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Hardwoods

For Designers

Design with Depth

Hardwoods captivate designers with their enduring beauty and varied grains, providing a canvas that imparts spaces with a natural elegance. They embody sustainability, allowing environments to be crafted that feed the soul while honoring the earth. This is the essence of design with depth, where each hardwood element enriches its space, not only seen but deeply felt, elevating hardwoods beyond mere function to become the heart of inspirational design.

For Architects

Build with Balance

In architecture, hardwoods stand as pillars of both structural integrity and aesthetic beauty, allowing architects to craft spaces that resonate with strength and elegance. These materials merge the demands of form, function, and sustainability, enabling the creation of buildings that endure in both stability and style. Hardwoods are chosen by architects for their timeless appeal and robust nature, underpinning designs that harmonize with the environment and the human experience.

Why Hardwoods?

1 Aesthetics and Authenticity

The enduring allure of hardwoods lies in their honest and pure beauty, offering a tactile connection to nature that resonates with timeless elegance. Each piece tells a story of authenticity, bringing a sense of warmth and grounding to any space it inhabits. Embracing the unique character of hardwoods is to celebrate the art of nature’s design, designing spaces that speak to the soul with their natural, unadorned sophistication.

Speak to the soul with genuine and timeless appeal.

Cherish the planet and care for its people.

2 Sustainability and Wellness

Opting for hardwoods aligns the art of design with the rhythms of nature, offering sustainable solutions that enhance both environmental health and personal well-being. These materials, sourced from conscientiously managed forests, support a healthy ecosystem while also ensuring that our indoor spaces are free from the volatile organic compounds commonly found in synthetic alternatives. The natural warmth and serenity of hardwoods contribute to a sense of wellness and calm, making them an ideal choice for creating spaces that are not only beautiful but also beneficial to mental and physical health.

3 It’s The Real Thing

In the thoughtful selection of materials, the choice of hardwoods over synthetic substitutes is not merely a preference but a conscientious act of environmental stewardship. Responsibly sourced hardwoods fuse skilled workmanship with the enduring resilience of nature, creating living spaces that radiate warmth and grow more characterful and robust as the years pass.

In stark contrast, the allure of synthetic substitutes, with their immediate cost-effectiveness and convenience, belies the hidden costs: the heavy environmental toll of their production, the finite resources they consume, and the enduring legacy of pollution, waste and potential health risks they leave behind. These materials, often reliant on petrochemicals, compromise air quality and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, while their shorter lifespan ushers in a cycle of waste and replacement, challenging our planet’s delicate ecological balance.

A natural choice superior to synthetic substitutes.

Make the
right choice,
choose hardwoods

Consider Alder

Open a realm of creative possibilities

Choosing Alder blends artistry with environmental care, offering designers the versatility to stain and shape spaces to meet any style. It’s a choice that pairs visual allure with the ethos of sustainability, turning every design into a celebration of both beauty and the earth’s well-being.

Beauty: Alder’s fine grain and warm hues, easily stained for a luxurious finish, create inviting and cohesive looks for furniture and architectural details.

Versatility: Alder shines in its adaptability for projects from luxurious to economical, satisfying the demands of high-end aesthetics at great value.

Sustainability: Alder champions sustainability, growing swiftly in disturbed soils to enhance ecosystem recovery and soil fertility, beneficially coexisting with softwood species.

Local Economy: Alder has boosted the local economy of the Pacific Northwest, transforming a once undervalued wood into a valuable asset that supports community development and prosperity.

Get to Know Hardwoods

Alder

Scientific Name: Alnus Rubra

Red Alder, native to the Pacific Northwest, has a uniform honey color with limited differences between heartwood and sapwood. Coupled with its reliable stability, it is a popular choice for both furniture and cabinetry. With a closed grain and fine texture, the rich light brown color sets during the drying process (8.5% MC) that limits darkening and yellowing over time like other species are susceptible to.

This relatively soft hardwood is easy to work with, excelling in machining and fine finishing. It stains well and can be finished in a variety of shades and colors, offering a valuable alternative for a wide array of projects. Alder’s availability in various grades allows for flexibility in design and
applications – from rustic to refined contemporary pieces, aligning with the needs of both artisan craftsmen and large-scale manufacturers.

