about our woods
The Shelburne Buffet and Top - shown in solid maple
about maple
In Brief
Looking for solid, durable furniture in a wood that looks a whole lot lighter than it actually is? If so then maple may be the right wood for you.
Appearance
While maple is the hardest and heaviest material we offer, it’s also the lightest in color and possesses a closed grain pattern which is less featured than the others. You could say that it has an understated beauty that chooses not to call too much attention to itself.
As a result, maple is an excellent choice for:
- furnishing smaller spaces
- pieces not meant to be the focal point of the design scheme
- emphasizing the lines of a particular piece more than the materials of which it's made
That said, maple remains a natural material, and you should expect variations in color and grain pattern.
When your furniture first arrives, the color will be very pale — almost white — but soon will oxidize to a soft golden color. Exposure to sunlight will accelerate the speed and intensify the of degree of oxidation.
Special Features
Maple sometimes contains a feature referred to as a mineral streak. Mineral streaks occur randomly, and (we believe) add character to the grain. During construction we make no attempt to avoid them.
Staining
When staining maple, results are at best unpredictable and at worst blotchy and unattractive. We do not recommend staining maple — at all. Proceed at you own risk.
