Replies

1. 
   RJT | Feb 01, 2009 11:09pm | #1

   For what purpose? For marquetry? For jewelry box inlay? For a chair? For a hutch?

   In general the type of wood you use is decided not by what it looks like but for what function it is to perform. Generally you'd use maple over pine for a chair but pine over maple for a drawer box, walnut before cedar for a jewelry box but cedar over walnut for an Adirondack chair. Etc.

   If a variety of woods work for any one project, choose for appearance. For combining different woods, I would use music as my guide; the most flamboyant grain would be the lead guitar, more subtle wood grains would play the rhythm to accent the lead.

   So I would use zebra wood which has a wild grain for example with a solid dark grain like walnut that would harmonize with the dark strokes in the zebra.

   Windsor chairs were made of several different species for different parts of the chair for their different properties. that's why those chairs were always painted.

   
   

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   Edited 2/1/2009 4:42 pm by RJT

2. 
   Metod | Feb 01, 2009 11:15pm | #2

   "which woods look best together?"
   To whom?
   At least you have enough courage to ask.
   Metod

3. 
   YesMaam27577 | Feb 01, 2009 11:45pm | #3

   As others have mentioned, it is largely a matter of your preferences.

   I sometimes like cherry with maple, and walnut with white oak. In the case of the cherry/maple blend, both will patinate towards the red shades. The walnut and white oak will stay in the beige/brown hues.

   And certainly there are about a hundred species that are in the "red" category, and another hundred that are beige/brown.

   But there are thousands of possibilities, and only you know what you like.

   Be sure to do a little research on woods before you use them. All woods change color a little with age. Some get much more beautiful, some the opposite. Cherry, walnut, mahogany, maple patinate to very pleasing shades. Purpleheart, padauk, pink ivory, and others simply go very dull.

   You choices need to look good when you build the piece, and great ten years later.

   Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.
1. 
   Hawk3y3 | Feb 02, 2009 05:32am | #4

   Thanks alot for the varied ideas! One more specific question that i have on my mind is; does red oak go with maple? Or should I stain the oak? Thanks!

4. 
   Thorvald | Feb 02, 2009 05:52am | #5

   Hawk,

   What is beauty?  I'm afraid you've lifted the lid on Pandora's box.

   Verne

   If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to cut it up and make something with it . . . what a waste!

5. 
   CoyoteWorksPDX | Jan 03, 2013 04:36pm | #6

   You guys, come on! Don't over think it, obviously it is subjective. I like Black walnut and maple!

6. 
   j_saenz | Apr 12, 2013 08:49am | #7

   Just like what everyone's said, it really depends on what purpose you would be using it for. Most of the time, color is the main consideration in choosing which goes with which. Here are some wood combinations that are guaranteed to compliment each other:

   Walnut and Maple

   Walnut and Cherry

   Walnut and White Oak

   Most of the time, light and dark shades go well, reds go with their own shade so lighter reds can go well with dark reds but never with almost the same shade. Black can go with almost anything. 

   :) Jan