Types of Wood for Furniture: How to Choose the Right Material

How to choose the right wood for a piece you’ll live with for decades

Most people start this decision the same way: “What’s the best wood?”

It’s a fair question, and it’s usually asked with good intentions. You want something beautiful. Something durable. Something worth the money. Something that will still feel right in ten years.

But the better question is quieter.

“What wood makes sense for how I actually live?”

Because wood is not a paint colour. It is not a swatch. It is a living material that carries its own temperament: how it handles light, how it reacts to seasons, how it takes wear, how it shows time.

Choosing from the many types of wood for furniture is not about picking a winner. It is about alignment.

This guide is meant to help you choose confidently. Not quickly. Confidently.

IMAGE SUGGESTION: HERO IMAGE OF A FINISHED TABLETOP IN NATURAL LIGHT, WITH TWO OR THREE WOOD SAMPLES (WALNUT, MAPLE, OAK) IN THE FOREGROUND.

Start here: what do you want this piece to do?

Before we talk species, it helps to name what you are asking the furniture to be.

1) Function

• Is it a daily-use surface (dining table, desk, kitchen table)?
• Is it more occasional (console, nightstand, entry bench)?
• Will it hold weight (shelves, long spans, cabinet tops)?
• Will it be touched constantly (drawer fronts, chair arms)?

The same wood can be a great choice in one application and a frustrating one in another.

2) Lifestyle

• Kids who treat a table like a landing strip
• Pets who believe every surface is theirs
• Hosts who actually host
• People who use coasters or people who do not

Durability is not just a property of wood. It is a relationship between wood and lifestyle.

3) Environment

Wood moves with seasonal humidity. It changes with sunlight. It responds to heat sources and cold walls.

Most well-made furniture anticipates movement. Still, certain woods are more forgiving than others.

4) Aesthetic role

Do you want the piece to be:

• A quiet support, letting everything else shine?
• A focal point that anchors the room?
• A bridge between other elements (flooring, cabinets, trim)?

Wood choice has a strong influence here because grain and colour are visual weight.

IMAGE SUGGESTION: SIMPLE DIAGRAM OR PHOTO GRID SHOWING “LIGHT WOODS VS DARK WOODS” IN THE SAME ROOM STYLE.

Hardwood vs softwood: the useful distinction

You’ll hear “hardwood vs softwood” often in furniture conversations. It is a helpful framing, with one important caveat: hardwood does not always mean hard, and softwood does not always mean weak. The terms describe the type of tree, not a guarantee of performance.

Still, in furniture-making:

• Hardwoods are most commonly used for heirloom pieces because they tend to be denser and more durable.
• Softwoods are often used for rustic furniture, painted pieces, budget builds, and certain outdoor applications.

If you want a piece that will handle decades of use with grace, hardwood is usually where you start.

The two questions that solve most wood decisions

If I could reduce the decision to two questions, it would be these:

1) Do you want the wood to show time?

Some woods wear like denim. They take on stories. Dents and marks become part of the character.

Other woods feel more like stone. They resist change and keep their surface more consistent.

Neither is better. One is just more honest for you.

2) Are you matching colour, or matching feeling?

A lot of people say “I want walnut” when they really mean “I want warmth and depth.”

Others say “I want a light wood” when they really mean “I want calm.”

Naming the feeling helps you choose more accurately than chasing a species name.

The signature staples: walnut and maple

At Redbird, we’ll work with a range of woods, but our core is intentionally focused. It lets us be excellent rather than broad.

	What it looks like	Durability	Aging	Best uses	Good to know
Black walnut	Deep brown heartwood with natural variation, grain is present but not loud	Strong and stable, but not the hardest hardwood, shows dents more easily than maple or white oak	Mellowing over time, can lighten slightly with sun exposure in a subtle, attractive way	Dining tables, desks, casework, bed frames, statement pieces	Not ideal if you want a pristine surface forever, excellent if you value quiet patina and character
Maple / hard maple	Light, creamy tones with subtle grain, sometimes figured with curly or birdseye patterns	Very tough and dent-resistant	Warms slightly over time, especially with oil finishes, generally remains consistent	Desks, dining tables, cabinets, dressers, high-touch daily pieces	Can stain unevenly without care, often best celebrated in its natural tone

A practical guide to other common furniture woods

To keep this useful, I’ll cover the most common species people consider, with honest pros, cons, and best uses.

