Popular woods

[Tyler Trowbridge]

I was wondering if anyone who has ventured out into selling pieces of furniture or accessories has noticed if there are more popular woods with their customers. I realize a lot depends on the design and how the wood works with it. I figured I would just through this out there anyway. Just curious

[Jim Becker]

Species choice is both subjective and related to the design/style of the workpiece. While a significant percentage of Stickley pieces were made of QSWO, they were also offered in cherry, especially the Harvey Ellis designs. Shaker styles were made of a great variety of woods (including within a single workpice), but many of us have a hankering to do them in cherry and/or maple, although I've done some end tables in black walnut that look outstanding. The more "formal" styles, especially those with carving, often utilized mahogany (really good mahogany) for it's properties.

Personally, I build in cherry, black walnut and poplar most of the time, but like QSWO, figured maple and English Brown Oak, too. I tend toward Shaker for most furniture, but do some pieces in natural edge Nakashima style, too.

[Dave MacArthur]

I never thought I'd say this, but I find myself now interested in these "styles" groupings of furniture, but woefully un-informed. I know what arts&crafts is, and I can recognize Shaker style. And Chippendale. But I find myself reading posts mentioning Stickly, Greene & Green, Modern, Post-Modern, mid-century modern etc. and I find I don't know enough to picture the furniture. So I'm sure I'm missing a lot--my first thought upon reading the Tyler's question was "that depends on the style surely?".

I know most arts/crafts furniture I see is in quarter sawn white oak (QSWO), most "western" stuff is in Mesquite, most of the furniture folks wanted in England when I was there (antiques) needed to be Oak or Walnut. I'm like Jim Becker, every time I decide to build something, I somehow talk myself into making it out of Cherry or Walnut no matter what I start out thinking!

Hopefully this is in-line with Tyler's question, but where is a good online source to learn about all these styles of furniture (and wood-type for each, if they have one), that has a good over-view of it all along with pictures?

[Eiji Fuller]

I am very into contemporary and mid-century modern furniture designs.

Ive worked with alot of African Mahogany though it is not one of my favorites.

I work with alot of Sapele, Wenge, Jatoba.

I find myself gravitating to maple these days though. Figured especially.

I want to revisit alot of mid-century modern designs but with Maple instead of the teak.

[Frank Drew]

If you're building for yourself or friends (non-remunerative work, in other words), you can use whatever wood you want. For paying customers, though, my experience was that certain woods go in and out of fashion -- maybe walnut is popular for a while, then suddenly everyone wants cherry... or red oak, or whatever. I do know that shortly after I laid in a lot of really nice walnut demand for it among my customers pretty much dried up (in favor of cherry). I think that walnut was seen as too "colonial" or something; shame, considering how beautiful it becomes as it ages.

[Tony Bilello]

Most of my work is in red oak and padouk, usually combined into the same piece. Both woods have excellent working qualities. My furniture designs are mostly Contemporary

[Darnell Hagen]

The espresso/parsons look has been pretty popular for a while, I've been mostly walnut for a few years now. I'm looking forward to tastes changing. Walnut makes my nose run.