C O L O R VA R I A T I O N G U I D E
C O L O R VA R I TA T I O N G U I D E
HICKORY Hickory is renowned for its natural color variation not just in the difference from the darker heartwood to the lighter colored sapwood, but also the within the heartwood itself. In the above panel you can see the range of heart tone from very light beige to darker browns. The lighter color sapwood at the edge of the planks can smoothly transition to the lighter tones, but in many planks it will stand in stark contract to the darker heartwood. This variation in contrast is one of the main reasons our customers choose Hickory. However, depending on how Hickory is finished you will see this color variation altered by the choice of stains. A straight clear coat without any stain will not alter the color variation in the wood at all, while a light white stain will subtly mute the variation with a veil of color. A medium tone stain will make an overall more consistent feel to the color as the stark contrasts are eliminated but the subtle shifts in tone are not completely overwhelmed. Finally the darker stain really works to create a more even color; however, even in this darker pigmented stain some very subtle shift can be seen from board to board.
At Carlisle we want to make sure our customers understand their entire floor, not just a single piece of one board. We hope this demonstration presents the overall Hickory pallet, which is defined by color variance, and helps our customer appreciate the unique beauty contained in such an exquisite wood!
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Dark Stain Medium Stain Unfinished Clear Coat White Stain
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C O L O R VA R I TA T I O N G U I D E
WHITE OAK White Oak is very well known for its nutty brown tones that serve as an excellent back drop for any stain color you choose. However, it is important to remember that the natural tone of White Oak does vary from the light beige to medium browns and even exhibits some pink tones at times. These colors are natures creation and are driven by the age of the timber, the nutrients in the soil, the overall density of the forest and even the variance in available water. Although at Carlisle we do harvest our timber from relatively tight geographies there will still be variation in the color. When finishing White Oak with a clear urethane or oil or even when using very light white or gray washes, this variance will continue to show through the finish.
This is because these stain are not heavily pigmented and will not be strong enough to overcome the underlying tone of the wood. In some cases light washes of color may even highlight certain color tones increasing the perceived variation. As you move to darker more heavily pigmented stains the floor will become more consistent in color as the underlying tone is covered by the darker pigment. Variation will still be present in darker stains as the density of the grain, the turn of the grain or even the character in the wood will cause the stain to absorb at different rates resulting is subtle shift of color.
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Dark Stain Medium Stain Unfinished Clear Coat White Stain
first case study
H E A D Q UA RT E R S
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