	What it looks like	Durability	Aging	Best uses	Good to know
White oak	Pronounced grain, visible texture, often feels more neutral	Excellent	Deepens and warms over time	Dining tables, chairs, cabinets, bed frames, shelving	More moisture-resistant than red oak and often feels slightly more refined
Red oak	Pronounced grain, visible texture, often leans warmer	Excellent	Deepens and warms over time	Dining tables, chairs, cabinets, bed frames, shelving	More open grain and often more budget-friendly
Cherry	Fine grain, smooth texture, starts lighter and becomes richer	Moderate	Darkens noticeably with light, often into deep reddish-brown	Dressers, nightstands, cabinetry, dining pieces where patina is welcome	Covered areas can age unevenly at first, usually evens out over time
Ash	Light-toned with bold grain, often reads cleaner than oak	Strong and resilient	Generally warms slightly over time	Chairs, tables, modern pieces that want grain without heaviness	Takes stain well and can be finished in modern tones beautifully
Birch	Light, subtle grain, sometimes more active than maple	Strong for its price point	Generally warms slightly over time	Cabinetry, drawer boxes, painted furniture, modern utility pieces	Can blotch if stained without care
Mahogany	Reddish-brown tones, refined grain, classic presence	Strong and stable	Tends to deepen and mellow	Casework, desks, formal dining pieces, legacy-style furniture	“Mahogany” can mean different species, sourcing and specificity matter
Teak	Golden brown, straight grain, soft luster	Excellent, especially in moisture	Ages gracefully, often to a warmer, deeper tone	Outdoor furniture, mid-century modern inspired indoor pieces, humid environments	Expensive and oily, affects finishing and glue-ups, worth it when performance is needed
Pine	Light color, visible knots, strong character	Low dent resistance	Shows wear quickly, patina develops fast	Rustic furniture, painted pieces, cottage styles, low-cost projects	Looks best when you accept its nature and embrace patina
Aromatic cedar	Reddish to purplish tones with light sapwood, distinctive grain and scent	Soft, dents easily	Aroma fades gradually over time, color mellows	Chests, closets, storage pieces, small interior furniture	Naturally aromatic and pest-resistant, not ideal for high-wear surfaces

How wood choice affects price

This deserves its own section because it’s one of the most practical factors, and also the one people often feel awkward asking about.

Wood impacts price in a few ways:

1) Raw material cost

Some woods simply cost more per board foot because they are less available or in higher demand.

In many markets:

• Pine, birch, and red oak often sit lower
• Maple and white oak sit mid-range
• Walnut is often higher
• Teak, true mahogany, and rosewood are typically premium and sometimes volatile

2) Yield and waste

A board can be expensive, but what matters is how much of it is usable.

Highly figured wood, wide slabs, or consistent colour matching can increase waste. That waste becomes cost.

3) Labour and finishing complexity

Some woods are harder on tools. Some are harder to stain evenly. Some require special handling. Time becomes cost.

4) Construction choices

Sometimes the right decision is not “all solid wood everywhere.”

A well-built piece may use:

• solid wood for frames and edges
• stable panels (often plywood) where movement would otherwise cause problems
• veneer thoughtfully, not as a shortcut, but as a structural decision

The key is transparency and quality. Veneer done well can be beautiful and long-lasting. Veneer done cheaply is disposable.

IMAGE SUGGESTION: PHOTO OF A MAKER HOLDING A BOARD WITH A FEW PRICE TAGS OR LABELS LIKE “STANDARD,” “PREMIUM,” “EXOTIC” TO VISUALIZE BUDGET TIERS.

Matching wood to your space

This is where wood becomes interior design without trying too hard.

Light and room mood

• Light woods tend to open a space up.
• Dark woods tend to anchor and add contrast.

If your home is already full of warm woods, a cool-toned walnut piece can feel balanced. If your home is bright and minimal, maple can feel like a continuation.

Grain as texture

Grain is visual texture. The bolder the grain, the more “movement” the piece adds to a room.

If your room already has a lot of pattern, a quieter wood may feel calmer. If your room is simple, a dramatic grain can become the focal point.

Matching without copying

You do not need to match all the wood in a home.

A better goal is coherence:

• repeat an undertone
• repeat a finish level (matte vs glossy)
• repeat a design language (modern, traditional, rustic)

Wood choice is one part of that story.

Choosing wood by application

Here’s a quick guide that tends to hold true.

Dining tables

Needs: durability, stability, repairability
Great options: white oak, maple, walnut (if you welcome patina), ash
Approach: choose based on lifestyle. Tables are honest surfaces.

Desks

Needs: a surface you enjoy touching daily
Great options: maple, walnut, cherry
Approach: consider glare, feel, and how easily marks show.

Casework (dressers, cabinets, shelving)

Needs: stability, consistent grain, strong joinery
Great options: walnut, maple, oak, cherry, mahogany, birch in certain builds
Approach: decide whether the piece should be quiet or present.

Outdoor furniture

Needs: rot resistance and weather performance
Great options: teak, cedar, redwood, white oak in some designs
Approach: decide whether you want a maintained finish or weathered patina.

IMAGE SUGGESTION: “BEST WOODS BY FURNITURE TYPE” TABLE GRAPHIC.

A note on “best wood” and the temptation to over-optimize

It’s easy to turn this into a spreadsheet problem.

Hardness ratings. Cost per board foot. Moisture movement charts.

That information matters. But it is not the whole thing.

The best wood for furniture is often the one you are excited to live with.

The one that feels right in your home. The one that matches your values. The one that fits your budget without compromising what matters.

When you choose wood with intention, the finished piece carries that intention quietly. You can feel it.

How we help clients choose at Redbird

Most clients don’t need more information. They need clarity.

Our role is to translate the options into a decision that makes sense for your life and your space, then build it properly.

Here’s what that support looks like in practice:

• We talk through the piece, the room, and the intended use
• We discuss how you feel about patina and change
• We factor budget honestly, including what drives cost
• We recommend woods based on alignment, not trends
• We build with movement and longevity in mind

The goal is not to sell you a species.

The goal is to build something that feels inevitable in your home.

Closing thought

Wood is a material you live with.

You will see it in morning light. You will run your hand across it without thinking. You will place your keys on it, your coffee on it, your life on it.

So it’s worth choosing carefully.

Not obsessively. Just carefully.

If you’re exploring options for your own piece, this is exactly the kind of conversation we enjoy having.