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White Oak, Walnut, Maple or Alder? Choosing Wood for a Dining Table

Writer: The Plane & Nail Co.
The Plane & Nail Co.
Feb 18
2 min read

The wood you choose sets the colour of the room, how the table wears, and how it looks in 20 years. Here's how the species we build with compare for a dining table.

The Cultus Lake dining table in white oak
The Cultus Lake dining table in white oak.

The Short Version

  • White oak: hard, stable and quietly architectural. The all-round choice for modern homes.

  • Walnut: rich, dark and refined. A statement table.

  • Eastern (hard) maple: the hardest of the group, pale and clean.

  • Alder: warm, even-toned and great with stain, but softer.

  • Pine: rustic and characterful, and the most accessible price.

Hardness: How Each Wood Takes Daily Life

Wood hardness is usually measured on the Janka scale. Higher numbers resist dents better. Approximate values:

  • Eastern (hard) maple: about 1,450

  • White oak: about 1,350

  • Red oak: about 1,290

  • Walnut: about 1,010

  • Western (bigleaf) maple: about 850

  • Alder: about 590

  • Pine: about 400 to 700, depending on the species

A softer wood isn't a worse table. It simply picks up marks sooner, which many people like in a family table. A good finish matters as much as the species.

Colour, Grain and How It Ages

  • White oak: light golden brown with straight grain. Rift- or quarter-sawn boards give a clean, linear look. Stays fairly stable in colour.

  • Walnut: chocolate to purple-brown, lightening slightly to a warm brown over the years.

  • Maple: creamy white with subtle grain. Ambers gently with age.

  • Alder: pale honey with a soft, even grain. Takes stain more evenly than most woods.

  • Red oak: pinkish brown with bold, open grain. A traditional look.

  • Pine: light with knots and character. Deepens to a warm amber.

Walnut mid-century dining table
A walnut table with mid-century lines.

Matching the Wood to Your Home

  • Modern and minimal: white oak or maple with a natural, matte finish.

  • Warm contemporary or mid-century: walnut.

  • Farmhouse or rustic: pine or alder, often with breadboard ends.

  • Mixed or dark interiors: alder stained to match existing furniture or floors.

Eastern maple table
Eastern maple, the hardest of the group.

Solid Wood, Built to Last

Every table we build is solid wood, never veneer over particleboard. That means it can be sanded and refinished if it's ever damaged, and it will outlast several generations of chairs.

White oak Chehalis dining table
The Chehalis table in white oak.

Made in Chilliwack

We build dining tables to order in our Chilliwack, BC workshop and deliver across BC, including Vancouver, the North Shore, Whistler and Kelowna.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best wood for a dining table?

White oak is the best all-round choice: hard, stable and suited to most styles. Walnut is the choice for a rich, dark statement table, and maple is the hardest option.

Is walnut too soft for a dining table?

No. Walnut is softer than oak or maple, but with a good finish it makes an excellent dining table that wears gracefully.

Which wood is most scratch-resistant?

Eastern (hard) maple and white oak are the hardest of the common furniture woods. The finish also plays a big role.

Does wood change colour over time?

Yes. Maple and pine deepen toward amber, walnut lightens slightly, and white oak stays fairly stable.

 
 
 

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