What’s Alder Used For?

Cabinetry
Vanities
Furniture
Millwork
Musical Instruments
Moulding

Why Alder?

Close grain, fine texture
Uniform honey color
Excellent finishing
Easy to machine and process
Strategic alternative to poplar, soft maple and more

Quick Fact

Alder serves as a stable-cost alternative to Poplar and Soft Maple, favored for its price reliability amidst the market volatility of other hardwoods.

Knotty Alder

Scientific Name: Alnus Rubra

Discover the rustic allure of Knotty Alder, whose unique knots and warm tones create a cozy, distinctive look, perfect for enhancing the ambiance of mountain homes, cottages, and other inviting spaces.

© Photo courtesy of Crystal Cabinets, Design by Dorian DeHaan

What’s Knotty Alder Used For?

Furniture
Cabinetry
Moulding
Millwork
Doors
Frames

Why Knotty Alder?

Close grain, fine texture
Uniform honey color
Excellent finishing
Easy to machine and process
Strategic alternative to poplar, soft maple and more

Quick Fact

Alder serves as a stable-cost alternative to Poplar and Soft Maple, favored for its price reliability amidst the market volatility of other hardwoods.

Adaptive Alder

Scientific Name: Alnus Rubra

Alder’s real charm lies in its remarkable adaptability, especially when it comes to finishes.

This versatile hardwood has the ability to absorb stains evenly and can emulate the look of more expensive woods, allowing a high-end aesthetic without the premium cost. Whether opting for a light, natural finish or a deeper, richer hue, Alder adjusts beautifully, making it a go-to choice for a vast range of projects where flexibility in design and budget is key.

What’s Alder Used For?

Cabinetry
Vanities
Furniture
Millwork
Musical Instruments
Moulding

Why Alder?

Close grain, fine texture
Uniform honey color
Excellent finishing
Easy to machine and process
Strategic alternative to poplar, soft maple and more

Quick Fact

Alder serves as a stable-cost alternative to Poplar and Soft Maple, favored for its price reliability amidst the market volatility of other hardwoods.

Basswood

Scientific Name: Tilia Americana

Basswood is a lightweight, easily worked hardwood from the
Glacial region, renowned for its smooth texture and even grain, which make it excellent for carving and detail work. Its pale, consistent coloring ensures a uniform appearance across a variety of specialized applications.

With its fine texture and stability, Basswood is suited for hand-carved items and precision models, resisting splitting while offering a neutral canvas for high-quality finishes. This versatile wood is widely used for musical instruments, blinds, shutters, and ornamental mouldings.

What’s Basswood Used For?

Furniture
Mouldings
Shutters Blinds
Boxes/Crates
Packing Material
Musical
Instruments
Toys
Drawer sides

Why Basswood?

Workable and very lightweight
Carving, turnings and detail-friendly
Consistent smooth texture
Reliable for paint and staining
Economical to ship due to light weight

Quick Fact

Basswood’s softness enables easy chopping, ripping, and shaping, making it a popular choice for detailed woodworking.

Cherry

Scientific Name: Prunus Serotina

Cherry, a premium hardwood from the Eastern U.S., is valued for its satiny texture and elegant aging, which enhance its natural luster over time. It’s known for its even grain that darkens with exposure, highlighting the wood’s inherent warmth and richness.

The heartwood ranges from deep reds to lighter salmon shades with a distinct grain, giving each piece its unique character. Cherry is favored for its workability, precision in carving, and exceptional finish, making it a symbol of luxury in cabinetry, furniture, and millwork. Its decay resistance and subtle fragrance further underscore Cherry as a versatile and sophisticated choice.

What’s Cherry Used For?

Cabinetry
Furniture
Paneling
Interior Trim
Crafts
Toys

Why Cherry?

Ages elegantly
Fine grain pattern
Decay resistant
Pleasant aroma
Lustrous texture
Versatile applications

Quick Fact

Cherry’s rich hue and fine grain are often imitated by less expensive woods through staining and grain simulation techniques, but authentic Cherry remains unmatched.

Hickory

Scientific Name: Carya App Illinoinensis

Hickory, harvested from the Glacial and Appalachian regions, is recognized for its remarkable durability and distinctive aesthetic. Its typically straight grain, coupled with potential wavy or irregular patterns, contributes to a coarse texture that complements both rustic and sophisticated designs.

