What Kind of Wood Do We Use in Our Furniture?

In 1974, Woodcraft started when our family made beautiful solid wood furniture for our friends and acquaintances. Over the years, our customer base expanded steadily, as did our business. Now, with a workshop in Markham and stores in Mississauga and Whitby, we handcraft solid wood furniture for people all over the world.

Things have changed dramatically over the last 46 years, but one thing that never changes is our dedication to creating beautiful custom-made pieces out of popular wood types.

We only choose the best of the best. That’s why when you order custom solid wood furniture from Woodcraft, you can expect it to come from Cherry, Maple, Oak, or Pine. Here’s why:

Cherry

Cherry wood, which comes from the cherry fruit tree, is one of the top-selling hardwoods known for its durability. It comes in a variety of colours, ranging from white to blonde and dark brown. Much like its namesake, cherry hardwood comes with a dramatic red undertone, making it a beautiful addition to any room in your home.

It’s one of our favourites here at Woodcraft because it offers a rich, smooth grain with minimal rippling that readily accepts stain and finishes.

Maple

Maple is known as a heavy, durable hardwood that balances form and function perfectly. It’s an ideal material for heirlooms and items you know will receive heavy use, like a dresser or coffee table. Whatever piece you choose in Maple, you can trust it will last lifetimes.

Unstained, its creamy, natural finish is perfect for minimalist or contemporary spaces, but we can tailor it to fit any space or style with the right stain.

Maple has a relatively straight, uniform grain. However, some varieties like curly or birdseye have more dynamic grain formations that are perfect for more experimental pieces.

Here at Woodcraft, we handcraft a variety of pieces in a broad range of styles. Please check out some of our custom pieces to see how diverse our solid wood furniture can be!

Pine

As the only softwood on the list, Pine is a lightweight and flexible wood best used for rustic pieces. It’s easy to spot due to its dark knots that contrast dramatically against its pale yellow or light brown colouring.

Pine is ring-porous, which is a type of wood structure that means each season’s growth is outlined by well-defined growth rings. As a result, its grain appears much darker than the rest of the wood.

Oak

Oak is another one of our favourite hardwoods due to its wide variety of colours, ranging from light grey-brown to reddish-brown. In either case, Oak is exceedingly strong and resistant to damage.

You’ll be able to spot our Oak pieces by its open wood grain. Like Pine, it is also ring-porous, so it’s known for its distinctive swirling or striped pattern. It looks best when a clear or light finish works with the grain to highlight its unique markings.

Cherry, Maple, Pine, or Oak — it doesn’t matter which one you pick, or what finish and stain you choose. As long as it’s a custom-built Woodcraft creation, you know it will be a beautiful piece with time-tested solid wood craftsmanship.

But don’t take our word for it; take a minute to check out our Instagram to see what we’ve been up to lately, and you’ll see how we transform these beautiful wood types into functional and stylish tables, bookcases, and more.