Your Trusted Source for Hardwoods in Rhode Island

Walnut is a premium hardwood valued for its rich brown color, smooth grain, and refined look, ideal for interior cabinetry, furniture, stair parts, wall features, and trim. It’s highly workable and machines cleanly, taking stains and clear finishes exceptionally well to highlight its natural depth, but it’s generally not recommended for exterior use without specialized protection. Walnut is also not typically paint-grade, making it best when the goal is a high-end natural wood finish.

Vertical Grain Fir is a stable, straight-grained softwood known for clean lines and consistent performance, making it a reliable choice for interior or exterior trim, doors, and architectural millwork. It’s highly workable, holds fasteners well, and finishes cleanly, whether you’re using stain to highlight the grain or choosing a paint-grade finish for a crisp, uniform look. With proper priming and sealing, Vertical Grain Fir delivers dependable durability in exposed conditions while keeping sharp detail in profiles.

Tiger Maple is a premium figured hardwood known for its distinctive “flame” striping and bright, refined character, making it an ideal choice for interior cabinetry, furniture, stair parts, and statement trim. It machines well with sharp tooling and takes stain or clear finishes beautifully to bring out the figure, but it’s not recommended for exterior exposure. Tiger Maple is typically not paint-grade, since paint will hide the natural chatoyance and visual depth that make it special.

Teak is a premium hardwood known for natural oils and exceptional durability, making it a top choice for exterior applications like decking, outdoor furniture, and marine-grade trim. It machines well but benefits from sharp tooling due to its density and silica content, and it performs best with oil or clear exterior finishes that support long-term weather resistance. Teak is not typically paintable, and it’s most valued when left natural or finished to highlight its rich color and grain.

Spanish Cedar is a lightweight, stable hardwood valued for its natural moisture resistance and easy workability, making it a dependable option for interior or exterior millwork, shutters, doors, and trim. It machines cleanly, holds fasteners well, and finishes smoothly with stain or clear coats, while its natural oils help it perform in humid conditions when properly sealed. Spanish Cedar is not typically chosen for paint-grade work, since it’s best used when the natural grain and warm tone are part of the finished look.

Soft Maple is a versatile hardwood with a smooth, even grain that makes it a reliable choice for interior cabinetry, furniture, trim, and painted millwork. It machines easily, sands cleanly, and accepts stain or clear finishes well, while also being an excellent paint-grade option for crisp, consistent results. Soft Maple is not recommended for exterior use, but it delivers dependable performance for everyday interior projects that need clean detail and workability.

Sapele is a premium hardwood known for its rich reddish-brown tone and ribbon-like grain, making it an excellent choice for interior doors, cabinetry, wall panels, stair parts, and high-end trim. It’s durable and machines well, finishing beautifully with stain or clear coats to enhance its natural figure, though it can benefit from sharp tooling due to interlocked grain. Sapele is not typically paint-grade and is generally used for interior and exterior projects.

Ribbon Utile is a durable hardwood with a warm tone and distinctive ribbon-striped grain, making it a strong choice for interior doors, cabinetry, wall panels, and architectural trim. It machines well and finishes cleanly with stain or clear coats to highlight the natural figure, though interlocked grain may require sharp tooling for the best results. Ribbon Utile is not typically paint-grade and is best suited for interior applications where the wood’s character is part of the finished look.

Red Oak is a classic hardwood known for its strong grain pattern, dependable strength, and wide availability, an excellent choice for interior flooring, stair parts, cabinetry, and trim. It machines and sands easily, takes stain and clear finishes well, and can also be used as a paint-grade option when the project calls for a durable hardwood base. Red Oak is not recommended for exterior exposure due to its open grain structure, but it delivers reliable performance for everyday interior woodwork.

Quartersawn White Oak is a premium hardwood prized for its straight, consistent grain and signature ray fleck, making it a standout choice for interior flooring, cabinetry, stair parts, and architectural trim. Its quartersawn cut improves dimensional stability, and it machines cleanly while taking stain or clear finishes beautifully for a refined, craftsman-grade look. It’s not typically paint-grade when the goal is to showcase the grain, but it delivers long-term performance for high-end interior millwork.

Quartersawn Red Oak offers the strength and classic character of Red Oak with a straighter grain and improved stability, making it a dependable choice for interior flooring, stair parts, cabinetry, and trim. It machines cleanly and finishes well with stain or clear coats, while the quartersawn cut helps reduce movement for more consistent results in detailed millwork. Quartersawn Red Oak is not recommended for exterior exposure, and it’s typically not paint-grade when you want the grain and ray pattern to remain visible.

Poplar is a consistent, easy-to-work hardwood commonly used for interior trim, cabinetry parts, built-ins, and mouldings where a clean painted finish matters. It machines and sands smoothly, holds fasteners well, and is one of the best paint-grade hardwood options for crisp, uniform results. Poplar is not recommended for exterior use, but it delivers dependable performance for interior projects that need reliable milling and straightforward installation.

