Help with wood and a finish for a blanket cabinet.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

I’m making a blanket cabinet for my wife.
She wants it to go with other items with the finish shown. Similar tone but I plan to make it much better than the piece in the pic is made.
i realize this is a “barn wood” type finish. But I’m just wanting it to have a similar color tone and not necessarily the barn wood look.
I’d appreciate your thoughts on a wood and finish for it.
I had mentioned making it from walnut but that may not go with the other items that well.
6AAD0EDB-90D1-43AB-9F45-C4C55CA501AA.jpg

[Jim Becker]

I would not choose walnut for that, especially if you are going in that direction for a finish. I'd use oak and do a chemical "stain" to get the grey look as well as the grain. Rift sawn would keep things straight while having a distinctive grain pattern like in your photo. A matte finish will "protect" without adding too much "shine".

[Stan Calow]

One of the major stain manufacturers - I think Varathane - makes a weathered-wood-look stain. I saw it in a recent magazine ad, but you might find it through some google - research. I'd consider ash since its so light colored it takes stain well, and can have some strong straight grain.

(added) OK found it easily enough: https://www.varathanemasters.com/pro...red%20Wood)%22

[Jamie Buxton]

I’d use softwood, like the picture - whatever you can get dry in your area. I’d texture it with a wire brush. That gives it the texture of weathered wood. Wire brushing works well on softwood because of the difference on hardness between the earlywood and the latewood. It doesn’t work as well on hardwood. Then I’d use a “weathered “ stain.

[John Goodin]

General finishes has some barn wood type stain colors that may fit the bill. I have used one to make fresh sawn white oak look a bit more weathered. It worked well and closely matched the patina of the adjacent natural side.

[David Utterback]

If you want a close resemblance, I agree with Stan's recommendation to use ash in combination with Jim's to use rift sawn. Good luck!