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 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.
Neutrally toned woods like Walnut are the most versatile. Walnut has soft purple undertones that work with warm and cool-toned wood alike. Feel free to mix dark and light woods of varying finishes and grain sizes so long as the undertones are consistent.
02 - DECIPHER THE UNDERTONE
The best way to describe the difference between warm tones and cool tones is that warm wood tends to look more red, orange, or yellow (as seen in the first photo above). Cool undertones tend to look slightly gray (as seen on the dresser in the second photo above).
Red oak has a subtle pink undertone, while white oak has brown and yellow tones. So, when you stain each, the darker the stain, the less you will see of the yellow or pink. But if you use lighter paint, you will still see red oak's pink undertones. White oak is better with grey and lighter stains.
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.
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.
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. In the same way, light wood shows up boldly against dark or strong color on the walls.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Grey color goes well with walnut cabinetry, provided the room is adequately illuminated. You can also choose neutral colors, gray, off white and beige for the rest elements of the space.
Tonally speaking, Dulux Just Walnut can be paired with a multitude of colours from Grey to Pink. Dulux says the best matches are Active Orange and Smooth Maple which is a gorgeous caramel like colour.
White walnut has a much lighter color than black walnut wood, but that's not the only difference: This wood is much softer, and it's not as durable against decay as the other types of black walnut wood. It's easy to work with, but because it's soft, it has a fuzzy surface, even after it's been sanded.
This is called the heartwood, and it may also have lighter browns, purples, grays, or reddish tints. The outermost portion of the tree known as the sapwood because it carries the trees nutrients is typically a pale blonde color, though it can also be yellow-gray as well.
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.
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.
Neutral Undertones
There are a select number of people out there with neutral - or green-ish - undertones. Typically, people with an “Olive” skin tone possess this versatile, neutral undertone. This skin tone is the rarest - and most versatile - of all, and typically only present in women with Medium skin tones.
Cool Undertones In Wood
Let's say though that your dominant wood tone has cool undertones… it's more along the color way of grey, black, blue + maybe even a bit green. Well then, selecting other woods that have these undertones will make the room feel cohesive. These are often woods like: Ash, Maple, Poplar and Pine.