Your Color Guide to All Types of Hardwood

Wood is one of the most popular materials in the world, and for a good reason. It’s versatile, beautiful, and can add a lot to any room. But not all wood is created equal. There are many different qualities that you should consider before making your purchase, such as texture, grain pattern, stability, color variation (often referred to as ‘figure’), hardness/softness, and whether it has been sanded or left with its natural finish. The type of hardwoods that you choose for your project will depend on these factors, so make sure to do your research first!

This blog post will guide you through all types of hardwood colors to help ensure that you get exactly what’s best for you!

Different Kinds of Hardwood

All types of hardwood come in many different colors, so it can be challenging to choose which color suits your needs. Luckily, we’ve put together a guide that will help you find the perfect color for your home.

Dark Hardwoods

Dark hardwoods such as ebony, walnut, mahogany, Bubinga, rosewood, and certain species of teak are an excellent choice for those looking to give their home an elegant touch. These dark woods typically have deep browns or black hues that provide a striking contrast against light colors like white and cream. Dark woods also create balance in the warmer months of spring and summer, with greenery around your house making it feel more relaxed on hot days. You can find darker varieties of hardwood at most lumber yards these days, so you should be able to match any style of woodworking you might want to do inside your home.

Ebony –  Ebony is a hardwood with deep brown or black hues and is usually used for its durability. Ebony can last longer than most types of wood due to being resistant to fungus, rot, mold, pests, and other things that cause decay in different woods.

Walnut – Walnuts are most commonly found in shades of brown but can also be seen as black or dark red. These hardwoods have various uses depending on the type of wood that is desired for any given project. Walnut offers an elegant look that will have an appealing sheen when polished.

Mahogany –  Mahogany can be found in many colors, with the most common being reddish-brown. Mahoganies are usually known for their durability and strength, which is why they’re used to build furniture and areas of homes that need much support, like floors.

Bubinga – Bubinga is usually found in a dark purplish-red color but may also be seen with shades of brown or violet, depending on how they’re cut. These hardwoods are some of the most beautiful on earth and make great furniture pieces.

Rosewood – Rosewoods have a variety of colors, including black, brown, and dark red. They are often used for furniture pieces because they can be finished to show off the wood’s natural color or given an oil finish, making them more durable.

Teak – Teaks have an earthy tone when freshly cut but will turn silver-gray when exposed to sunlight. It is often used for outdoor furniture since it can resist damage from the elements and insects, as well as decay.

Light Hardwoods

Light hardwoods come in a variety of finishes. This includes natural, light stains and a clear finish. Light-colored wood is generally lighter than darker woods because it doesn’t contain much pigment or tannin production. Light hardwoods look great with just about any interior design, and they can be matched to many types of colors. Lightwood is perfect for spaces where you want a more natural atmosphere or need your furniture to stand out. The light color of the wood also helps brighten up dark rooms. If you’re looking for something neutral, then light hardwood will do the trick!

Birch – Birch is one of the lightest hardwood varieties around. It has a whitish tinge that makes it seem brighter than many kinds of wood with darker colors. Birch trees are more like what we’d think of as pastels in color because they’re so light on their surface areas. There are even birches now available where there will be different shades depending on how young they were when harvested too! Birch has an overall lighter appearance than beech but still features many variations within its range of colors from orange to yellow up to cream hues mixed throughout its surface, caused by layers upon layers of thin sheets being cut down over time.

Oak – Oak has light brown or golden hues, and heartier grains than other woods like maple or birch are known for their lighter shades of tan. Woodworkers love these qualities since they make nice contrast on projects such as tables where just one piece may show up against darker wood to highlight its beauty. Oak can come in many different finishes, including medium-light colors like tan, olive green, goldy brown, or even darker tones such as chocolate. It also usually features natural knots, which make each piece unique.

Maple – Maple is a hardwood with a fantastic range of colors; it has a light to medium brown color with contrasting dark streaks that add depth and character. They may also have other aesthetic features like knots that add to their uniqueness. Maple falls under one of these general categories for light-colored woods as well. Its finishes can vary greatly depending on what kind you’re looking at, like the sugar maple and the silver maple all have their variations. However, generally speaking, they’re going to be light brown or tan.

Beech – This type of wood has shades ranging from yellow and orange to browns and dark reds with white or black stripes running throughout it. Beech is often one of the more expensive types of hardwood due to its rarity in supply (it’s not got as much demand).

Cherry – The cherry is very similar in appearance to both birch and maple because it’s made up of many sheets. This means that there will be quite a few color variation layers within this wood as well, but it typically has more reddish hues than most other types do, with yellows mixed throughout.

Ash – The ash wood is one of the more popular types because it has an appearance that falls somewhere between light and dark browns. It also has a very straight grain when you look at it from top-down, which makes it pretty easy to work with as well.

Bamboo – Bamboo is a wood made from the giant grass plant, and it usually has its own brownish to yellow-colored hue with streaks of white running through it.

Hickory – Hickory falls under the category of medium-colored woods when looking at them on the whole. However, they can range from lighter shades like grayish-white to darker ones like dark chocolate, where you’ll find knots scattered about pretty liberally across its surface area as well.

Choosing the right color for your hardwood is crucial. Not only does it affect how a room looks, but it has an impact on the quality of light that gets reflected in the room. The color you choose can also affect your mood and energy levels. We hope that this guide has helped you find your perfect color. If there is anything else we’ve missed or need clarification on, please let us know. Eric Christopher Art, a lumber store in Sebastopol, CA, would love to hear from you about any questions or concerns related to any aspect of hardwoods – including choosing the best color. Contact us today!