What Is The Best Wood For Your Dining Room Table?

Is there any more central place in our homes than the dining room? On the average day, it is an informal place to sit and eat together but it might also be used for work, projects, or just relaxing conversations. This is also where we gather to celebrate holidays or special occasions. For all of these important moments, a solid wood dining table is perhaps the most comfortable, functional, and beautiful choice you can make.

But there are so many wood options out there…which one should you choose?

Our Amish builders work with a selection of responsibly harvested North-American hardwoods including Oak, Red Oak, Quarter Sawn White Oak, Maple, Brown Maple, Hickory, Cherry and Rustic Cherry. Each type has unique qualities and characteristics from their weight, density, grain pattern, and price. Each of these factors can have a big impact on how the furniture will hold up in your home, and whether or not it’s worth the investment. Here is a quick run down of our most popular woods for dining room tables at our Phoenix, Arizona Showrooms.

Oak: A Well-Rounded Option

Oak is dense and hard with a deep natural grain that has texture you can see and feel.  Oak is very practical and functional because it is resistant to dings and dents. A solid oak dining table is best for everyday use especially for families with young children. It’s well-rounded in weight and is one of the more average priced options on the market most years.

Red Oak: A North American Treasure

Red Oak is only grown in North America and is readily available making it the most economical of all hard woods. It’s simple and effective. Many of us live in homes and apartments with doors, floors & wall trims made of Red Oak. It’s comparable to Oak in many ways and is often a popular pick for someone looking for a more budget-friendly heirloom piece.

Quarter Sawn White Oak/QSWO

Quarter Sawn White Oak was seems to come and go in popularity every so often. The name refers to how the logs are divided up and sawn into building stock. The unique preparation process gives QSWO a unique appearance. The grain looks more even than regular oak but it has some very interesting swirls going across the grain.  This effect is often called ray flake and it’s basically the vascular tissue of the tree being revealed in cross-section. Quarter Sawn White Oak was often used in craftsman and bungalow homes so it is a wonderful choice for Mission and Arts and Crafts styled furniture. QSWO is sturdy, stylish and has more visual interest than red oak. Any stain color brings out its rich wavy grains and tight even swirls. The craftsmanship inherently makes it in a bit higher price range than other species of oak.

Maple: As Smooth as Syrup

Maple (above) is a hard wood that is smooth to the touch with a tighter grain than Oak. The advantage of Maple is that it has a silky look that is very smooth. The undertone and tight grain of the wood may cause some variation in stain color. If you’d like to know which stain options are popular and recommended for Maple woods, our team at Steiner’s Amish Furniture is here to equip you with all the helpful knowledge we can.

Brown Maple: Light and Cost Effective

 

Brown Maple is somewhat light in weight and absorbs colored stains well. Compared to regular Maple, Brown Maple, is in the more economical price range of hard woods. Its smooth grain works well in contemporary and modern pieces with its soothing and welcoming presence. It fits any dining style use from every day to more formal.

Walnut: Bold and Sophisticated

Walnut has bold flowing grains that make a big style statement. Walnut graciously shows dark to light patterns that give a dining room a sophisticated look. Walnut is crafted in furniture to look slim and sleek with clean lines and a straight cut design. It is always popular but has gained notable popularity in more urban types of décor.  Walnut is a bit harder that brown maple, but not as hard as oak. It tends to be the one of the most expensive woods.

Hickory: Hard and Durable

Hickory wood is stiff, hard, dense and shock resistant. It’s durable, strong and water resistant, making it a good choice for flooring and furniture. Hickory tops the charts for offering hardness. It’s ahead of white oak and hard maple, which are strong contenders for hardness among wood types.

Cherry: Full of Character

Cherry has smooth even patterns with tiny pits and has soft lines of light curves with dark outlines and a rich, smooth grain. It also has small darks spots and flecks throughout….these are pits and mineral deposits in the wood. The inherent nature of cherry causes it to darken with exposure to light, especially when given a natural (no-stain) finish. Cherry is softer and lighter than some other hardwoods making it more prone to dings and dents than harder woods like oak. Cherry wood dining furniture gives warmth and elegance to any room.

Rustic Cherry: The Perfect Farmhouse Table

Rustic Cherry wood has the same beautiful grain pattern as regular cherry, but it has significantly more pits and mineral deposits in it, even including cracks and knots. Choosing rustic cherry is a nice way to save cost while going with the beautiful look of cherry.

Preparing to Buy a New Wood Dining Table

All woods are beautiful in style and appearance, but certain species are just a better fit for some families and homes. We hope that by reading this article you feel a little more informed and ready for the next steps in your table shopping journey. When it comes to Amish crafted tables, each piece is made to fit a lifestyle and last long enought to bring enjoyment to generations of people. At Steiner’s Amish Furniture, we are glad to help bring it to your home too. Check out our dining table inventory online and upgrade your dining room today!