The natural color of walnut comes through.
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.
The Color. Oak is a light colored wood providing a range of light to medium brown tones. Walnut is a darker wood with shades that range from pale browns to dark browns.
Oak has a light to middle brown colour with some reddish hues, complimented by a straight and tight grain pattern. Walnut can range anywhere from a light brown to a deep, dark chocolate hue. Though its grain is very open and more coarse than maple, walnut still has a beautiful, uniform surface.
Walnut Color Heartwood
Other types of walnut heartwood include pale brown and dark chocolate brown with even darker brown streaks in it, with a reddish or grey tone. What is this? Walnut sapwood, which is the living, outer part of a walnut trunk or branches, ranges from bright white to a creamy, yellowish, grey.
Minwax Jacobean (also available here!) is a rich, dark brown color. It's similar to Dark Walnut, but a bit darker and the golden grain hues are more subtle and bit more light brown toned.
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 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.
What Color is Walnut Wood? Most people are familiar with walnut wood in its darkest state, which can be a deep chocolate or coffee color. In fact, its the only dark wood native to North America. However, its actually only the center of the tree which bears the deep hues.
Reminiscent of dark cocoa and coffee beans, Dark Walnut embraces the shadowy hues of black and brown. Woodgrain appears etched with charcoal, creating a sultry dance where light and dark meet.
“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 Color Composition
The color Walnut belongs to the color family Dark Orange.
From their shells to their taste, pecans and walnuts are anything but interchangeable. Side by side, walnuts are typically a much lighter color, with more irregular edges, and a relatively soft shell. Pecans, on the other hand, are darker, have a more oval-like shape, and have an exceptionally hard shell.
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.
As walnut is a dark colour, it pairs well with lighter colours. However, if you are looking to keep your space adaptable, then neutral colours such as white, magnolia and creams are complementary colours to walnut finished items.
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.
Color & Texture
Black Walnut has a chocolate brown color that can range from a reddish color to a very dark brown. Since the color is so desired, black walnut logs will be steamed to darken the sapwood to create a uniform color. Slow growth trees will produce softer boards unlike fast growth trees.
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.
Did you know? Black Walnuts are the only all-wild tree nut in the United States. Nearly all Black Walnuts come from trees growing in the wild, while English walnuts come from orchards. The main difference between Black Walnuts and English walnuts are the rich, bold, distinctive flavor of the Black Walnut.
Walnut wood comes in a wide range of colors. Sapwood, or the outer part of the tree, ranges from yellow and gray to nearly creamy white. However, the heartwood or the inner portion of the wood come in dark or vibrant colors. Some colors may also be seen, such as reddish rays, purple marks, with some darker streaks.
The easiest way to tell pecans from walnuts is by looking at their appearance. Pecans have a darker brown color than walnuts; they are also smaller and elongated.
Generally, mahogany is lighter than walnut due to its notable deep red-brown hue that intensifies as it ages. In comparison, walnut displays a warm chocolate brown tone.
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.
Just Walnut is an elegant warm neutral with just enough colour to make it interesting and pale enough to ensure it works in just about any room.
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.