When considering solid wood cabinets, or cabinet doors and drawer faces, it’s helpful to know the types of wood available. Different types of wood have very different characteristics that can completely change the look and feel of your kitchen. Let’s explore the top options:

Cherry Wood Cabinets

Cherry is a rich-colored wood well known for its red highlights. Refined cherry wood can have very small pin knots, tiny dark gum streaks and pitch pockets. It’s a very distinguished option. You can also opt for “character” cherry. Character cherry has more “imperfections” that add uniqueness and, well, character. This cherry option has various sizes and types of knots, such as cluster knots and open knots. It also has slightly larger streaks of dark gum.

Hickory Cabinets

Hickory is a very strong and durable type of wood. It is known for its characteristic color contrasts from very dark to a light cream, often within the same board. Aside from the strong color variation, hickory is an open-grained wood with distinct and plentiful grain markings. Hickory cabinets are a bold choice with plenty of visual interest and unique detail.

Maple Wood Cabinets

The color of maple can range from a light cream to a soft reddish-brown. It has a fine texture made up of mineral streaks, straight grain and curly grain patterns. Maple is a popular choice for cabinets as it works well with a number of applied finishes and treatments or textures. Similar to character cherry, character maple features more of the “imperfections” that make for unique and interesting cabinets. Character maple displays different sized knots, larger mineral streaks, sugar tracks, pin holes, worm holes and gum streaks.

Oak Cabinets

Once the most popular of the woods used for cabinets, oak took a break from the spotlight for a couple of decades but is making a comeback. Oak is very durable and is more moisture-resistant than many other wood types. Also, it is often less expensive than some of the other wood types. Oak is an open-grained wood with a ton of color options, making it a versatile choice for cabinets.

When considering your cabinet options, it’s helpful to know your woods. Each type of wood brings something special to the look and feel of any space – especially true when thinking about the visual impact of kitchen cabinets. Whether you choose the boldness of hickory or the refined luxury of cherry, wood cabinets provide warmth and natural beauty.