What You Need to Know Before Selecting Natural Finishes or Light Stains

Natural finish (or Natural Stain) means that the furniture piece will not have any color added in the finishing process. Although this lets the intrinsic beauty of the wood show, it also means that any irregularities in the grain pattern or coloring will be quite evident. These are not defects in the material, but part of the nature of real wood. These markings & characteristics may also show through light-colored stains. Please be sure to ask your salesperson to show you full-sized furniture pieces in your chosen wood & stain. All pieces are built-to-order and we cannot accept returns due to dissatisfaction in grain pattern or coloring.

Brown Maple is especially notable for the irregularities in the grain & coloring.

The Dutch Pantry pictured above shows brown maple with a natural finish. The TV stand below is also natural brown maple.

You can see a wide variety of shades in the finished product.

Many of these markings are not evident until after the clear finish is added, and we cannot request that the builder avoid such pieces.

You may also see these irregularities in light-colored stains, including S-2, Seely, Fruitwood, Michaels, and Cappuccino.

Cherry, while known for its smooth, regular grain, is also susceptible to striping & irregularity. The buffet top pictured below shows cherry with a natural finish.

It is also important to note that cherry wood will darken as it ages, so your new natural cherry furniture will not be quite the same color as the pieces on the showroom floor. If you buy cherry pieces at different times, you should expect it to take several months, or longer, for the new pieces to "catch-up” with the older ones.

The pie safe, above, also shows some striping in the wood grain. You may also see these irregularities in light-colored stains, including Seely, Fruitwood, and S-14.

Even oak can show significant changes in color when it is made with a natural finish. The chair below shows some darker colors in the natural oak grain. Chairs are especially susceptible to these color variations, as the slats & spindles have more surface area and show different cuts through the grain.

These markings are not defects in the material, but part of the nature of real wood. Please be sure to ask your salesperson to show you full-sized furniture pieces in your chosen wood & stain. All pieces are built-to-order and we cannot accept returns due to dissatisfaction in grain pattern, markings, or coloring.