Renowned for its exceptional hardness and impact resistance, Hickory is suited for high-traffic flooring and heavy-duty applications. Its natural color variation, from creamy whites to deep browns, allows for a striking visual contrast, making it ideal for statement pieces that require both resilience and beauty. Hickory stains remarkably well and all the color variations are leveled out when stained.

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cabinets, Design by Wendy Manley

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cabinets, Design by Cynthia Stafford and Lindi Bolinger

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cabinets, Design by Jennifer Rogers and Bill Roehl

What’s Hickory Used For?

Cabinetry
Furniture
Flooring
Doors
Millwork
Case Goods
Tool Handles
Ladders
Pick and Axe Handles

Why Hickory?

Exceptional hardness
Impact-resistant
Striking color/grain contrast
Durable for heavy-use
Rustic or sophisticated finish
Finishes well

Quick Fact

Hickory is used for smoking meats, imparting a distinctive flavor that’s cherished by barbecue enthusiasts.

Hard Maple

Scientific Name: Acer Saccharum

Hard Maple is a highly regarded hardwood from both the Glacial and Appalachian regions, renowned for its hardness, strength, and the light-reflecting beauty of its fine grain. Its pale, creamy hue, occasionally tinged with reddish-brown, contributes to a clean, uniform aesthetic.

Hard Maple is valued for its exceptional durability and shock resistance, well-suited for high-traffic flooring, cabinetry, and various sporting venues including basketball courts and bowling alleys. Its fine grain takes a high polish and stains to emulate pricier woods, offering design flexibility across budgets. Available in various thicknesses and grades, it’s a favored choice for both bespoke craftsmanship and manufacturing.

© Crystal Cabinets Designer: Brenda Fritsch

Clean, shiny, maple wood hardwood floor flooring in contemporary upscale home kitchen dining room interior

What’s Hard Maple Used For?

Flooring
Cabinetry
Furniture
Paneling
Tool Handles
Cutting Blocks
Sports Flooring
Bowling Pins
Baseball Bats

Why Hard Maple?

Fine texture and straight grain
Beautiful with a clear finish
Hard and durable
Dent-resistant longevity
Stable workability
Easy to finish

Quick Fact

Hard Maple’s fine grain and ability to absorb stains uniformly allow it to replicate the appearance of more expensive woods, offering aesthetic versatility for upscale designs at a more accessible cost.

Soft Maple

Scientific Name: Acer Spp

Originating from the Appalachian region, Soft Maple is a lighter, pliable, but stable hardwood known for its workable qualities. It features a fine, closed grain in a pale hue, with occasional wavy patterns. Ideal for both painting and decorative finishes, it’s commonly chosen for turned objects and specialty crafts. The sapwood is often the choice for clear finishes, while the heart or brown piece is optimal for painted finishes.

Soft Maple’s adaptability makes it a cost-effective choice for varied projects, including cabinetry, furniture, and millwork. It accommodates different grades, ensuring suitability for bespoke pieces and large-scale production, while its source region guarantees a steady supply of this versatile wood.

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cabinets, Design by Terry Stefanoudakis

What’s Soft Maple Used For?

Cabinetry
Furniture
Doors
Turnings
Millwork
Musical Instruments

Why Soft Maple?

Durable longevity
Classic hardwood appeal
Even finish absorption
Smooth and stable
Excellent workability
Natural two-tone effect

Quick Fact

Soft Maple is often used as a substitute for Hard Maple because it has a similar appearance but is easier to work with due to its lower density.

Pacific Coast Maple

Scientific Name: Acer Macrophyllum

Pacific Coast Maple, known for its creamy color and even texture, is a versatile hardwood from the Pacific Northwest favored for its workability. It provides a warm, consistent backdrop for various finishes, suitable for modern and traditional designs alike.

Fine-grained and satiny, PC Maple is soft yet stable, machines effortlessly, and is excellent for both hand and machine tool use. It achieves a smooth finish, absorbs stains uniformly, and is commonly used for interior elements like cabinetry and furniture, as well as specialty wood items.

What’s PC Maple Used For?

