Oak is still a strong and durable hardwood choice for kitchen cabinets. But, if you were to put maple and oak to the test to see which one would resist denting and scratching, hard maple would perform slightly better. Ultimately, you're really splitting hairs when it comes to durability.
Maple tends to be more expensive than all other types of wood used for Kitchen Cabinets. Oak finishes tend to be about on par with their counterparts due to high demand, however, there can still be variations between different oak finishes so keep this in mind when deciding if oak is right for you or not!
3. Hard Maple Wood Cabinets. Hard maple is a fine-grain and light-color wood slightly more expensive than oak but less dense.
The 5 best and most popular woods for kitchen cabinets are pine, oak, hickory, cherry, and maple. Pine, oak, and hickory are cheaper and easier to get. Cherry and maple look luxurious and cost more than the others.
Easy to refinish – Oak accepts stain and paint well, so if you do eventually want a change, this wood works well. Less expensive – At a 20% lower cost than other hardwoods such as cherry, maple and birch, white oak is well worth the investment.
But they're long from outdated. In more recent years, more modern and contemporary designs have popped up all over the world with new ways to use oak cabinets.
Overall, white oak is the best choice for projects that call for water-resistant, decay resistant wood. Oak offers more options as far as grain pattern, and will provide a richer look when used as cabinetry or flooring. Maple is lighter, more affordable, and works well in contemporary spaces and for indoor projects.
A light beech, warm cherry, or dark walnut in a suitable stain should lend a timeless look to your kitchen. Bamboo is another excellent choice for modern kitchens, and hickory has a rustic aesthetic.
Solid Wood Cabinets
Solid natural wood cabinets are the gold standard when it comes to strength and longevity.
Arguably, the most timeless kitchen cabinet color is white. Bright white cabinets suit a variety of beautiful kitchens, including modern, contemporary, and farmhouse styles. Brilliant whites work to give kitchens a light and airy feel, and off-white options, like the White Dove shade, provides warmth.
Maple cabinets are no longer as popular as they used to be and many homeowners see them as outdated. However, maple wood cabinets can make use of some creative ideas to look more attractive than ever. There's a good reason why maple is still a highly preferred choice for kitchen cabinets.
Nowadays oak cabinets are making a comeback in the kitchen. In some cases, homeowners are refacing their old honey oak cabinets to give them fresh new life. They're replacing dated cabinet doors with new Shaker style cabinet doors.
Maple will never match oak. And why would we want it to? Maple and oak have different grain, different patterns, and different natural colors.
On the whole, Maple makes for harder and more durable wood floors than Red Oak. With a Janka rating of 1450, Maple is one of the denser species of hardwoods and is ideal for high-traffic areas.
Maple leaves are broad at the base and have delicate, horizontal offshoots. Their stems and leaves are much softer to the touch than oak's foliage, and can be easily torn. Branches of an oak tree are gnarled and often look like they have been badly abused. Maples tend to have consistent and organized growth.
Plywood: The highest quality kitchen cabinets are made of cabinet-grade multi-layer plywood. Plywood cabinets are strong, easier to install and considerably lighter in weight than MDF or particleboard cabinets. While more expensive, plywood cabinets are a good choice if you expect to own the house for a long period.
Shaker-Style Cabinets
Known for their simple design and recessed-panel doors, Shaker cabinets have been in style for more than 100 years. Shaker cabinets are popular in farmhouse kitchens, but they also work with a variety of home decor styles.
'In terms of material, either solid oak or walnut for a wood finish, or tulipwood for a hand-painted finish will provide maximum longevity,' says Louisa Eggleston, creative director of Humphrey Munson.
Shaker Style Cabinets
With clean, classic lines, Shaker is the most popular cabinet door style because it can work beautifully whether your aesthetic is modern, transitional, or traditional.
He also says to avoid cherry-colored cabinets because they look dated. Plus, Chastain says, traditional cabinetry shapes and sizes are quickly being outpaced by space-saving shelving systems and larger pantry-style cabinets.
White. Few paint colors stand the test of time quite like white. "Honestly, the only color in my opinion that will never go out of style—in the sense that you can never really pinpoint when it was done—is white cabinets," says Shaolin Low, principal and founder of Studio Shaolin.
Maple wood is harder than oak, but not as stable. Hardwood harvested from the outer wood of the trunk, or sapwood, is usually a light creamy white color, while hardwood harvested from the center of the tree, or heartwood, is a deeper shade of brown with a slight reddish hue.
Compared to Red Oak, it is slightly harder. Maple is generally the lightest colored hardwood. Its grain is very smooth, giving it a modern chic look. Maple is the best choice if you're looking for super blonde wood in its natural form.
John Boos & Co. Deals Primarily in Four Hardwoods
As you can see in the accompanying graph, rock maple is the hardest of these four hardwoods - about 15% harder than red oak, which ranks second. Black walnut ranks third in hardness - about 20% below red oak. Cherry is another 5% or so softer than walnut.