Oak China Cabinets are stylish as well as sturdy. The effect of using quarter sawn wood simply makes this furniture more special. To find out more read on…
Quarter sawn wood is cut against the grain which gives it greater strength and more varied texture than wood that is cut with the grain. It exposes “ray flake” which adds to the beauty of wood finishes. Craftsmen prefer quartersawn oak since it allows them more flexibility in design and is easier to work with than straight cuts. Pieces which are bowed, arched or beveled are almost always made from quartersawn wood.
China cabinets made from quarter sawn oak have beautiful finishes with even coloring since quartersawn wood absorbs stain better than other cuts. White oak is the most commonly used for quartersawn china cabinets, but yellow or red oak are also popular. In antique pieces, red and yellow or red and white oak are often mixed to add decorative detailing to furniture pieces.
Any wood can be quarter sawn, but oak is a favorite because it is both durable and has a strong texture that is brought out in this process. Oak finishes are often “blackened” or treated with a black wash that settles into crevices in the grain making the texture of the wood more obvious. Most quarter sawn oak china cabinets have a light to medium color finish so the wood grain can show through. Dark finishes tend to obscure the details in wood graining.
Since quarter sawn oak is a favorite with furniture makers, it is possible to find china cabinets in this wood in many different styles from traditional to modern. It gives a wonderful look to simple rustic pieces and is often used for mission style furniture. The simplicity of mission style furniture makes it a great accent in modern decorating and quarter sawn oak adds a warm, natural element to modern rooms that might otherwise seem cold.
Lovers of mid century modern will find lots of quarter sawn oak pieces in the style known as Danish modern. The clean straight lines of Danish modern make a wonderful showcase for the texture of quarter sawn oak wood. Often these pieces feature no hardware like drawer knobs and pulls and the durability of this type of oak wood is very useful on drawer fronts that opened by pulling on a hand hold in the bottom of the drawer.
Quarter sawn oak china cabinets offer beauty, durability and style to any room or décor and they are readily available at furniture retailers. They are also available at unfinished furniture stores so consumers can choose the finish color for their new china cabinet.
