Finding The Right Wood For Your Kitchen Cabinets: Cherry
There are many different kinds of wood to choose from for your kitchen cabinets.
We will talk briefly about cherry, one of the most popular woods used for kitchen cabinets. With its rich reddish-brown color, this wood has a very regal look and, as a hardwood, is very durable.
Cherry is a native wood to the United States, concentrated primarily in the Eastern half of the country. It grows naturally from Florida to Maine.
A close-grained hardwood, cherry is extremely smooth and when polished or finished, it draws out the nature richness that is the heart of the wood. The color of the woods can range from a light pink to a deep reddish brown. The grain has small dark spots in the narrow grain. The wood often has mineral streaks that add character to grain and interesting patterns in the wood.
When exposed to ultraviolet light, cherry darkens into a richer red, getting a lovely tan. The wood can be intentionally exposed to light to darken it prematurely.
Finishing cherry can bring out and protect much of the color. Simply wiping stain into cherry wood will stain it well without a great deal of effort. Traditionally, cherry is stained very dark, but for a more contemporary look it can be stained much more lightly.
Glazing can help the wood achieve a brilliant deep color. The glaze can make the grain stand out extremely well.
Since the first European settlers in North America, cherry has been used to create some of the world’s most wonderful furniture. In fact, nearly all the cherry wood used worldwide is grown in the United States.
As kitchen cabinets, this is wood of amazing distinction and style. A cherry kitchen looks extremely expensive and rich. For generations, the cabinets will look beautiful for years with just a little bit of love and attention.