Oak is a harder wood than maple. Maple has a finer grain than oak,but oak is more durable than maple.

Consider a third option.

Most people seem to want to get rid of oak cabinets.

I really liked the maple cabinets I remodeled with in my previous place (with a medium-light stain), and wish I'd gotten them again when we built. However, be sure to check and see if you like the overall look of doors and drawers, depending on the particular stain. Some look much better than others.

Anne

Oak w a cafe or java stain . That handling of oak in a simple shaker look can give you a great starting point in the kitchen. Unless of course you are an all white kitchen fan. A light maple would work in the bath scenarios if you can mix your order. Of course you can go light maple in kitchen but it yellows and darker stains are not received so well w maple . ( is there less window light in bath so the light maple is fine there????) A medium stain on maple in the kitchen if you like the range of shades they offer...it just depends, but the darker oak can be paired w light counters and backsplash and 2 shades lighter oak floor. The stain colors have something to do w options for you.

I have red oak floors with no stain throughout my house. I hate them because they are not as neutral as white oak.

It’s hard to say without knowing the style of your home or the depth of stain you are after.

If you asked which tree I would rather plant definitely the red oak.

For cabinets definitely the maple. Red Oak just has a dated look to me with cabinets. The red oak with a golden stain was over used in my area and I just cringe when I see them.

I would however choose alder, white oak or cherry over maple - really depends on the look and color too.

For example if you are building a rustic log cabin I’d go Hickory all the way

Maple, but I wouldn’t stain them bc it gets blotchy. Leave them clear, or paint. Plus....if you leave them natural maple and decide down the road that you want painted cabinets...maple paints MUCH easier than oak.

Have you considered asking for a sample of each before making a decision?

Do you like woodgrain to be more prominent (oak) or subtle (maple)?

No.

After lots of thought we're doing natural (unstained) red oak, with slab style full overlay doors. With a modern design overall and 'concrete' tile floors, I can't see them looking dated any time soon. I've certainly seen lots of photos of that kind of thing that look plenty modern. It's the orangey stains and arched door paneling that give the dated look, plus all the beigey, pinkish tile floors people were doing in the 90s that bring out the ick in oak. I personally like the grain pattern of oak (especially if it's all oriented the same direction) better than the muddy-looking grain of maple as well. If I could spring for walnut or even cherry I'd do it, but we're saving money and I think it's going to look awesome

It depends. What is the style of the house? What other elements are already chosen? Is quartersawn an option on the red oak? What door style options are available?

And, of course, it would depend on how MUCH of a premium was necessary for a different wood. Both red oak and maple tend to feel "dated" right now. More current styles tend toward more neutral tones in color and grain.

Red oak can be very attractive, especially if you're going for a vintage/craftsman feel:

Maple has a tendency to either look dated, or very modern:

Note that the modern look is difficult to do well, and those flat-front doors can be pricey.

However, maple can still be lovely, depending on the wood and finish. I agree that stained maple tends to look blotchy. Glazes, however, can tone down the brassy tone of maple without splotching, and can look really nice. This is a knotty maple, with a black glaze. (Glazes often get poo-poohed around here as "dated" or "dirty looking." And while I agree that's true of black or coffee glaze on white or cream cabs, I think glazes are still a useful technique to achieve the desired tone and highlight millwork detail. YMMV)

Any idea as to what wood species this island might be? I visited this home during a parade of homes and really liked the looks of this island. At that time, I never thought to ask about the wood species. Sure wish I had! Let me look online for some more examples of what I like and see what wood species y'all believe they are. I am not a wood expert at all and could definitely use some input.

Here is another one I like:

I like the coloring of this island as well (not my kitchen style really, I plan to do a light gray on the perimeter cabinets):

North Hinsdale Show Kitchen · More Info

Also like this one:

Industrial Farmhouse · More Info

I like the looks of this in the master bathroom or somewhere between this color tone & the ones I've shared of kitchen inspirations.

Modern Farmhouse | 2019 Dry Creek Parade · More Info

To the right in this photos shows a hutch / cabinet that I like the color & style of wood on. Hopefully all these pics will give a good idea of the style I am going after.

Modern Farmhouse | 2019 Dry Creek Parade · More Info

The first two look to be white oak. The rest seem more like knotty alder, stained. I don't think you can get anywhere near those greyer tones with red oak. The wood i too red to start with. Floors can be lye bleached, but nobody does that with cabs. and anybody who did would charge so much, white oak would be more economical.

You MIGHT get to that shade with maple. It depends on their finish techniques. Ask for a sample door.

Where are you getting your cabs? Do you know the company? Or is this custom?

It is a custom cabinet shop that is local. I will ask about the pricing for white oak or knotty alder. On alder, are there different species? We have alder would going on our porch ceilings and I noticed it had a red undertone. (Will be staining it this week)

Hmmm, if it's a custom shop, ask about ash. There is a (temporary) glut in a lot of places due to the emerald ash borer.

Yes, there are multiple species of alder, although red alder is most common. There are also about 20 different grades, so it's possible that your cabinet makers currently stocks a darker/redder grade.

Ok, I'm a little leary of alder since I don't mind the red undertone on the porch ceilings (using a stain on it to bring it into the brown tones) but not sure about chancing it in my kitchen. I will ask to see if they know what species the alder I have here is. The alder on the porch ceilings did not come from the cabinet guy though. It came from a friend who does wood working (who actually builds caskets for a living. He's great with wood work and has made various furniture pieces for family & friends over the years.).

Bumping this up incase anyone else has suggestions since I shared the photos of the look / style I prefer. :) Thanks!

All I can say is that you seem to really prefer more prominent grain and knots - which doesn't say maple to me. Did you see mdln's post above, with examples of various woods? Which do you like there?

If you're using a custom cabinet maker, show them your pictures, and ask if they have any similar sample doors.

I sent the photos to him to ask his thoughts, waiting to hear back. I also spoke to my painter and he suggested Knotty Pine or Knotty Alder. Hopefully I hear from the cabinet maker soon. He can be slow to reply sometimes.

@raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio I believe I like the alder best but it's hard to say for certain without stain. I know certain wood species have undertones I don't like and that is my one worry about the alder...trying to tone down the red to a more medium brown tone.

Use caution with pine. It is a very soft wood, and your cabs will likely pick up gouges easily. It also tends to get blotchy when stained.

Maybe also ask about character grade birch.

Stained birch:

Aristokraft's rustic birch with pumpernickel glaze:

That is pretty as well! I wondered that about pine as well. I had always heard it was a softer wood, and even mentioned it to the painter myself. I think he was just going off my photos & giving suggestions to ask the cabinet guy about. I do think the knotty alder would be a better option over the knotty pine, mainly due to that reason. I will look into the birch.