34 THE FURNITURE BIBLE
common wood species How to identify them, where you’ll find them—and how to (re)finish them.
WOOD COLOR CHARACTERISTICS SEEN ON USED FOR RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS
almond Rich reddish blond Fine grain Louis XIV Rare cabinetry Fine finishes; polishes
applewood Pinkish blond Sinuous grain American Colonial; William and Mary Rich inlay; marquetry Polishes; oil
ash White to pale brown Sinuous, open grain American Colonial; Biedermeier Rustic furniture Wax; ceruse
beech Blond Fine, linear grain Louis XV; Gustavian; Biedermeier Frames Paint; bleaching; staining; oil
birch Pale blond with reddish streaks Hardwood with a fine, sinuous grain Gustavian; Shaker; Biedermeier Almost all furniture Staining; oil rub and wax
boxwood Blond Very dense; no grain Louis XIV; Second Empire Precious carvings; turning; inlay Clear wax; oil rub
Walnut burl: contrasted browns; Highly figured Louis XIV; Art Deco Precious veneer High-gloss finishes; French polish burls Elm and Circassian walnut burl: blond (burls are knots and roots)
Lightweight and resinous; “Syrian” furniture; Spanish Colonial; Light reddish brown Trunks and wardrobes Avoid finishing! cedar and cypress insect-repellent American Colonial
American Colonial; Queen Anne; Uniform, straight, fine grain with a Large furniture such as armoires, Rich reddish brown Louis XV; Chippendale; Shaker; Oil and wax; shellac smooth texture; darkens with age tables, and buffets cherry Federal; Biedermeier
Large furniture such as armoires, Warm brown with a hint of red Rustic texture and grain Rustic French Rustic finishes; wax; tung oil chestnut hutches, tables, and buffets
Traditionally black, but huge Hard, brittle wood with a closed, Louis XIV, XV, and XVI; First Empire; Support for precious marquetry Tung oil; wax ebony variations exist figured grain Second Empire; Victorian; Art Deco
Hard, dense wood with American Colonial; Gustavian; Light blond Traditional support for veneer Wax; staining; paint elm a medium grain Biedermeier
Solid, massive furniture; rustic Blond to light brown Dense hardwood American Colonial Wax; oil rub hickory furniture; trunks
holly White Fine, uniform grain Renaissance; Louis XIV; Second Empire Inlay and marquetry Ebonizing; fine polishes
kingwood Rich, violet brown Straight, intense grain Louis XIV, XV, and XVI Precious inlay; fine veneer Fine polishes Meet Your Furniture 35 common wood species How to identify them, where you’ll find them—and how to (re)finish them.
WOOD COLOR CHARACTERISTICS SEEN ON USED FOR RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS almond Rich reddish blond Fine grain Louis XIV Rare cabinetry Fine finishes; polishes applewood Pinkish blond Sinuous grain American Colonial; William and Mary Rich inlay; marquetry Polishes; oil ash White to pale brown Sinuous, open grain American Colonial; Biedermeier Rustic furniture Wax; ceruse beech Blond Fine, linear grain Louis XV; Gustavian; Biedermeier Frames Paint; bleaching; staining; oil birch Pale blond with reddish streaks Hardwood with a fine, sinuous grain Gustavian; Shaker; Biedermeier Almost all furniture Staining; oil rub and wax boxwood Blond Very dense; no grain Louis XIV; Second Empire Precious carvings; turning; inlay Clear wax; oil rub
Walnut burl: contrasted browns; Highly figured Louis XIV; Art Deco Precious veneer High-gloss finishes; French polish burls Elm and Circassian walnut burl: blond (burls are knots and roots)
Lightweight and resinous; “Syrian” furniture; Spanish Colonial; Light reddish brown Trunks and wardrobes Avoid finishing! cedar and cypress insect-repellent American Colonial
American Colonial; Queen Anne; Uniform, straight, fine grain with a Large furniture such as armoires, Rich reddish brown Louis XV; Chippendale; Shaker; Oil and wax; shellac smooth texture; darkens with age tables, and buffets cherry Federal; Biedermeier
Large furniture such as armoires, Warm brown with a hint of red Rustic texture and grain Rustic French Rustic finishes; wax; tung oil chestnut hutches, tables, and buffets
Traditionally black, but huge Hard, brittle wood with a closed, Louis XIV, XV, and XVI; First Empire; Support for precious marquetry Tung oil; wax ebony variations exist figured grain Second Empire; Victorian; Art Deco
Hard, dense wood with American Colonial; Gustavian; Light blond Traditional support for veneer Wax; staining; paint elm a medium grain Biedermeier
Solid, massive furniture; rustic Blond to light brown Dense hardwood American Colonial Wax; oil rub hickory furniture; trunks holly White Fine, uniform grain Renaissance; Louis XIV; Second Empire Inlay and marquetry Ebonizing; fine polishes kingwood Rich, violet brown Straight, intense grain Louis XIV, XV, and XVI Precious inlay; fine veneer Fine polishes 36 THE FURNITURE BIBLE
WOOD COLOR CHARACTERISTICS SEEN ON USED FOR RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS
Renaissance-era and 18th-century White Fine, uniform grain Inlay and marquetry Ebonizing; fine polishes lime Venetian furniture
Reddish brown 18th-century French furniture; The most formal or the simplest finish: Tight grain Formal furniture and veneer macassar with black stripes Art Deco French polish or wax polish
Hardwood with a close grain, Queen Anne; Georgian; Limited to very expensive furniture Perfect for all refined finishes, such as Reddish brown straight grain (ribbon), or figured Louis XVI; Federal; Empire; until the 19th century French polish mahogany grain (cathedral) Victorian; Second Empire
American Colonial; William and Mary; Straw blond Hardwood with a fine grain Queen Anne; Chippendale; Almost all types of furniture Natural wax and oil; ebonizing maple Shaker; Federal
Very hard wood with an open grain. Tudor; Jacobean; Dutch and Flemish; Oil and wax; rustic finishes; Red or white Flat-cut oak has a figured grain; Massive furniture Louis XIV; William and Mary; Victorian decorative effects oak quartersawn oak has a straight grain.