Pine is a versatile softwood valued for its warm character, light weight, and easy workability, making it a practical choice for interior trim, mouldings, paneling, and built-ins. It cuts and sands easily, holds fasteners well, and performs as a solid paint-grade option or can be stained for a more natural look depending on the grade. Pine is not typically recommended for exterior exposure unless specifically treated and properly sealed for the application.

Mahogany is a premium hardwood known for its rich color, smooth grain, and long-term stability, making it an excellent choice for interior doors, cabinetry, stair parts, and fine trim. It machines cleanly and finishes beautifully with stain or clear coats to highlight its depth, and it can also perform well in exterior applications when properly sealed and maintained. Mahogany is not typically paint-grade, since it’s best used when the natural grain and refined appearance are part of the finished result. However, it can be painted and it will hold paint well.

Khaya (often called African Mahogany) is a durable hardwood with warm color and attractive grain, making it a strong choice for interior doors, cabinetry, stair parts, and architectural trim. It machines well and finishes cleanly with stain or clear coats, delivering a refined look similar to traditional mahogany, while also handling select exterior applications when properly sealed and maintained. Khaya is not typically paint-grade, since its natural character is best showcased with a transparent finish. However, it can be painted and it will hold paint well.

Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry) is an extremely hard, dense hardwood known for rich color and exceptional wear resistance, making it a top performer for interior flooring, stair treads, and other high-traffic applications. It machines cleanly but benefits from sharp tooling due to its hardness, and it finishes beautifully with stain or clear coats to deepen its natural tone. Jatoba is not typically paint-grade and is generally best kept interior, unless used in specialty exterior applications with proper sealing and maintenance.

Hickory is a dense, highly durable hardwood known for bold color variation and exceptional strength, making it a reliable choice for interior flooring, stair parts, cabinetry, and heavy-use woodwork. It machines well but can be challenging due to hardness and grain variation, and it takes stain or clear finishes cleanly to highlight its natural character. Hickory is not recommended for exterior exposure and is not typically paint-grade, since its visual contrast is a key part of the finished look.

Hard Maple is a dense, durable hardwood with a smooth, tight grain that’s ideal for interior flooring, stair treads, butcher blocks, cabinetry, and high-wear millwork. It machines cleanly and finishes well, though its tight grain can stain unevenly without proper prep, making clear coats a popular choice for a bright, clean look. Hard Maple is not recommended for exterior use, but it can be a strong paint-grade option when a hard, stable interior hardwood is needed.

Cypress is a naturally durable wood known for strong moisture and decay resistance, making it a dependable choice for exterior applications like siding, trim, soffits, and porch work. It’s easy to machine and install, holds fasteners well, and finishes cleanly with stain or paint, making it a versatile paintable option for finished exterior details. With proper sealing, Cypress delivers long-term performance outdoors while maintaining a clean, traditional look.

Cherry is a premium hardwood known for its smooth grain and warm tone that deepens over time, making it a standout choice for interior cabinetry, furniture, stair parts, and refined trim. It machines and sands cleanly and finishes beautifully with stain or clear coats for a rich, consistent look. Cherry is not recommended for exterior exposure and is not typically paint-grade, since its natural color and aging are part of what makes it special.

Birds Eye Maple is a premium figured hardwood known for its distinctive “eye” pattern and bright, clean appearance, making it ideal for interior cabinetry, furniture, panels, and statement trim. It machines well with sharp tooling and finishes beautifully with clear coats or light stains to highlight the figure, though the irregular grain can require careful sanding for the best results. Birds Eye Maple is not recommended for exterior use and is not typically paint-grade, since paint will hide the natural figure.

Birch Sapwood is a light-colored hardwood valued for its clean, uniform look and smooth machining, making it a dependable choice for interior cabinetry, furniture components, trim, and millwork. It works easily, sands to a fine finish, and takes clear coats or stains well, while also performing as a solid paint-grade option when you need a bright, consistent base. Birch Sapwood is not recommended for exterior exposure, but it delivers reliable results for finished interior projects.

Basswood is a lightweight, fine-grained hardwood known for easy machining and crisp detail, making it a strong choice for interior carvings, mouldings, pattern work, and specialty millwork. It cuts and sands smoothly and accepts paint exceptionally well, making it a reliable paint-grade species for clean, uniform finishes. Basswood is not recommended for exterior use, but it’s a practical option for interior projects that prioritize workability and precise detailing.

Ash is a strong, resilient hardwood with a bold, open grain that’s well-suited for interior flooring, stair parts, cabinetry, and durable trim. It machines and sands cleanly, takes stain or clear finishes well, and can also serve as a solid paint-grade option when a tough hardwood base is needed. Ash is not recommended for exterior exposure, but it delivers reliable performance for interior projects that need strength and clean workability.

Alder is a smooth, consistent hardwood that machines easily and delivers a clean, uniform look for interior cabinetry, doors, trim, and millwork. It takes stain and clear finishes well, often used as a practical, warm-toned alternative to cherry while also working as a dependable paint-grade option when needed. Alder is not recommended for exterior use, but it offers reliable workability and finish results for everyday interior woodworking.