We work in four American hardwoods. They are not interchangeable: they differ in colour, in how hard they are underfoot and under a dropped pan, and — most importantly — in which direction they move over a decade in an Australian house.
American white oak
Pale golden brown with a strong, open, straight grain and visible medullary rays when quartersawn. Janka hardness around 6.0kN, which is at the harder end of furniture timbers. Oak takes a clear oil without changing much, and ambers very slowly — a ten-year-old oak sideboard is a shade warmer than the day it arrived, not a different colour.
It is the default for a reason: it suits both a white-walled modern interior and a Federation hallway, and it is the most forgiving species in a room that gets hard afternoon sun. See the oak range.
American black walnut
Deep chocolate to purple-brown heartwood with occasional lighter streaks. Janka around 4.5kN — noticeably softer than oak, so it marks more readily, which some people read as character and others as damage. Be honest with yourself about which you are.
Walnut is the one species here that gets lighter with age, not darker: UV exposure mellows the purple out toward a warm mid-brown over several years. Plan for the room it will be in after five years, not the photograph. See the walnut range.
American ash
The palest of the four, close to blonde, with a bold grain very similar to oak in figure but cleaner in colour. Janka around 5.9kN, effectively as hard as oak. Ash is the choice when you want the structure of oak grain without the golden tone — it sits well against cool greys and black joinery, where oak can read as yellow.
It is also the most consistent board-to-board, which matters on a wide sideboard front where mismatched boards are obvious. See the ash range.
American cherry
Starts a light pinkish tan and darkens dramatically — cherry is the species that changes most, deepening to a rich reddish brown within two to three years of normal light exposure. Janka around 4.2kN, the softest of the four.
Two practical consequences. Cherry should not be left partially covered by a runner or a lamp base for its first year, because the covered area will stay pale and the line will be permanent. And a cherry piece bought to match an existing cherry piece will not match for about two years. See the cherry range.
A short comparison
- Hardest wearing: oak, then ash.
- Palest: ash, then oak.
- Darkest: walnut.
- Changes most over time: cherry (darkens), then walnut (lightens).
- Most forgiving in strong sun: oak and ash.
What is the same across all four
Grade, construction and warranty. Every piece is FAS-graded — the highest hardwood grade, meaning the boards are largely clear of knots and defects — with mortise-and-tenon frames, dovetailed drawers and solid timber backs and bases. All four carry the same 10-year structural warranty, and all four are finished with the same low-VOC penetrating oil, so the repair method is identical whichever you choose.
Related guide: Rubberwood, Pine and Beech: What the Cheaper Timbers Are Actually Good For — the three species this guide leaves out, and where each one belongs.