Cabinetry
Furniture
Millwork
Mouldings
Vanities

Why PC Maple?

Versatile and cost-effective
Substitute for Hard or Soft Maple
Creamy color, satiny finish
Fine grain, smooth texture
Optimal strength-to-weight

Quick Fact

PC Maple’s subtle hue variation from pale creamy white sapwood to light or dark reddish-brown heartwood adds natural versatility to its design applications.

Poplar

Scientific Name: Populus Spp

Yellow Poplar thrives in the Eastern United States, growing quickly and abundantly. This fast-growing hardwood is popular for its straight grain and uniform texture, qualities that make it excellent for painting and staining.

Poplar usually displays a light color palette that can feature green overtones, but can also have purple streaks. It will darken over time with UV exposure and appear tanned if areas are covered. Though softer than many hardwoods, Poplar is still durable enough for a range of uses and is particularly easy to machine. It’s often chosen for carving, crafting detailed work without splitting, and is frequently used in the production of furniture, doors and architectural millwork for interiors.

What’s Poplar Used For?

Furniture
Interior Doors
Millwork
Moulding
Baskets
Picture Frames

Why Poplar?

Lightweight and soft
Paint-friendly surface
Smooth grain texture
Cost-effective hardwood
Durable and stable

Quick Fact

Poplar is the Swiss Army knife of hardwoods, often serving as an economical option for everything from construction to furniture.

Red Oak

Scientific Name: Quercus Rubra

Red Oak, sourced from the Glacial and Appalachian regions, stands out for its robust strength and enduring durability. With its striking grain and versatile color palette, ranging from light creamy pink to warm reddish-brown, Red Oak is ideal for flooring, furniture, cabinetry, and millwork.

Red Oak’s renowned for its hardness and wear resistance, suited to high-traffic floors and structural applications. The wood’s excellent staining qualities enable it to seamlessly fit into a variety of decor themes. NWH ensures superior quality by kiln drying Red Oak, providing a level of consistency that elevates it beyond standard offerings, making it a preferred choice for diverse projects and applications.

What’s Red Oak Used For?

Cabinetry
Furniture
Flooring
Joinery
Architectural Millwork
Paneling
Caskets

Why Red Oak?

Natural high-contrast grain
Heavy-duty durability
Dense hardness
Varied color finishes

Quick Fact

Fast-grown Red Oak, with wide growth rings, is heavier than
slow-grown Red Oak. NWH offers select Red Oak color sorts to produce applications with beautiful, uniform color tones.

Walnut

Scientific Name: Juglans Nigra

Walnut, sourced from the central and eastern U.S., is celebrated for its deep, rich tones and complex grain patterns. This hardwood’s natural beauty, displaying colors from light pale brown to a deep chocolate, often with purplish undertones and dark streaks, is ideal for luxurious statement pieces. Walnut is perfect if you desire some contrast, from deep rich dark tones in the heartwood to a sapwood that is almost white.

Straight-grained with occasional irregularities, Walnut is as functional as it is beautiful, easy to work with for machining, nailing, and gluing. It’s favored for its bending properties and stability in furniture, flooring, and cabinetry, maintaining shape and smoothness over time, with high shock resistance adding to its lasting value.

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cabinets, Design by Elena Eskandari and Samantha Klickna

What’s Walnut Used For?

Cabinetry
Furniture
Shotguns/Rifle Stocks and Forends
Millwork
Flooring

Why Walnut?

Luxurious dark color
Excellent structural integrity
Unique grain enhancement
Superb molding capability
Exceptional finishing
Bespoke luxury choice

Quick Fact

NWH Walnut is steamed to enhance the chocolate brown heartwood and darken the sapwood.

White Oak

Scientific Name: Quercus Alba

White Oak, a robust hardwood from the Eastern U.S., is valued for its durability and versatile beauty. Known for its tactile grain and distinctive “flecking” in rift-sawn pieces, it is a top choice for architectural elements and fine furniture. Over time, it develops a patina that underscores its long-lasting appeal and design versatility.

The wood’s varied hues, from light sapwood to medium brown heartwood, and ray fleck patterns, make each piece unique. White Oak is adaptable in its uses, from traditional furniture and flooring to modern designs and even outdoor settings, thanks to its moisture and decay resistance—qualities that also make it ideal for making whiskey barrels (staves).

