When we talk about cabinetry, we mainly refer to the style and type of the most popular series of furniture-grade cabinetry wood species, namely cherry, hickory, oak and maple. Doors, for instance, are usually made of solid hardwoods, no matter the wood that was used. It is very important to know the qualities of the cabinetry wood species, because this is what exactly determines some important features of the cabinetry.
What Are the Types of Wood Species Used for the Manufacturing of the Cabinets?
Here is a short of guidance and advice on the nature of the cabinetry wood species that I mentioned above.
The cherry cabinets are considered to be the best due to the fact that cherry, a dark-grained wood, occupies the top in the hierarchy of the hardwoods. The cabinetry wood species are extremely different in quality and in color, and the most expensive furniture is the one made of cherry hardwood characterized by its fine, uniform grain models, by the dark red or dark brown colors that will become darker with age.
Hickory is another cabinetry wood species that is very strong and it presents itself under different colors and tones. Hickory color ranges from almost pure white to dark brown. The hickory wood is normally used as an alternative to the oak furniture because the hickory is also an open-grained species of wood but with a more modern look. The hickory wood is extremely strong and flexible which offers the possibility to manufacture ax handles and other items that require hardwood.
What Are the Most Affordable Wood Species?
The most used variant of oak among the cabinetry wood species is the red oak pictured to the left, that is characterized by strength, being the wood that is most frequently used for the manufacturing of cabinets and furniture. Oak cabinets are considered to be the standard of wooden products, especially because they are not that expensive and because you can choose from a wide range of colors, from pink to almost pure white.
Maple comes in two variants, a hard maple and a softer one that is less expensive and less durable too. The former type of maple is a close-grained wood, usually white, that is characterized by its strength and resistance.
For this reason, this cabinetry wood species is mainly used for the manufacturing of wood floors and bowling alleys. The fastidious buyers prefer maple furniture because it offers a very modern, contemporary look to the room. Hard maple usually contains streaks that darken with stain and it is normally straight grained, but it may also have a wavy look.
There are also other types of cabinetry wood species such as alder, white ash, white or red birch, eucalyptus, African mahogany, mixes of maple and birch, clear or knotty pine, or walnut.
What Elements Ensure the Quality of Furniture?
Usually, the quality of the furniture or of other items made of wood depends on the cabinetry wood species, but the typical woods that are used for the manufacturing of cabinetry are oak, cherry, birch, maple, and ash. Each of these varieties of cabinetry wood species has its own colors, density, grain, and look. The quality of the cabinet determines the overall cost of the construction.
If you are satisfied with a more limited selection of cabinetry wood species and finishes, you will not invest too much money in the purchasing of your cabinetry. But, on the other hand, if you wish to buy cabinetry made of more luxurious species of wood, such as cherry, you will have to pay more. Usually, a well-built cabinet is made all of quality hardwood, usually cherry or maple.
Therefore, the selection of the cabinetry wood species highly depends on the budget that you have and especially on your taste in cabinetry. Among the most expensive cabinetry wood species are cherry and walnut - their prices might even reaching exorbitant numbers.