How Wood Changes Color Over Time

Parsons table and Soren chairs

We love using unstained solid wood in our furniture like American walnut, white oak, cherry and maple. The grain patterns and colors are so gorgeous we prefer a simple clear finish to highlight the natural beauty and protect the surface. One thing to be aware of when you add all-wood surfaces to your home, however, is that wood changes color over time.

How wood gets more beautiful with age 

Even after wood is harvested and turned into furniture, it continues to be a living, breathing material that responds to its environment just like a tree would in the forest. It expands and contracts with changes in humidity, and changes color over time as it’s exposed to air and sunlight. Here are a few examples of how dramatic—and beautiful—these color changes can be. 

New vs. Aged Maple

Maple starts light and bright but evolves to a dark honey color. The drawers below show a brand new maple Linear cabinet versus a 10+ year old Linear cabinet. 

maple drawers
Old (at top) and new (at bottom) maple drawers

New vs. aged cherry 

Like maple, cherry gets darker over time. Here’s an example of a fresh-off-the-truck cherry bookcase (left) next to a cherry cabinet we’ve had at our headquarters since the 90s. A little shocking, no? Check out more cherry pieces here

new cherry at left and aged cherry at right
New cherry (left) and aged cherry (right)

New vs. aged walnut 

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. You can see the difference between a new table (left) and a four-year-old table (right). See how we use walnut here. 

new walnut on the left vs. aged walnut on the right
New walnut (left) and aged walnut (right)

New vs. aged white oak

White oak experiences very little color change over time—its golden tones only grow slightly richer. Here’s an example of a one-year-old Callan chair in white oak sitting on a decades-old white oak floor at our Washington DC store. Furniture with white oak options are here. 

new white oak frame chair on an aged white oak floor
Callan chair with a new white oak frame (left) on an aged white oak floor 

Pro tip!

Color changes tend to be the most dramatic in the first year—even within the first few months. Here’s a tip from our (unfortunate) experience: move items around on your new wood furniture so you don’t get spots that are darker or lighter. For example, we put a lamp on this walnut end table a few years ago and then never moved it. Lesson learned. If this happens to you, don’t panic—because the color keeps changing, the contrast will even out with time.

 

It’s handy to know what to expect as the wood changes color in your Room & Board furniture, as well as how to best care for each piece. Check out our materials guide for more info on the elements that make up our modern pieces, plus check out our helpful care guides including our recommended wood care products. 

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