Inlays and precious furnishings during Louis XIV; Second Empire; Art Deco; Ebonizing; natural-colored finishes Yellowish brown No grain Louis XIV’s time; ebonized Second Empire Modernist (clear wax or tung oil) pear furniture; Art Deco and Modernist furniture
William and Mary; Dutch Colonial; Soft wood with a Blond to light brown Pennsylvania Dutch; Alpine and rustic Cheaper support for veneering Paint; wax; oil straight grain and knots pine European furniture; English pitchpin
Backs and insides of furniture and White Inconsistent color and pattern Ubiquitous Paint; primers poplar other paint-grade parts
Precious furniture and veneer; Red and black Hardwood with a close, straight grain Sheraton; Regency; Victorian French polish; shellac and clear wax rosewood inlay and marquetry
Fine-grained hardwood Adam; Hepplewhite; Sheraton; French polish; shellac and clear wax; Rich blond Precious veneer; refined furniture satinwood with beautiful streaks 18th-century Irish; Federal clear-oil rub
William and Mary; Venetian furniture; White with flecks Tight grain Colonial; nice early-American Marquetry in Europe Oil; wax sycamore country furniture
Indo-Portuguese furniture; Outdoor furniture; nice carvings; Rich brown and red Heavy, dense, and oily Anglo-Indian; Chinese export; Unfinished is okay; tung oil; teak oil trunks and wardrobes teak midcentury modern; Modernist
Hardwood with a fine grain, Rich brown Ubiquitous Carvings; prized furniture Great for French polish; wax; oil walnut straight or figured
willow White Fine, uniform grain Renaissance; Venetian Inlay and marquetry Clear wax; oil rub
Hardwood with a nice streaky figure— Yellowish brown with dark stripes Regency; Art Deco Precious veneers and furniture French polish; shellac and clear wax zebrawood very decorative Meet Your Furniture 37
WOOD COLOR CHARACTERISTICS SEEN ON USED FOR RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS
Renaissance-era and 18th-century White Fine, uniform grain Inlay and marquetry Ebonizing; fine polishes lime Venetian furniture
Reddish brown 18th-century French furniture; The most formal or the simplest finish: Tight grain Formal furniture and veneer macassar with black stripes Art Deco French polish or wax polish
Hardwood with a close grain, Queen Anne; Georgian; Limited to very expensive furniture Perfect for all refined finishes, such as Reddish brown straight grain (ribbon), or figured Louis XVI; Federal; Empire; until the 19th century French polish mahogany grain (cathedral) Victorian; Second Empire
American Colonial; William and Mary; Straw blond Hardwood with a fine grain Queen Anne; Chippendale; Almost all types of furniture Natural wax and oil; ebonizing maple Shaker; Federal
Very hard wood with an open grain. Tudor; Jacobean; Dutch and Flemish; Oil and wax; rustic finishes; Red or white Flat-cut oak has a figured grain; Massive furniture Louis XIV; William and Mary; Victorian decorative effects oak quartersawn oak has a straight grain.
Inlays and precious furnishings during Louis XIV; Second Empire; Art Deco; Ebonizing; natural-colored finishes Yellowish brown No grain Louis XIV’s time; ebonized Second Empire Modernist (clear wax or tung oil) pear furniture; Art Deco and Modernist furniture
William and Mary; Dutch Colonial; Soft wood with a Blond to light brown Pennsylvania Dutch; Alpine and rustic Cheaper support for veneering Paint; wax; oil straight grain and knots pine European furniture; English pitchpin
Backs and insides of furniture and White Inconsistent color and pattern Ubiquitous Paint; primers poplar other paint-grade parts
Precious furniture and veneer; Red and black Hardwood with a close, straight grain Sheraton; Regency; Victorian French polish; shellac and clear wax rosewood inlay and marquetry
Fine-grained hardwood Adam; Hepplewhite; Sheraton; French polish; shellac and clear wax; Rich blond Precious veneer; refined furniture satinwood with beautiful streaks 18th-century Irish; Federal clear-oil rub
William and Mary; Venetian furniture; White with flecks Tight grain Colonial; nice early-American Marquetry in Europe Oil; wax sycamore country furniture
Indo-Portuguese furniture; Outdoor furniture; nice carvings; Rich brown and red Heavy, dense, and oily Anglo-Indian; Chinese export; Unfinished is okay; tung oil; teak oil trunks and wardrobes teak midcentury modern; Modernist
Hardwood with a fine grain, Rich brown Ubiquitous Carvings; prized furniture Great for French polish; wax; oil walnut straight or figured willow White Fine, uniform grain Renaissance; Venetian Inlay and marquetry Clear wax; oil rub
Hardwood with a nice streaky figure— Yellowish brown with dark stripes Regency; Art Deco Precious veneers and furniture French polish; shellac and clear wax zebrawood very decorative