Best wood choice for bathroom cabinet?

[Laura Griffin]

Hi all

I'm designing a cabinet I want to build for my bathroom. Since this is my first big project, and my first cabinet, I'm a little uncertain about what wood to use. I know to use plywood for the sides, backs and drawers, and I want to use solid wood for the drawer fronts and glazed door frames. I want to use either a naturally dark wood (not looking to break the bank here, so no ebony) that I can also get as veneered plywood, or a wood I can stain a 50/50 mix of Jacobean and ebony. My oak floors throughout most of my house are this stain and I would like to carry that color through to the bathroom cabinet to help tie it back to the rest of the house (the floor in there is white 12" tile and the carpet in the bedroom is a very light off white).

So my question is really two part: what wood can I use that will survive well in the humid environment AND will either be dark or take stain well? Caveat: I have very modern tastes and oak cabinets are just not my thing, so I prefer to not use oak.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Laura

[Karl Card]

I am getting ready for the same project. I am going to use a mixture of teak, ipe and autralian jarrah.

First you have to understand that the reasons I am using this is that it will not rot, at least in my lifetime and I already have it...

[Jamie Buxton]

For a naturally-dark wood, you could use walnut. It is available in lumber and in veneered plywood.

If you insist on staining wood, you'll have less trouble staining dark wood a little darker than you will staining a light wood a lot darker. That is, you'd be better off starting with walnut then with maple. Me, I'd leave the walnut to be walnut-colored. Natural wood is much prettier than stain.

Most any wood will be okay in a bathroom if you keep water from puddling on it. And most wood will deteriorate if you puddle water on it, regardless of what finish you put on it.

[Joe Chritz]

Any wood will do well in the bath as long as it is constructed correctly and finished properly.

For the dark finish it will depend on what you are after. If you don't care about the grain then you could go with a pigmented top coat or paint. If you want it to look like wood you could go with walnut as mentioned or if you want even darker look into ebonizing maple or walnut.

Joe

[Shawn Christ]

You could also use cherry, which is popular with modern cabinetry. Cherry darkens with age and if you search the Creek you will find some great finishing tips.

I understand your feelings toward oak - all of the cabinets in my 1984 home were light oak. What annoys me is the wide, porous grain that turns dark when stained. But it's inexpensive, durable, and easy to work with.

[Lee Schierer]

Any wood will do well in the bath as long as it is constructed correctly and finished properly.

I'm with Joe. Any wood can work if it is properly designed and finished. Personally I've made three vanities, 2 with red oak and one from maple. All are doing well after more than 5 years of service. Te oldest is nearly 20 years old.

I prefer a polyurethane finish and coat every part inside and out where they can be reached. My favorite finish is Varathane Diamond Floor finish. It imparts almost no color and doesn't yellow, yet it applies nicely and holds up very well.

[Casey Gooding]

If you want naturally dark, I would go with Walnut. If you want to stain, go with Oak. It's easy to stain and durable. Be sure to use a good topcoat.

[Laura Griffin]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I prefer to see natural wood grain, so I think I see some walnut in my future.

Lee, that's beautiful work. Thanks for the finishing tips!

[Lee Schierer]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I prefer to see natural wood grain, so I think I see some walnut in my future.

Just remember that walnut gets lighter colored with age and exposure to light. I have a name plate on my desk that is 20+ years old and it is a light brown color just a shade darker than the red oak card holder sitting next to it. I believe that ebonized oak still shows every bit of the grain, but is black.

[Karl Card]

That is nice. Just a nice clean good looking cabinet... and mirror..


Karl

I'm with Joe. Any wood can work if it is properly designed and finished. Personally I've made three vanities, 2 with red oak and one from maple. All are doing well after more than 5 years of service. Te oldest is nearly 20 years old.

I prefer a polyurethane finish and coat every part inside and out where they can be reached. My favorite finish is Varathane Diamond Floor finish. It imparts almost no color and doesn't yellow, yet it applies nicely and holds up very well.