There's a sawmill relatively close to me that sells oak, ash, hickory and maple for $0.40/bdft (min. 400 bdft/order). The catch is that each type of wood is a mix of subspecies, so for example, oak is a mix of red and white oaks (probably 3 or 4 species of oak too). Hickory can be pig nut, bitternut, and maybe shell bark, etc...
My dilemma is that I'll be getting a load of ~400-600 board feet (or however much I can safely fit on my trailer) for a number of projects. The main project is wainscoting and built-ins for the den in our basement. As we're slowly remodeling our house, we're going for a "rustic craftsman" style. The wainscoting will be tall (about 5 feet) and be simple frame and panel. The built-ins will also be heavily influenced by the craftsman style and be on either side of a large stone chimney. I already made a dutch door that connects the den to the woodshop using reclaimed oak (see photo below). It would be nice if the wainscoting would be close to this look.
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My concern with Ash is that it may be too yellow which wouldn't look good with the soft green walls, warm brown stained concrete floors, and the stone. I'm not sure if Ash can be stained a warm brown color? I haven't worked with it before.
If I get oak, then I'll have to sort through and divide red and white. I can't afford to get QSWO which is the "standard" for craftsman style, but this is more rustic as our house is more "cabin" like.
Hickory's grain contrast is probably a little too pronounced.
Maple is too light and doesn't stain well, though I did my basement workshop walls in it in LOVE it. Not so much for the den though.
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Here's one of the only photos I can find that show the stone, walls, and floor:
IMG_0707.jpg
Here's the shop door made from reclaimed oak (sorry, photo is a bit dark):
IMG_0179.jpg
This is an inspirational photo of wainscoting that I'll be loosely basing ours from (may lighten the color since it's in a basement with no natural light):
craftsman wainscoting.jpeg
I'd appreciate any second opinions before I commit at the sawmill!
Thanks