White Oak continues to be one of the most popular and the fastest growing species in the cabinet industry. Bishop is coming up on two years making beautiful kitchens with white oak. We have made a lot white oak kitchens and are enamored with their beauty. In this post we will share important learnings from our white oak experience.
White oak can look very different and beautiful in different ways depending on these attributres:
- Natural Color Variation
- Grain Pattern
- Stain
- Solid vs. Veneer Wood
Below we take a look at each attribute. Note that these same attributes also impact the appearance of red oak.
Natural Color Variation
White oak has a wide variety of color in it – light browns, dark browns, pinks, grays and yellows, among others. While pinks are enjoyed by some, most folks prefer the pinks minimized.
We are constantly working with our suppliers to reduce reds, pinks and extreme variances to achieve a more consistent color range in white oak kitchens. However, we find many homeowners consider the natural color variations to be beautiful.
The illustrations below demonstrate white oak’s beautiful color portfolio.
For those wanting less variation in their white oak kitchen, we suggest going with a veneer door, such as our Punta Cana, Monticello or Alba door. As you will read below, this allows the entire kitchen to be made from the same substrate increasing the probability of color consistency. There will, however, still be some variation. The kitchen below is veneer rift cut white oak.
Grain Pattern
Grain pattern is created based on how the white oak log is cut. At Bishop, we have two cuts: Plain Slice and Rift Cut.
Plain Slice has large cathedrals. Rift cut has more straight lines but can also have some cathedrals in it.
Plain Slice
Rift Cut
Stain
Bishop offers a wide variety of stains from natural to obsidian. Click here for a full list of stains by species.
Below is a rift cut white oak board we applied different stains. You can see how the grain is highlighted in the lighter stains and less so in the darker stains. As the stain gets darker, the natural color variation in the wood is concealed.
Unfinished
Natural
Light
Fog
Brownie
Obsidian
The most popular white oak stains are natural and sandstone. These and other light stains best present the grain and natural color variation.
The sample to the right is the plain slice white oak.
- The left is the Sandstone stain.
- The center is a Natural finish with just a top coat.
- The right is raw unfinished wood.
Solid vs. Veneer Wood
Doors are made of solid wood, veneer wood and a combination of solid and veneer wood. All are beautiful and serve different purposes. This is true not only in white oak doors, but all wood species.
The image to the right is a combination of a solid wood door frame with veneered center panels. This photo demonstrates how the stain and wood color differences can present themselves differently. Most appreciate this natural variation between the veneer and solid wood. If this variation is not to your tastes, it is better to stick with a 100% slab veneered door or a solid wood door.
A 5-piece door will have either a solid or veneered center panel. The veneered center panel door is demonstrated above.
To the right is a door with a solid center panel made of staves. Staves are vertical panels that together create the center panel. There will be multiple staves, depending on panel width, in a center panel, all with their own color variation.
The door to the right shows three staves, each with its own slight variation in natural color and grains.
Bishop Cabinets offers 17 white oak door styles in 14 different stains in our frameless line. 15 of the doors are in our Design Elements Collection and 2 are in our Essentials Collection.
Below are the 11 of the more popular door styles in our Design Elements Collection. In many cases, you can get a slab or 5-piece drawer header.
Sun Valley
San Francisco
Punta Cana
Park City
North Andover
New London
Lake Juneau
Klamath Falls
Fort Myers
Downey Lane
Baton Rouge
In the Essentials Collection we offer two stock slab doors. Alba is plain slice white oak. Monticello is rift cut white oak. We only offer a slab drawer header on these doors. The stock doors allow homeowners to get a beautiful white oak kitchen at a more affordable price.
We also offer the Modern Materials slab door collection, which provides greater consistency but in a more limited color palette within the White Oak patterns. The illustration to the right is our popular Vicenza Oak Modern Material.
Please note that these doors are only available with a slab drawer header. These stock options allow homeowners to achieve a beautiful white oak aesthetic at a more affordable price point and shorter delivery time.
We encourage homeowners with questions to reach out to your local cabinet dealer. Bishop dealers may reach out to your Bishop sales rep or customer service.
About Bishop Cabinets
Bishop Cabinets has been manufacturing for over 60 years. Click here to learn more about our capabilities and latest offerings that align with the latest trends in cabinet finishes.
Our Vision Statement
“To create beautiful and functional cabinets through innovation, growth, and a commitment to keep family values at the core of everything we do.”
