How to Select a Hardwood Species

Hardwoods are the ideal wood of choice for furniture of all types. They are far more stable throughout the changing seasons and tend to shrink and expand less than softwood species (such as pine) while offering much greater durability to stand the test of time. Hardwoods also offer a much broader array of natural colors and often do not require additional dyes/stains/colorants in order to achieve a beautiful visual appearance. Due to these and other factors, we prefer to work primarily with hardwoods, however they are instances where it does make sense to utilize softwoods and/or other similar species better suited to different finishing techniques and environments (e.g., such as when a piece will be painted, or if the piece will be kept outdoors).