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About Wood
About Real Wood
"Hardwood" doesn't refer to the hardness of the wood. (There are some softwoods, like pine , that are harder than some hardwoods.)
Hardwoods come from deciduous (broad-leafed) trees, like alder, ash, and oak. Softwoods come from conifers (with needles), like pine and cedar.
Wood is a renewable resource. Hardwoods in particular are naturally eco-friendly: the trees reproduce on their own and don't need to be replanted after a harvest.
Here are some of our most popular woods:
Alder - One of our most eco-friendly choices, this fast-growing hardwood is very consistent in color and takes stain well. It gives the look of many fine hardwoods at a reasonable price.
Ash - This long-fibered, light-colored hardwood has a tight grain much like birch or maple, is good for bending, takes stain well, and is used mainly for chairs and stools.
Aspen - A softer, light-colored, even-grained hardwood, aspen takes most stains well, but may need a sealer or a coat of mineral spirits to achieve an even stain. Keep in mind that non-penetrating stains work best on this wood—or let us finish it for you!
Beech - This cream-colored hardwood has an open-grain pattern similar to that of oak, and takes stains well.
Birch - A fine-grained hardwood that is white in color and takes any color of stain well.
Cedar - Another eco-friendly choice, this sturdy softwood is farmed so that nothing in nature is disturbed. Cedar is treasured for its beautiful color variations, distinctive aroma, and natural oils that repel moths and other pests.
Cypress - Technically a softwood, cypress shares many properties of hardwoods and is often classified as one. Most frequently used for outdoor furniture, it is prized for its rustic look and the natural oils that protect it from insects and the elements.
Oak - A very hard, open-grain wood that comes in red or white varieties. Red oak, which has a pinkish cast, is the more popular of the two. White oak has a slight greenish cast. Both woods stain well in any color.
Pine – One of the most popular woods for unfinished furniture, all varieties have a yellow coloring with brown knots and are excellent for staining.
Rubberwood - This eco-friendly hardwood is harvested only after 30 years' use as a source for latex. (The sap is made into latex in the same way that maple sap is made into maple syrup.) Yellow in color, with a grain similar to mahogany, rubberwood is as hard as maple or ash and takes a very even stain.
We are proud to have earned Real Wood Furniture Finished Your Way® certification, a mark of distinction awarded by the Unfinished Furniture Association (UFA), the sole certifying authority for the unfinished furniture industry. People ask us about all the different woods we sell, and we're happy to share our knowledge!