Why I love Cherry wood

Building solid Cherry wood furniture

I recently took a break from my regular job here at Solid Custom Heirlooms running our website and social media accounts to step back into a job that I truly love - working with hardwood. My teenage sons and I spent about a week sanding and preparing all the wood for a custom Cherry wood cabinetry project that is destined for my own home. And when I say sanding, I mean a LOT of sanding. We sanded every surface to a fine texture with a progressive regimen of course to fine grit sandpaper. It was a fun and occasionally grueling job, especially in the summer heat of my driveway.

After we were all done I thought I might be sick and tired of Cherry wood! But instead I found myself all the more enthusiastic about this amazing American-grown lumber. And while I was sanding... and sanding... and sanding... I got the idea to share with our website visitors some of the up close and personal reasons why I  love Cherry wood and why if you ask me, I'll almost always recommend Cherry for use in the fine furniture that we build for our customers.

And in case you are wondering, the cabinet project is waiting for me to take another week off to be finished. When complete, it will be natural Cherry (no stain) finished with Tung Oil. This is my personal favorite choice that we offer, and I'll share more about why below.

Why we love Cherry wood

Cherry is very smooth when finished!

Like all hardwood, Cherry wood in dimensional lumber form comes from the mill with a rough surface. As it is progressively finished with machine tools and then by hand via sanding with increasingly finer grades of abrasives, it slowly reveals a very smooth, almost mirror like finish. Unlike other hardwoods such as Red Oak and Ash, when properly sanded Cherry wood is completely smooth the touch and does not reveal any grain texture.

When working with and finishing Cherry wood, I find that there is a certain "ah-hah" moment during the final stages of standing when the wood reaches what I like to think of as "peak smoothness." While it's hard to say exactly when this happens - when you feel it, you know it! Putting in the work to get to this point makes Cherry a genuine joy to work with and why it is first choice for many woodworkers when they craft their own furniture.

This smooth texture adds an extra bit of elegance to any project that is both seen and  felt. For example many customers with Cherry canopy beds like the bed shown here tell us that the texture of the headboard and the canopy posts enhance the look and feel of their bedroom.

Cherry wood feels good to the touch

Finished Cherry lumber not only has a smooth texture but also feels good to the touch. Not unlike a well worn rope or piece of fabric, finished Cherry has an undeniably satisfying "hand" when used. Don't get me wrong - Cherry is a very hard and long lasting hardwood - but the finished surface is also "soft" to the touch. This truly is difficult to describe in writing, but one of the reasons I love to have Cherry in my home is this buttery texture. I find myself running my hand over the wood once it is finished just for the enjoyment of it.

Cherry wood darkens in color over time

Unlike other hardwoods such as Maple or White Oak, Cherry wood darkens in color over time. This means the longer you have it, the more it will develop the deep red brown coloration that its known for.

When first milled and finished Cherry is light brown in color with a distinct pink hue that will gradually fade to a darker reddish brown. Cherry darkens in this way because natural UV light oxidizes the tannins and in turn causes a chemical reaction that changes the color of the wood's surface. Unless an oil based stain is used to give the wood a desired color, this reddish brown coloration will become darker and more rich in time.