White Oak Alternative: Color-Treated Red Oak

While Red Oak has beautiful undertones that bring warmth to any space, the popularity of sleek, modern design trends has led many designers to prefer the light, airy look of White Oak. However, White Oak’s elevated look, hardness, and durability come at a higher cost and are not always easy to find. As a result, many are turning to Treated Red Oak as a practical and economically sound alternative. By treating Red Oak to reduce its darker undertones, it can closely mimic the appearance of White Oak, offering a cost-effective solution without compromising on aesthetics or quality.

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cabinets, Design by Caitrin McIlvain

What’s White Oak Used For?

Flooring
Cabinetry
Furniture
Millwork
Mine Timbers
Ships Caskets
Whiskey Barrels

Why White Oak?

Patina with age
Strong grain texture
Long-lasting hardness
Resists moisture
Uniform, versatile design
Timeless finish

Quick Fact

White Oak is perfect for whiskey barrels and boat transoms thanks to its tyloses, structures inside the wood’s vessels, blocking them and making it watertight and resistant to rot.

African Mahogany

Scientific Name: Khaya ivorensis A. Chev

African Mahogany, known for its workability and stunning appearance, is a prized hardwood from West Africa. It showcases a range of colors from pale pink to deep red-brown, which age beautifully over time. The wood’s interlocking grain produces an exquisite figure, often featuring a shimmering, three-dimensional effect. Grain sorts are significant with African Mahogany as well, offering both flat sawn and quarter sawn options.

Ideal for furniture, cabinetry, and boatbuilding, African Mahogany is also favored for its good dimensional stability, resistance to rot, and a finish that gleams with rich warmth. The variety in grain sorts further enhances its versatility and appeal for high-end woodworking projects.

What’s African Mahogany Used For?

High-End Furniture
Exterior Doors
Interior Trim
Veneer
Turnings
Boat Building

Why African Mahogany?

Excellent workability
Exquisite finish
Versatility and stability
Naturally rot resistance

Purpleheart

Scientific Name: Peltogyne Spp

Purpleheart, a durable South American hardwood, is celebrated for its vivid purple coloration. Its tight, straight grain and fine texture make it a favorite for both decorative and structural purposes. Exceptionally hard and resistant to decay, Purpleheart is ideal for high-end flooring, cabinetry, and accent inlays, offering a unique, exotic flair to any woodworking project while maintaining excellent strength.

What’s Purpleheart Used For?

Furniture
Decking
Inlays/Accent Pieces
Boat Building
Cutting Boards

Why Purpleheart?

Unique purple color
Tight, straight grain
Resistant to wear
Decay Resistance
Excellent workability

Sapele

Scientific Name:

Sapele, an African hardwood, is renowned for its remarkable durability and fine texture. It boasts a rich, golden to dark reddish-brown hue that darkens with age, often highlighted by an interlocking grain that can produce beautiful ribbon-like patterns. The grain sorts in Sapele are extensive, offering both flat sawn and quarter sawn options, making it a versatile material for various applications.

Sapele’s consistent appearance or color and attractive finish offer a luxurious look while remaining a practical choice for high-end woodworking, including musical instruments, cabinetry, and flooring. Moreover, Sapele has many built-in resistance characteristics, including resistance to rot, decay, and insect attacks, making it an excellent choice for exterior doors. There can be some challenges machining the interlocking grain, but once you get the hang of it, the end result is worth it.

What’s Sapele Used For?

Furniture
Cabinetry
Boat Building
Doors
Musical Instruments

Why Sapele?

Heavy- duty durability
Fine grain for a smooth finish
Deep rich color
Interlocking grain pattern

Wenge

Scientific Name: Millettia spp

Wenge, an exotic and dense African hardwood, is distinguished by its deep brown color with black streaks, offering a striking, nearly ebony appearance. With a fine, even texture and heavy durability, it’s particularly favored for intricate woodworking, flooring, and decorative veneers. Wenge’s pronounced grain and dark tones provide a bold, sophisticated look, making it a luxurious choice for modern interiors and statement furniture pieces.

Despite its hardness, it works well with both hand and machine tools. After milling, the boards are yellow but can be set in the sun to darken to a rich almost black color.