November, 1917 
25 
THE 
DECORATIVE 
VALUE 
of 
Characteristic Colors and Grains Which Distinguish the Various 
Sorts Used for Ulterior Trim , Paneling, Molding and Furniture — 
The Artistic Possibilities of Different Methods of Preparation 
SAMUEL J. RECORD 
WOOD 
B EAUTIFUL woods, like beautiful paint¬ 
ings, must be intimately known to be 
appreciated, for they possess individuality and 
no two pieces are exactly alike. This must be 
the case since wood is a structure subject to the 
whims of nature and to the tree’s environment. 
Neighboring trees play their part in determin¬ 
ing the shape of the bole; the relative amounts 
of light, food and water affect the seasonal 
growths, while the attacks of insects and dis¬ 
ease may give rise to formations of wonderfully 
intricate pattern. In the realm of the fancy 
woods there is unlimited variety of color and 
pattern which, thanks to the use of thin 
veneers, the cabinetmaker can build up into 
designs that are veritable works of art. 
Beautiful woods have always been prized. 
For interior trim, paneling, molding and furni¬ 
ture there is nothing which can adequately 
take their place. Makers of substitutes may 
claim for their products greater durability and 
resistance to fire and wear, but they pay trib¬ 
ute to wood’s attractiveness by seeking to coun¬ 
terfeit its appearance. Many of the plainer 
woods, too, are frequently 
subjected to treatment to en¬ 
able them to pass for more 
expensive kinds. Birch has 
for so long been stained to 
imitate mahogany that man¬ 
ufacturers are having diffi¬ 
culty in convincing the pub¬ 
lic that other finishes are 
equally well adapted to that 
wood. Plain red gum is 
run through graining ma¬ 
chines which print direct 
from oak rolls the character¬ 
istic lines and flakes of 
quartered oak. By the use 
of stains, bleaches and fin¬ 
ishes great variety is obtain¬ 
able from even the plainest 
looking woods. 
The Natural Colors of Wood 
The range of natural col¬ 
ors exhibited by different 
woods is so great that al¬ 
most any hue can be had. 
There is an endless variety 
of reds, many shades of yel¬ 
low and brown, a few greens 
and blues as well as orange, 
violet and black. Woods 
from the tropics exhibit the 
most brilliant colors, though 
our own native material is by 
no means lacking in this re¬ 
spect. Redwood, cherry, 
walnut, yellow poplar, black 
locust, Osage orange, mes- 
quite, red cedar, and holly 
are some of our woods which 
are sought for their color. In 
southern Florida grows a 
little of the finest quality ma¬ 
hogany in the world, combin¬ 
ing the hardness and depth 
An example of quartered English oak with black splashes. The 
splashes or flakes are thin sheets of tissue, the medullary rays 
of color rare in much of the Mexican grade. 
The characteristic color of wood is found 
only in the inner, non-living portion of the 
trees—the heartwood. In all cases the living 
portion just beneath the bark—the sapwood— 
is almost devoid of color. Sometimes sapwood 
is steamed for several hours to cause it to take 
on the color of the heart. This process is made 
use of commercially to deepen the color of the 
sap of such woods as red gum, walnut and 
apple. Apple wood is considered the best 
for handsaw handles and the rich reddish color 
results from steaming the yellowish sapwood 
Air, Light and Color 
When fresh wood is exposed to the action 
of air and light the natural color begins at once 
to change. In some instances the effect is a 
mere darkening, and light-colored mahogany 
lumber is commonly sunned for days to in 
tensify the red. Almost all woods darken with 
age. Black walnut changes from light pur¬ 
ple to brownish black; black cherry assumes 
a richer vinous shade; the beautiful yellow of 
black locust and Osage 
orange soon turns into russet 
brown; the greenish yellow of 
yellow poplar gives place to 
dull brown; the beautiful 
reds and purples of the red 
cedar upon a few hours’ ex 
posure to direct sunlight lose 
their brilliance, and eventu¬ 
ally a lack-luster brown re¬ 
sults. When woods are coat 
ed with shellac or varnisli 
the change proceeds much 
more slowly than in unpro 
tected wood because oxida 
tion is retarded. 
Some woods are so dark 
that their desirability for in 
terior finish and cabinet work 
may be seriously reduced, 
notwithstanding the fact that 
they may reveal beautiful 
figure when examined close 
ly. It is for this reason that 
American black walnut is not 
so highly esteemed for furni¬ 
ture as the Circassian with 
its great color contrasts. 
Some of the black walnut 
burls are magnificent in de¬ 
sign and the stumps are rich 
in figure, but the effect is lost 
at a little distance. To some 
extent objectionable colors 
can be overcome or removed 
by artificial treatment. Oak 
and red gum are often fumed 
to get rid of the reddish 
brown tones. The redwood 
can be bleached with picric 
acid and shades of gray pro¬ 
duced. One of the principal 
objections to the use of maple 
in natural finish is its grad¬ 
ual change from white to 
(Continued on page 60) 
