Walnut is versatile because it's so neutral, in which case the undertone could swing either way depending on the stain and the woods you pair it with. If your dominate wood tone is warm, stick with warm woods. If your big piece is cool in tone — embrace it, and look for other pieces with blue/gray undertones.
Neutrally toned woods like Walnut are the most versatile. Walnut has soft purple undertones that work with warm and cool-toned wood alike.
Walnut wood offers rich, brown colors that range from light to dark brown. The sapwood (outer part of the tree log) is pale yellow to white and the heartwood (center of the tree log) has brown shades that vary from light brown to dark chocolate brown with some dark brown streaks.
Walnut is a fantastic choice for a lot of reasons… first, it's gorgeous but because it has a slight purple undertone to it — walnut can work best with both warm or cool undertones.
“Walnut has a warm undertone; it deepens and becomes richer and darker within the first year,” notes Laura. Walnut is becoming a top choice for several reasons. “So many people love the modern look but don't want it to appear cold.
Walnut wood can change color depending on the way it's dried or its age. The heartwood usually is a dark brown color and the sapwood is a light yellow color. When the wood is left out in the elements, such as the sun, the lighter wood will turn darker and the darker wood will turn lighter.
If you're a fan of warm tones but want to add more texture and depth, look for woods with a neutral tone, such as walnut or birch. These are highly versatile in that you can mix them into a room that has warm or cool undertones.
Neutrals infused with earthy tones like green and brown work beautifully here. However, avoid overloading your interiors with too much walnut furniture, especially if it has a dark hardwood floor. Break things up with a neutral area rug or think about neutral upholstery.
Dark Walnut stains look great with other dark colors, like plums, blues, greens, and dark reds. Alternatively, lighter colors like off-white, light grays, and other neutral shades can pleasantly contrast the eyes. Don't be afraid to mix different shades of stained wood and different types of wood in a room.
Other species of oak, such as American White Oak, have a light-to-tan brown colour with a straight grain. Walnut, on the other hand, can have a characteristically sleek cream-to-chocolate brown colour — often with an alluring tinge of purple.
The Colors of Walnut Wood
The heartwood of the tree is the innermost part of the tree. In a walnut tree, the heartwood gets down to the nitty gritty with rich colors that include a range of dark browns and light browns with some purplish hues, grays, reddish rays, and dark streaks included.
Both beautiful woods, walnut and brown maple make stunning wood furniture. Walnut has some darker colors, but still looks beautiful au natural with an oiled finish.
Like mahogany, walnut is also a close-grained hardwood, but the colour can vary from a light golden brown to a light grey-brown. The grain of walnut wood, like mahogany, is typically straight, although it can have waves or curls that enhance its character.
Neutral color palette
If you're going floor to ceiling neutral, woods like oak, pine, rattan and birch are all great choices. One of our favourite pairings, oak looks gorgeous with Green 02 and wonderful with White 03 or Beige 02.
Use Contrast to Call Attention
Dark finishes, such as mahogany, walnut, or cherry, stand out in sharp relief against light colors, such as a pale green or blue or a hue from the sunny side of the color wheel.
Neutral Wood Tones
Hazelnut, white oak, and walnut are neutral color wood.
Wax Finishes: Wax finishes provide a natural-looking finish without adding much gloss or shine to the wood. 4. Shellac Finish: Shellac is a versatile natural finish that enhances the beauty of walnut with its warm amber hue.
Bleached walnut. Sometimes you want to make wood lighter than it is in its raw state. This is common when trying to match the wood to something that already exists. The way to do it is to first bleach out the color of the wood, then apply a stain, if necessary, to achieve the match.
American Walnut embodies the richness of chocolate mixed with slight undertones of red wine. A modern twist on classic shades, this boldly confident color brings a sense of rich luxury. American Walnut vividly transforms and highlights wood with depth and artful sophistication.
The Walnut species is classified as a hardwood tree due to the nature of its growth with its flowering seed. While it is a common misconception that the term “hardwood” refers to the strength and heartiness of the tree, in the case of Walnut, the species truly is a hard wood!
Colors You Might Want to Avoid
Reds, yellows, and anything too bright or vibrant that can overwhelm are typically a no-go for neutral skin tones, Eiseman tells InStyle.
New walnut has a consistent dark-brown color but as it gets older, two changes occur. 1: Unlike maple and cherry, it gets lighter. 2: A rich honey color starts to come through the grain.
If you want a lighter colored board go with Maple, and if you want a darker board go with Walnut. Maple is a slightly higher quality wood with many benefits. Still, despite that, it is a less expensive end product though Walnut offers its own advantages.