Butternut or Walnut?

[Wade Lippman]

5 years ago I made a double ladder shelf unit with walnut sides and butternut shelves. The sides are 22.5" and the sides 1"; 48" total width. It was great for where it was made for, but we have moved and have no place to put it. My wife loves it and wants to put it someplace.

We need a 64" shelf unit, so I am recycling this. I have taken it apart in the middle (the shelves are attached with pocket screws) and made another walnut side. With 15" shelves in the middle it will be a perfect fit.

So...
My original thought was to use walnut shelves for the middle; if the sizes are not equal, then go with it and make the middle shelves a different material also. But maybe having somewhat smaller butternut middle shelves aren't so bad. Will new butternut be a reasonable match for 5 year old butternut? I know walnut fades, but will just have to live with that.

So do you think walnut or butternut shelves.
Below is a photo of half of the existing unit, so you have some idea of what is involved.
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As I write this, it occurres to me that I could take everything apart and cut the existing shelves down to 20" and then make the new shelves 20"; but that would be a great deal of work, but maybe it is worth it?

[Jim Becker]

Walnut and butternut are very complimentary as they are "related"...some folks call butternut "white walnut". No matter what new material you choose to use, it's not going to match the aged material for awhile unless you sand to bare and refinish. Even then, it may not completely match because it will obviously be from a different tree.

Personally, I'd want things to match, at least ultimately, so I'd make the new shelves to mirror the originals if you are using them.