Welcome to our guide on beechwood cabinets – everything you need to know! Beechwood offers a warm, natural look that complements a variety of styles. Plus, we’ll compare beechwood to maple and alder, helping you understand the key differences and hopefully – you’ll find the perfect fit for your home.
About Beech Wood Cabinets
Beechwood is a strong, durable hardwood that is light in color, with a pink or brown undertone. This straight grained wood is often mistaken for maple, because they both have wide rays in grain pattern, but it’s semi-porosity is also vaguely similar to oak. When stained, beech can also compare to alder wood in appearance. As you can gather, beech isn’t an obscure wood in appearance and it easily matches a variety of preferences in wood tone and grain style.
Beech is a widely-used hardwood in Europe, and it’s a great middle of the road option in kitchen design.
Beechwood Cabinets, Image from decorpad.com
Beech Cabinet Pros and Cons
Now, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of beechwood cabinets. Let’s chat about the various aspects of beechwood cabinets, including water resistance, appearance, strength, and price. We’ll let you know what we think of these factors and how they will influence your cabinet choice. Hopefully this will help you determine whether beechwood is the best option for your kitchen.
Is beechwood a good choice for cabinets?
Beechwood cabinets are a fine choice. The durability of beech is ideal for high traffic areas like kitchens.
Are beech cabinets expensive?
Beech is more expensive than alder and less expensive than maple. It is a great middle of the road option in price. However, this is dependant on the finish chosen and your location.
Are beech cabinets water resistant?
Beechwood is not the most water resistant. While finishing helps protect the wood, beechwood does not work well for high humidity environments or changes in temperature. It is not suitable for outdoor environments.
What are alternatives to a beechwood kitchen?
Great alternatives to beechwood kitchen cabinets are clear alder and maple.
Natural Clear Alder
Natural Maple
Beech vs. Alder
Clear alder is a great alternative to Beech. Alder has a great smooth finish for stain or painted finishes. Naturally grown in wet environments, alder wood is really water resistant, a quality that beech does not have. While beechwood is stronger than alder, both make great kitchen cabinets.
Alder Cabinetry by Decor Cabinets
Alder is one of the most cost effective wood species for kitchen cabinets. If you want custom cabinets on a budget, alder is your best choice.
Beech vs. Maple
When comparing beechwood to maple, the similarities are more numerous than differences. Both are pale warm toned woods. Maple has slightly more variations in wood grain than beechwood, but both offer a beautiful organic finish. Both are very durable hardwood species, making them ideal for high traffic kitchens.
Contemporary Maple Cabinetry from Decor Cabinets
In terms of durability, both are strong and resistant to everyday wear, but maple is generally harder and slightly more resilient. Price-wise, beechwood can be more affordable, but it depends on the specific style and finish you choose. Maple is well loved among homeowners and a great alternative to beech.
Dark Maple Cabinetry from Decor Cabinets
Should you choose beechwood kitchen cabinets?
Beech is a great middle of the road option for kitchen cabinets. Alder and maple have their own advantages that might make them an even better choice for your cabinets. Alder is a water resistant, softer hardwood that is more affordable than beech. Maple is harder than beech, more water resistant, and is just as beautiful. For these reasons, we recommend alder or maple over beechwood kitchen cabinets.
