Wood Guide
Which wood is right
for your home?
Most people pick a wood species based on colour alone. That works for paint. Not for furniture you'll live with for the next twenty years.
We work with three North American hardwoods: black walnut, white oak, and hard maple. Each one ages differently, wears differently, and brings a completely different character to a room.
This guide walks you through what makes each species unique, how they change over time, the stain options available, and which one fits the way you actually live.
Black Walnut
White Oak
Hard Maple
01
Black Walnut
Walnut is the one people fall for first. There's a depth to it, a richness that photographs never fully capture. In person, the grain has movement: sweeping, flowing lines that make every piece feel alive.
The colour deepens over time. Fresh walnut has cool purple-brown undertones. Over months and years, it warms into a richer chocolate. The piece you bring home today won't look the same in five years, and that's part of the beauty.
It's softer than oak and maple, which means it picks up character faster. Dents and marks come more easily, but on walnut, they tend to look earned rather than damaged. If you want a table that tells a story, this is your wood.
02
White Oak
If walnut is emotional, oak is architectural. The grain has structure: cathedral patterns, ray flecks, a visual rhythm that gives even the simplest table a sense of presence.
Oak mellows gently. It starts with a cool, straw-blonde tone and gradually shifts to a warmer honey over time. The change is subtle and even, nothing dramatic.
It's naturally water-resistant thanks to its closed-pore structure, which is why it's been the go-to wood for barrels and boats for centuries. For a dining table that sees daily use, spills, and the occasional glass ring, oak is remarkably forgiving.
03
Hard Maple
Maple is the quiet one. Its grain is tight, fine, and uniform, which gives it a clean, modern look that works in minimal spaces without competing for attention.
It stays the most consistent. While walnut and oak shift noticeably, maple changes very slowly, developing a slightly warmer patina over the years. If you want your furniture to look the same in year ten as year one, maple is the closest you'll get.
It's the hardest of the three. Maple's Janka rating makes it the most forgiving surface for daily life. Kids, homework, dinner parties, remote work. It takes it all.
Side by side.
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
White Oak
Quercus alba
Hard Maple
Acer saccharum
"There's no 'best' wood. There's a best wood for the way you live."— The ref. workshop
Every plank is
different.
Wood is a natural material. Even within the same species, you'll see subtle shifts in colour and grain from board to board. One plank might run a little warmer, another a little cooler. The grain might swirl in one and flow straight in the next.
This is exactly what gives solid wood its depth. It's also what separates a handmade piece from something manufactured to look identical a million times over.
Here's what matters: we don't just grab planks off a pile. Our team hand-selects and arranges each board so the tones and grain patterns complement each other across the finished surface. The result is a table that reads as one cohesive piece, with just enough natural movement to remind you it's real.
The photo below shows raw walnut planks before selection. Your finished piece will be curated from boards like these, chosen to work together, then sanded, stained if requested, and sealed.
Beyond natural.
Our stain options.
Every species is beautiful in its natural state, and that's how most clients choose them. But sometimes a space calls for something different. We offer a curated selection of stains that work with the grain rather than masking it.
Don't see what you need? We also do custom stain matching. If you have a specific colour in mind, or need to match existing furniture or cabinetry, our team can develop a stain tailored to your project.
Black Walnut
Walnut's natural depth means stains tend to enrich rather than transform.
White Oak
Oak's open grain absorbs stain beautifully, offering the widest range of looks.
Hard Maple
Maple's tight grain keeps its clean, natural look. Currently offered in natural only.
Need something specific?
We create custom stains to match your existing furniture, cabinetry, or a colour reference. Book a consultation to discuss your project.
Book a consultationMade for
real life.
If you have young kids and you're wondering whether solid wood furniture can handle it, this is the part that matters.
Every ref. piece is sealed with a polyurethane topcoat that adds a serious layer of protection. Spills wipe up easily. Everyday scratches don't reach the wood. It's the kind of finish that lets you actually live with your furniture instead of worrying about it.
That said, it's still real wood, and it deserves a little respect. We recommend using coasters, especially for hot drinks, and wiping up spills rather than letting them sit. These are small habits that keep a piece looking its best for decades.
The point isn't that it's indestructible. The point is that you don't need to hover over your kids at dinner. The finish does the worrying for you.
How they change
over time.
Solid wood is a living material. Every species responds to light, air, and touch differently. Understanding how your wood will age is part of choosing the right one.
Black Walnut
Starts cool and purple-toned. Deepens over months into a rich, warm chocolate. The most dramatic transformation of the three.
White
Oak
Begins as a cool straw-blonde. Shifts slowly to a warmer golden honey. Subtle, even, graceful.
Hard Maple
Barely changes. Develops the faintest warm patina over years. The most stable of the three. What you see is what you keep.
Choose for how
you live.
Forget what looks best in a showroom. Think about your actual life.
Young kids at the table every day? Maple's hardness makes it the most forgiving. It resists dents better than walnut or oak and cleans up without fuss.
Love the look of patina and character? Walnut wears beautifully. The marks it picks up over the years look earned, not damaged. It's the wood that gets better with use.
Want something that works with any style? Oak bridges traditional and modern. Its structured grain adds visual texture without dominating the room.
Not sure? That's what samples are for. Feel the grain, see the colour in your own light, live with it on your counter for a few days. It's the fastest way to decide.
Feel the difference
yourself.
Order wood samples and see all three species side by side, in your own space, in your own light.