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The Wonder of Walnut: A Love Story
Few wood species have the character and warmth of walnut. Its golden, chocolatey tones have soothed and enchanted people for thousands of years.
Two species of walnut are grown commercially: the common walnut and Eastern Black Walnut. Common walnut is also called English walnut, but despite its name, it's native to Persia. Grown primarily for nuts, its wood is important too. The Eastern Black Walnut is native to North America, and it's from this tree that most furniture, cabinetry, flooring and molding is made. Both species are grown all over the world now, and their appeal is universal.
Natural walnut color ranges from the creamy hue of its sapwood to the brownish black of its heartwood. When it's dried in a kiln, it takes on a more uniform brown color. When it's left to air dry, it turns a purpley brown. Like all woods, walnut's beauty comes from its variability. It's a very dense, very hard wood that manages to deflect attention as quickly as it draws it.
Two species of walnut are grown commercially: the common walnut and Eastern Black Walnut. Common walnut is also called English walnut, but despite its name, it's native to Persia. Grown primarily for nuts, its wood is important too. The Eastern Black Walnut is native to North America, and it's from this tree that most furniture, cabinetry, flooring and molding is made. Both species are grown all over the world now, and their appeal is universal.
Natural walnut color ranges from the creamy hue of its sapwood to the brownish black of its heartwood. When it's dried in a kiln, it takes on a more uniform brown color. When it's left to air dry, it turns a purpley brown. Like all woods, walnut's beauty comes from its variability. It's a very dense, very hard wood that manages to deflect attention as quickly as it draws it.
by Paul Anater
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This is one of the most stunning staircase landings I've ever seen. This photograph shows the variability of natural walnut perfectly. It's dark without being monolithic and that's why it looks so fantastic with white.
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Whether it's true or not, walnut always says "you've arrived"—but it does so quietly. This fireplace surround and shelf is a fantastic example of the furniture maker's art. The marquetry adds a classic touch, and the informal crown molding keep this exquisite woodwork from being too buttoned down.
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| This walnut cabinetry's had a dark stain applied to it. These darker stains even out the natural dark tones in the wood. Walnut's usually seen in pretty formal surroundings, but the purple accent wall plays well with the dark walnut here and lightens the mood considerably. |
| Here's a kitchen desk to make anybody forget everything they think they know about kitchen desks. The walnut veneer cabinetry anchors this entire wall. The veneers' grain runs horizontally to make this anchoring effect more pronounced and effective. |
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| This walnut floor gets its mottled effect from a combination of natural walnut heartwood and sapwood. The variability of a single walnut tree is on full display here and the effect is interesting without being overwhelming. |
The stair treads and trimwork have had a brown stain applied to them to balance out their color. This is a common treatment for walnut and it doesn't diminish the wonder of walnut one bit.
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This modern space stays warm and inviting thanks to the walnut veneers on the cabinetry and on the wall cladding. Against that rich backdrop the glossy white cabinet can be the focal point it's meant to be.
| The walnut cabinetry in this smallish kitchen is stunning, but what's downright ingenious is the walnut radiator cover on the left. The best way to make an unsightly object like a radiator disappear is to draw attention to it. |
by Paul Anater
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The walnut floor here is pulled from walnut planks that show the wood's golden side, rather than its chocolate side. Notice how well it plays against the wall color in the hallway.
by Paul Anater
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This natural walnut floor is the perfect bridge between the white cabinetry in this kitchen's periphery, the black island and the dark red stools. The wooden counter on the island pulls these contrasting cabinetry and furniture colors even closer together.
These two mid-century icons, the coffee table by Isamu Noguchi and the lounge from Charles and Ray Eames, owe their existence and iconic status to walnut. When these two furniture designs came along they were radical statements. Walnut has always been used to make fine furniture, so when Noguchi and the Eameses chose walnut for their designs they were connecting their radical ideas to the classical pieces that proceeded them.
Does walnut fit into your house plans, even if they're just "someday" house plans? Can you see yourself in any of these rooms?
Does walnut fit into your house plans, even if they're just "someday" house plans? Can you see yourself in any of these rooms?
Ideabook published on Dec. 7, 2010.
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In terms of looks, are engineered walnut floors distinguishable from solid planks? I understand that engineered floors cannot be sanded and refinished down the road, but in terms of appearances, any drawbacks?
Nlyang: Good call on the walnut floors. Whether to use natural plans or engineered planks is a decision that gets harder to make every year. I like to believe that I can tell on sight is a floor is a plank floor or an engineered one but the reality is that I can't always. Increasingly, when I can tell the difference it's from installation cues I see more than the material itself. Better manufacturers and better engineered floors have a thicker top veneer of the species wood. When that top veneer is thicker, the floor can be refinished more times. When you're in a flooring showroom and looking at floors, the manufacturer's specs will tell you if a floor can be refinished and how many times. When it comes to floors, you definitely get what you pay for. So go to a couple of showrooms, look at a number of manufacturers and ask a lot of questions.
Katekouros1: That sounds utterly beautiful, I'd love to see photos!
Do you have any words of advice for the previous question? I've never seen it have a wear problem. What do you think of its hardness?
I would support this kind of ideabook treatment for a few other species, this is terrific.
Thanks for taking requests, your ideabooks are always terrific and wood in general really floats my boat (pun entirely intended).