Maple Kitchen Cabinets
Maple vies with oak as the most popular wood for kitchen cabinets in the U.S., and it's easy to see why. It's a dense, heavy wood prized by furniture and cabinet makers for its versatility and durability; so much so that it's often used for countertops as well as cabinets.
Usually a pale, off-white wood (colors can range from pale yellow to tan to reddish brown) with a tight, smooth grain, maple also offers spectacular variations in texture, such as tiger maple, bird's eye maple, and curly maple, which can be used alone or as accents.
Because of its fine, uniform grain, maple works well with almost any finish, from the lightest of transparent stains to paint. If your plans call for cabinets in a transparent blue wash, go with maple. Antique white paint, ditto. Stains from clear to ebony, maple. Whether you're going for a stainless-steel, professional chef's kitchen, streamlined Scandinavian, or something a bit more traditional and cozy (Early American, French Country, Tuscan...); sophisticated or rustic; maple rises to the occasion.
There really aren't significant downsides to maple. One thing to keep in mind: over time, when exposed to the sun, maple has a tendency to yellow. If your cabinets are painted, or you're going for a golden look anyway, this probably isn't going to be an issue, but be sure to discuss it with your designer and building professional when you're planning your project.
Oak Kitchen Cabinets / Cherry Kitchen Cabinets / Hickory Kitchen Cabinets / Metal Kitchen Cabinets / Melamine Kitchen Cabinets / Thermofoil Kitchen Cabinets / Maple Kitchen Cabinets / Mahogany Kitchen Cabinets / Walnut Kitchen Cabinets