for an elegant warm tone similar to the look of cherry.
KNOTTY ALDER. –
Knotty Alder is a medium density hardwood that features a color range of pale yellow to light reddish brown or peach hues. This straight-grained hardwood with uniform texture and additional small and large split knots and open knots that vary in size, shape and color. These knots may show completely through the wood. This hand selected knotty alder cabinet style provides an Old World look, adding to the wood’s appeal. Additional characteristics of alder include pinholes, modular rays, some curly grain, and mineral streaks.
KNOTTY POPLAR. –
Knotty Poplar is a medium density hardwood that features a color range of pale yellow to tan brown. This straight-grained hardwood with uniform texture and additional small and large split knots and open knots that vary in size, shape and color. These knots may completely show through the wood. This hand selected knotty poplar cabinet style provides an Old World look, adding to the wood’s appeal. Additional characteristics of poplar include pinholes, modular rays, and mineral streaks.
HICKORY. –
Hickory is the hardest and heaviest wood grown in America today. An open-grained wood will contain characteristics associated with tree growth. It will contain random pecks, knots, burls and mineral streaks. These naturally occurring characteristics add to the wood’s appeal. Hickory has a flowing grain pattern and a wide spectrum in color. It is not uncommon to see doors or parts of doors that range from light to deep brown when finished in light or natural stains. Darker stains will mildly tone these color variations. These very characteristics make each hickory cabinet unique and the choice of those who love wood.
KNOTTY HICKORY. –
Knotty Hickory, an open-grained wood containing random pecks, knots, burls and mineral streaks, with additional small and large split knots and open knots that vary in size, shape and color. These knots may show completely through the wood. This hand selected knotty hickory cabinet style provides an Old World look, adding to the wood’s appeal. Knotty hickory’s flowing grain pattern and wide spectrum in color is not uncommon to see in doors or parts of doors. It will range from light to deep brown when finished in light or natural stains. Darker stains will mildly tone these color variations.
WALNUT. –
Walnut ranges from a yellowish brown and a deep rich brown to a purplish-black in color. The grain is slightly open and mostly straight, but may be wavy or irregular in areas. It will show some mineral streaks, burls, and a varied color hues. These natural characteristics are an inherent beauty of this rich, warm and inviting hardwood that builds a natural luster through its aging process.
BIRCH. –
Birch is a medium-density hardwood with a distinct, moderate grain pattern that is usually straight, but offers some wavy or curly patterns. The predominate sapwood color is a pale pink to a light reddish-brown, while the heartwood varies in color from medium or dark brown to reddish brown. This range in color makes a distinctive statement in a birch cabinetry selection.
PINE. –
Pine is a close, straight-grained softwood that ranges in color from white to yellow to pink. It is light in weight and contains sound ornamental knots that vary in size, shape and color. Pine will exhibit mineral streaks, curly grain and worm tracking. It will darken with age or take on a yellowish/orange cast. Factory applied distressing on pine cabinetry styles provide for an Old World look. We only recommend this look on pine due to its lower strength and durability.
MAHOGANY. –
Mahogany has been regarded as the premier wood for quality for its high golden luster for over two hundred years. Once so plentiful, it is now a rare and protected hardwood. Mahogany varies considerably in color, from a light pink to pinkish yellow in color; However, over time it matures to the deep reddish brown that is so often seen and imitated. The grain is straight to roey, wavy or curly. Irregularities in the grain often produce highly attractive rays and mottles. Dark colored gum or white deposits may be present in the pores.
OAK. –
Red Oak is a time-honored favorite that is boldly grained with open pores that absorb and hold finish, giving the wood its own unique appearance. It ranges in color from white to yellow and a straw-brown. It is often streaked with green, yellow or black mineral deposits and may vary from a closely-knit grain to a sweeping arch pattern. As our lowest priced wood species, red oak is very hard with a high shock resistance making it an excellent value.
QUARTER SAWN OAK. –
Quarter Sawn Oak gets its name from how the log was skewed when the lumber was sawn. Quartering the log, then cutting the quarter using the heart as the edge rather than the center, produces unique grain patterns. The distinctive characteristics of the Quarter Sawn Oak are the rays or flecks that appear in random patterns across the grain of the wood.
ASH. –
Ash is a boldly straight-grained wood species with open pores that absorb and hold finish similar to Red Oak. Ash is an extreme hard wood that ranges in color from an off white to a mellow brown. It is sometimes streaked with black and green mineral deposits that have leaked into the pores of the wood as the tree was growing.
