Walnut is a stunning natural wood noted for its significant brown colour and strong, typically straight, grain variation. 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.
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.
Durability. Walnut is rated at a 1010 on the Janka Hardness Scale. European Oak is a 1360 on the same scale. This means that Oak is more durable than Walnut and will stand up better against constant use and daily wear and tear.
Walnut has a wider, open grain and a generally soft surface, while oak has a tight, slightly raised wood grain that results in a rougher, coarser texture. It's important to remember that hardwood products are natural products—just like the trees themselves, no two cabinet doors are exactly alike.
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.
It is very dark brown in color with black undertones. It is really a classic wood color – if you think of dark, expensive wood surfaces, this is a color that might come to mind. What is this? Dark Walnut goes onto projects VERY thick and dark.
Jacobean is very similar to Dark Walnut but a bit darker. Jacobean gives off a more rustic vibe than dark walnut. Additionally, Jacobean has a subtle hint of redness to the dried product. However, tints and undertones are also impacted by the type of wood used, which will vary with every application.
Combining mixed wood types – such as oak, walnut, ash – has become increasingly popular over the last few years thanks to the laid-back, 'lived-in' trend sweeping the interior world.
Alder, poplar, red gum, oak, or mahogany can also be stained to resemble walnut. However, no two types of wood are identical. Even if you successfully stain your chosen wood to imitate walnut, the grain and pore structure will vary slightly. If you're looking for wood similar to walnut, acacia is the answer.
Dark Oak is the darkest shade of brown in the Restol™ Wood Oil colour range. This colour is ideal for accentuating the grain and giving your wood a warm look. Pale types of wood, such as Norway Spruce and Pine, can also be treated perfectly well with Dark Oak, giving them the appearance of darker types of wood.
Walnut and oak, while both premier cabinet wood species, can come at significantly different price points. Walnut will almost always be more expensive than oak. That's because walnut is not as populous, which results in it being harder to source and more expensive.
Wood Furniture
Hardwoods like teak tend to last years (50+) longer than softwoods (20+) like cedar or pressure-treated pine.
Which Wood Lasts the Longest? Teak wood easily lasts the longest when used for outdoor furniture or decking. When properly maintained, it can last for the entirety of your life and years after.
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 darker wood with shades that range from pale browns to dark browns.
Pros: Walnut is a very strong and stable wood that can take intricate carving. The color can be beautiful. Cons: Some may not like the variation from dark to light that's sometimes found on a single wide board. Walnut is also one of the more costly woods.
It's prized by woodworkers for its strength, grain and color. It polishes to a very smooth finish, and the color ranges from creamy white in the sapwood to a dark chocolate in the heartwood. Over the years, natural walnut wood develops a lustrous patina.
Yes, there are several woods that resemble walnut but are more affordable for woodworking. Some popular alternatives include cherry, mahogany, and even some varieties of ash and maple that have been stained to mimic the dark color and grain pattern of walnut.
For example, if we have a light oak piece or finish we want to contrast, we'll likely pair it with a dark wood like walnut or stained maple. Designer note: If the wood tones in your space seem overwhelming, try balancing them out with a neutral-stained wood piece in black, white, or even light grey.
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.
“I would encourage people to mix wood species in the same room because it gives a balanced flavor to the space. The lighter hues of new cherry or even ash will complement the richer tones of walnut.
You might pair Cordovan Brown with Blank Canvas—a soft, warm white—which Behr chose as its 2023 Color of the Year for interiors. The paint firm PPG also chose a deep brown stain as its 2023 Stain Color of the Year: Chestnut Brown. The rich brown tones may be part of the resurgence of 1970s design styles.
Dark Walnut is probably the coolest brown profile of any wood stain out there. Like Cherry, it lacks the orange glaze coloring typical of many wood stains. However, it also has very little noticeable red undertones.
The best finish for walnut is a clear one. Several coats of Danish oil provide clarity. For protection, add a compatible clear topcoat.