What is White Oak?

White Oak Cabinets have been a trend in kitchens along the west coast for a few years now. Within the last year it has started to grow in popularity in the southeast. How are white oak kitchen cabinets different than your 1980’s cabinets? Besides being a completely different species of tree, there are a few other factors that come into play.

Color

Most importantly it is important to understand that White Oak is not a color, it is a species of tree. Your traditional 1980’s kitchen used Red Oak on your cabinets, again, not a color but the species. The difference between a Red and White oak is primarily the pattern in the grain. A Red oak is tighter and a little more busy with the classic zigzag / tiger stripes. A red oak naturally has a red tone in the grain, even when stained, this red tone alters the color of any topcoat put on it. White Oak naturally has a more golden tone to it, and a less busy grain, especially when applying a stain. Don’t feel bad for not knowing the difference, most retailers you walk into will try to sell you a white washed red oak as a “white oak.” If this is the case, Run. If your designer doesn’t understand your vision, they are not going to be able to achieve the look you are going for and you will be stuck with a kitchen that just missed the mark.

The Cut

You now know the difference between a White Oak and a Red Oak. Congrats, you are ahead of the game. Now you need to know the type of cut you want. The most popular cuts for Cabinetry are going to be plain sawn, quarter sawn, and rift sawn. Below is an image from NWFA that helps visualize the cuts.

What is your look?

Plainsawn:If you are going for a traditional/ rustic look, plainsawn will give you that busier, classic oak look, without haveing that touch of red that puts you back in the 80’s. Plain sawn is what you see most on flooring and furniture when it comes to most wood, but is not the most popular cut when it comes to white oak.

Quartersawn:
If you love that Modern Farm House/ Transitional look, Quartersawn is the way to go. Chip & Joanna Gains eat this stuff for breakfast. Quarter sawn gives you a cleaner rustic look compared to the Plainsawn. There is some character in the wood along with some movement in the grain, which balances the line of modern and rustic.

Riftsawn:If you are scrolling through Pinterest and see a bright kitchen with white oak cabinet in a very modern setting, that is most likely a Riftsawn white oak. Riftsawn white oak will provide a more consistent, linear, grain. It is very clean and doesn’t give a rustic appearance. If you still feel like the grain is too strong, you can ask to put a very light wash over the cabinets. usually a 5-15% smoke wash will mask the grain without making it seem “white washed.” Depending on your floors and counter tops, you do need to be careful with the wash. It is very easy to fall into a “coastal look” if the wash is too strong and doesn’t contrast the flooring enough.