Wood Species Guide
SENTIENT primarily works with American hardwoods: black walnut, white oak, red oak, hard maple, cherry, and ash. We also offer specialty species including spalted maple, ambrosia maple, reclaimed oak, and claro walnut. For outdoor furniture, we use teak and ipe for weather resistance.
How to Choose a Wood
- Start with the visual range you want: light vs dark, calm grain vs dramatic figure.
- Match performance to use: high-wear dining surfaces vs decorative casework.
- For live edge work, consider slab figure and edge character. Every slab is unique.
Domestic Hardwoods
American Black Walnut
Black walnut is SENTIENT’s signature material and our most requested species for dining tables and live edge work.
White Oak
White oak is one of the most versatile hardwoods we work with and a staple in both residential and commercial projects.
Red Oak
Red oak is a bold, expressive hardwood with strong open-grained figure and one of the best stain-accepting properties of any domestic species.
Hard Maple
Hard maple is one of the densest, hardest domestic hardwoods available and the species we reach for when the design calls for a lighter palette without sacrificing surface performance.
Soft Maple
Soft maple delivers a similar light, clean aesthetic to hard maple with easier workability and a more accessible price point.
Cherry
Cherry is a refined domestic hardwood with one of the most distinctive aging characteristics in furniture making: it starts light and darkens into a rich, reddish-brown patina over months and years of light exposure.
Ash
Ash is a mainstream furniture hardwood with open pores, strong grain definition, and exceptional shock resistance.
Hickory
Hickory is one of the hardest and most shock-resistant domestic hardwoods available.
Beech
Beech is a heavy, hard domestic hardwood with fine uniform texture and exceptional steam-bending properties.
Birch
Birch is a strong indoor furniture wood with a light, fine texture and good machining response.
Black Locust
Black locust is one of the toughest domestic hardwoods you can source in the United States.
Specialty Figure
Spalted Maple
Spalted maple is not a separate species.
Ambrosia Maple
Ambrosia maple, sometimes called wormy maple, is not a separate species.
Claro Walnut
Claro walnut is a West Coast walnut prized for dramatic figure and color variation that goes far beyond what American black walnut typically offers.
Reclaimed
Reclaimed Oak
Reclaimed oak is salvaged from historic structures, including barn beams, warehouse flooring, factory timbers, and architectural elements that may be 100 to 200 years old.
Tropical / Imported
Teak
Teak is the gold standard for outdoor furniture wood, and it has been for over 2,000 years.
Ipe
Ipe is one of the hardest, densest, and most decay-resistant woods commercially available.
Garapa
Garapa is a golden-toned tropical hardwood from South America that offers a warm, inviting alternative to darker tropical species like ipe and teak for outdoor furniture.
Parota (Guanacaste)
Parota is a tropical slab wood known for wide surfaces, dramatic streaking, and a relaxed organic presence.
Tigerwood
Tigerwood is a trade name used for multiple tropical species, with the most commonly traded in the Americas being Goncalo Alves (Astronium graveolens).
Outdoor-Rated
Redwood
Redwood is a lightweight softwood with natural decay resistance and a warm red-brown color that is hard to find in any other species.
Related Resources
Wood Finishes Guide
Choose finishes based on use, desired look, and maintenance.
Care and Maintenance FAQ
How to protect, clean, and maintain your SENTIENT furniture.
Custom Furniture
Bespoke design and fabrication for hospitality, commercial, and residential projects.
Need Help Choosing?
Tell us about your project and we will recommend the right species.