So What Type of Wood Do I Want for My Cabinets?

That depends entirely on you, your tastes, the style of your home and its furnishings.
Today's truly custom cabinetry can be made of any fine wood depending on that wood's
availability and your price threshold. Certain exotics may be hard to come by due to
protection of the species or even the local political situation and war! The most common
choices for custom cabinets are:

Maple ($$$) - There are more than 10 species of maple in the North and Northwest
however, most maple used commercially comes from one of 5 species. The most common
being the soft maples. The sapwood is very similar to the heartwood being a creamy
color. It is straight grained when plain sawn. It is moderately dense and strong however
Rock Maple is denser and stronger. Rock Maple is also redder and is very lustrous. Certain
Rock Maple logs are selected and peeled to create the beautiful "birds-eye" figure. Maple
finishes very well.

Cherry ($$$) - Sapwood is pinkish in color while the heartwood is a pinkish brown which
will grow to red-brown over time and exposure to sunlight. (See the Natural Cherry
example) It tends to be straight grained, is moderately dense and strong, and takes
finishing very well.

Hickory ($$$) - Sapwood is light colored, the heartwood is reddish-brown, it is dense
strong wood, typically straight grained and takes stains well.

Oak ($$) - There are 200 different species of Oak. The most common has light colored
sapwood with tan or yellowish brown heartwood. Oak can be straight grained but can
often be irregular or cross-grained. When quarter sawn it presents a silvery figure. It is
quite dense and strong and takes stain well.

Pine ($$) - Pine can be either white, yellow or ponderosa. White pine is white to straw
colored, not very dense, straight grained and takes stain and paint well. Yellow pine is
very similar in characteristics to white pine. Ponderosa pine has yellowish sapwood while
heartwood is orange to reddish with very prominent resin duct lines. It needs special
attention and surface preparation to take stain and paint well.

Paint Grade ($) - Typically Birch, Poplar, Maple or Sycamore.

Exotics (Meaning rare and/or pricey)

Mahogany ($$$$$) - Most mahogany comes from the rain forests found on the
western coast of Africa. The wood is reddish-brown and the grain is typically interlocked
but can be straight. It is a medium density wood but not very strong. It takes stain and
polishing very well.

Walnut ($$$$$) - There are many species of walnut, American Walnut being found
across North America into South America. The heartwood is dark brown and gets darker
with age. It is relatively straight grained but can be wavy. It is a medium density wood
but strong. It takes finishing very well. European Walnut is similar in characteristics
except that the wood is more gray-brown with a pronounced wavy grain.

Ebony ($$$$$) - Ebony is a generic name for wood species with very dark or black
heartwood. African and Indian ebony are common species. Ebony is typically straight
grained but can be curly, wavy or irregular. It is very dense and strong but also brittle.
Ebony is at its most beautiful polished to a high luster.

For more about grain see the Wood Grain page