As wood ages, its color and grain can take on a richer, deeper color. Different wood species age differently and some wood species like cherry get substantially darker, with rich, warm red-brown hues. Cherry’s color turns more mahogany red and gives a look that is high-end traditional. Other wood species like maple take on a slightly warmer tone but don’t darken as much.
Exposure to sunlight can speed up the aging process, and any uneven sun exposure, like something covering part of the wood, prevents sun-exposed aging and can create light and dark sections when the cover is removed.
Below are photos of wood cabinet door samples with no stain, only a clear finish, taken over 10 years ago, next to photos of the same cabinet door today. Different stains, finishes and UV coating can impact this aging process but these doors show the wood aging without any of those variables.
Our goal was to show buyers how aging 10+ years affects these wood species to help in the cabinet material decision making process. Differences in lighting and camera and photo setting create different highlights on these photos but we did our best to recreate the same exposure and lighting color so you’d see the true difference.
