Nature's Art
People are drawn to the natural beauty of wood. At Holiday Kitchens, our craftsmen work with the art found in each piece of wood to create cabinets of superior quality, backed by the Holiday warranty.
The natural characteristics of wood
Unlike man-made materials that can be manufactured to consistent specifications, wood is a product of nature. Its natural imperfections are part of its appeal and character. Every piece of wood—even within the same tree—is slightly different in color, texture and grain from every other piece. How wood looks and feels is dictated by climate, soil nutrients, growing season, season of harvest and age at harvest.
Let’s look at some natural characteristics of hardwoods that can affect its appearance and, ultimately, the look of your cabinets.
Grain
More than anything, grain gives wood its artistry. Depending on how it grows, a tree can produce wood with straight grain, spiral grain, interlocking grain or even wavy or curly grain. Each type of grain causes light to play off of it differently, affecting your perception of the color from one area to another.
Grain is also used to describe how the wood is cut or worked. Sawing and planning can be done “against the grain,” “with the grain” or “across the grain” —with each method having a different effect on how the wood accepts stain.
Another important consideration is matching the appropriate finish to the grain. For example, a rich grain pattern may be obscured by an opaque finish. For that reason, Holiday uses highly transparent stains that enhance the natural beauty of grain patterns.
Mineral streaks
A dark brown to black area in the wood where the tree absorbed nutrients. Since the number of mineral streaks varies from board to board, you may notice differences between cabinets, doors, drawers or even on the same panel. These streaks are especially evident in light wood such as maple and in lighter stains or natural finishes when no stain is applied.
Movement
This refers to the expansion and contraction of wood as it absorbs and gives off moisture. Some hardwoods, such as cherry and maple, are more sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. Because of this natural movement, painted finishes may show hairline cracks at joints in cabinets or doors.
Natural color
Although we’re used to seeing it stained or painted, wood in its natural state appears as shades of white, green, red and black. The natural color of unfinished wood is an important factor in determining its finished color. Light base and transparent stains allow these color variations to show through, while darker stains will be affected by the natural color of the wood.
Due to variations in grain, texture and natural color, a stained finish may vary slightly from one area to another. Certain special finishes—distressed, highlighted, glazed, frosted and chalked—may vary in the amount of highlighting due to these same natural properties.
The type of lighting and the angle of light wood can also appear to change the color of the finish. Depending on the species, cut and type of finish, all wood also darkens to some degree as it ages. Conditions in the home or office environment—ultraviolet light, cleaning chemicals, smoke, etc.—can also affect color, making it difficult to exactly duplicate an existing finish when adding or replacing cabinets.
