Learn About North Iowa Kitchens

Wood selection is an important part of the kitchen design process. Oak gives a comfortable, classic feeling where cherry is more elegant. Click below to learn more about each wood species or to return to the previous page and continue learning about other facets of kitchen design.

Red Oak

With its distinctive open graining and flowing pattern, red oak has been a traditional cabinetry choice for years. While oak tends toward more warm tones raw lumber can vary from pale near white to deep brown or even grey. Dark finished highlight the warm tones and classic strength of oak while light or natural finishes emphasize the natural variations.   Top

Hickory

The distinct graining and bold color variations of hickory have made it a favorite for years, especially for homeowners desiring a more rustic or cabin type styling. Hickory is an extremely durable, dense, heavy wood. A single board can commo0nly have color variations from near white to dark brown and occasionally almost black. Mineral deposits are also common. To accent these beautiful natural variations a light or natural stain is recommended while deeper stains can be used to mute these characteristics.   Top

Maple

With its fine, uniform grain pattern and light colorations maple has become a popular option for all kitchen styles. Glaze finishes are used to accent this popular choice. Raw wood colors range from near white to medium brown. Light and natural stains create both modern as well as traditional design options while darker finishes create an attractive subtly mottled appearance.   Top

Cherry

Known for its tight graining and elegant coloring cherry is an excellent choice for classic and elegantly styled dramatic kitchens. Color varies from almost white to light brown to pinkish red. Light and natural stains will enhance these variations. Cherry will naturally darken over time, especially with exposure to sunlight.   Top

Lyptus

Lyptus is a sustainably grown exotic hardwood. Grown on environmentally managed South American plantations lyptus is an excellent option for the environmentally conscious designer. Offering the hardness and durability of maple combines with the color variations and graining of fine mahogany lyptus provides every kitchen with warm, classic styling. As with cherry, lyptus will darken significantly with age and exposure to sunlight.   Top

Knotty Alder

Knotty alder is a smooth, fine grained hardwood with a smiliar grain pattern to cherry. With color variations from pale pinkish brown to light honey color and random sized knots, knotty alder is selected for its rugged and rustic appearance. Knots will be random in size and distribution and will range from light, sound knots to very rustic, split and open knots. As with hickory these variations are the main reason most designers select knotty alder. Dark and deep stains will emphasize the warm colors while light and natural finishes will emphasize the rustic appearance.   Top

Quartersawn White Oak

Offering the perfect choice for a mission style kitchen, quartersawn white oak offers a distinctive grain pattern and superior stability. As with red oak, a light or natural finish will highlight the grain patterns while deep or dark finishes will mute them. Quartersawn white oak is also very receptive to glazing which further highlights the unique graining.  Top

Thermafoil

Thermafoil doors are a composite material with a durable coating in one of several shades of white. Traditionally simple doors offer classic lines with simple maintenance. The interior of these cabinets will remain a natural maple.   Top