Woodipedia: Is It Cherry or Is It Alder?

Article By: Marci Crestani

Stains have made it very easy to color one type of wood to make it look like another kind. But there are two species of wood that really do look alike in their raw state: cherry and alder. Here's how to tell the difference. 

Traditional Kitchen by Minneapolis Architects & Designers TEA2 Architects 

When you think of a cozy country kitchen, most likely you are envisioning warm-colored cherry cabinets. "Cherry was one of the most popular cabinet woods in rural areas throughout the country, because it was so widely distributed across the United States," notes Andy Richmond, vice president and certified appraiser at Garth's Antiques in Delaware, Ohio.

Yet there is another wood species that features a milder version of cherry's reddish tones and grain patterns. Alder is affectionately referred to by woodworkers as "poor man's cherry." With a coat of finish, it can easily pass for cherry to less-discerning eyes. 

Other 

Cherry basics. When we speak of cherry, we are really referring to black cherry — Prunus serotina. A distinctive element of most cherry wood is gum spots, or pitch pockets. They're short, black streaks that look like hardened resin deposits.

Sometimes cherry has pin knots — tiny brown circles that again add visual interest. High-end cherry is figured, meaning undulating rays of light seem to shoot across the grain, lending the board a shimmering depth. This radiant effect is called chatoyance.

Contemporary Dining Room by Huntington Beach Interior Designers & Decorators CM Designs 

Alder basics. Commonly known as red alder, Alnus rubra grows principally in the Pacific Northwest, where it is the most commercially abundant hardwood. The consistent grain pattern and quiet coloration of alder is polarizing. Some people like it for exactly that reason, while other people find it boring. Alder can have pin knots, but it doesn't have gum spots.

You'll sometimes hear references to clear or knotty alder, but those are just general descriptions. "That's not a grade," says Walt Maas, manager of Bohnhoff Lumber in Vernon, California. "There are industry standards for grading lumber — like there are for grading meat. Each type of wood has its own specifications that professional hardwood lumber graders follow." 

This makes it easier to compare prices when shopping. However, Maas notes that some companies put their own proprietary grades on lumber, which makes comparison shopping more difficult. 

Other by Vernon Furniture & Accessories VERMONT WOODS STUDIOS 

Differences between cherry and alder. There are three main differences. First, alder is significantly softer, so it weighs less. Second, alder is cheaper. And finally, alder has no sapwood, which is the creamy colored wood on the edge of a board. Like walnut, cherry is known for having a lot of sapwood. 

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Cost. Cherry's price is somewhat dependent upon the amount of sapwood. Most boards have more heartwood (the pinkish-red color) on one side and noticeably more sapwood on the opposite side. The percentage of each on a single board influences pricing. Another factor is board width. Wider boards of all species are more expensive.

Maas reports that the current wholesale price of cherry at his yard is $3.20 per board foot. Alder is priced substantially lower, at $2.70 per board foot. 

Other 

Color. While alder is fairly even in color, cherry's basic red cast can have a whole spectrum of variations. This makes it difficult for woodworkers to color match the boards on large projects. Gene Leslie of Rancho Cucamonga, California (who made the cherry cabinets shown here) evened out the disparate tones by treating all the wood with lye to artificially age it while maintaining the clarity of the grain. Amateurs need to be thoroughly educated on this process before attempting it, however, since lye is highly caustic. 

When making tabletops and cabinet door panels, woodworkers frequently cut off the sapwood to feature the prized heartwood. The sapwood is then used for the interior structures, especially in drawer construction. 

Other 

Durability. Black cherry rates 950 on the Janka scale for hardness, which puts it on equal footing with soft maple but far below tougher hard maple (1,450) and black walnut (1,010). 

Alder is rated 590, ranking it as a very soft hardwood, slightly above poplar (540).

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Not cherry. While there are no wood types erroneously identified as alder, there are several misnamed cherries. Chief among them is Brazilian cherry, also known as Jatoba. It's an extremely popular flooring choice these days, not only because of its cherry-like color, but also because of its durability. Brazilian cherry rates 2,350 on the Janka scale. (Remember, hard maple is 1,450.)

Other woods masquerading as cherry are Patagonian cherry, Bolivian cherry and African cherry, which is also known as Makore. 

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Finishing. Cherry and alder are both prone to blotching when finishing coats are applied. Again, some people accept this as a beautiful trait of real wood, while other woodworkers try every finishing trick in the business to minimize it. It's a good idea to ask for a finished sample. 

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UV stability. Cherry naturally patinates to a darker, richer color over time. American antiques specialist Andy Richmond notes that antique cherry furniture can resemble mahogany.

It's also a notoriously UV-unstable wood, which some woodworkers use to their advantage. To quickly and painlessly deepen the color of some cherry boards, woodworker Gene Leslie intentionally leaves them out in the sun after milling them. 

Asian Kitchen by Winter Park Kitchen & Bath Designers Krista Agapito - S&W Kitchens, Inc.

Sustainability. Domestic hardwoods have been endorsed by the U.S. Deptartment of Agriculture as a preferred green building material — in large part due to the responsible harvesting methods practiced by the American hardwood industry. The other important factor in the sustainability of American hardwoods is the minimal transportation requirements, compared to those of imported exotics.

6 Great Places for a Discreet Mini Office

Article By: Tiffany Carboni

Not every house has a room that can be set aside for work alone, but the beauty of the home office is that it can be integrated into almost any room. The trick is making the dual purposes play nicely with each other without (come on, it just has to be said) their dueling. Here are some tips to make the best of one room with two motives. 

Contemporary Home Office by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Celia Berliner Design, LLC 

1. Spare bedroom. A spare bedroom and office combo is one of the most common setups. It makes a lot of sense. Unless you're constantly playing host to out-of-towners, an uninhabited bedroom can be a great workspace. 

Built-in cabinetry will make the most of your room. Keep a few drawers empty for guests; dedicate the rest to files and supplies. Desks with pullout features provide more space when needed and keep delicate equipment safe when visitors wielding oversize luggage come over. 

Contemporary Home Office by West Palm Beach Interior Designers & Decorators Cindy Ray Interiors, Inc. 

To squeeze every inch out of your bedroom office, use a sleeper sofa. Here a built-in bookcase frames an elegant sofa that can accommodate business meetings during the day and guests overnight. 

Contemporary Home Office by Solana Beach Interior Designers & Decorators Lori Gentile Interior Design 

2. Living room. When integrating an office into the living room, make sure the space has a welcoming, sophisticated air, just as you'd expect from any other well-designed living room. That way guests won't feel like they're encroaching on your private workspace — or worse, sitting in an untidy office. 

In this room the emphasis is on warm, community-oriented features: the fireplace, bookshelves and a variety of seating options. The desk, while spacious and functional, recedes into the background and complements, not competes with, the atmosphere. 

Traditional Home Office by Milton Photographers Michael J. Lee Photography 

A desk that matches the living room's level of formality is a clever way to hide an office in plain sight.Here an antique desk is matched with an antique chair and mirror.

Contemporary Home Office by Dallas Photographers RUDA Photography 

3. Closet. If you can afford the space, a walk-in closet can make for a highly effective work environment, thanks to its quiet nature. When the doors are shut, you could go unnoticed by the rest of your household for days.

One obstacle that could stand in the way of a closet office is a lack of adequate light, as closets generally don't have windows. Adding a light tube (if the closet is on the top level of the house) or getting creative with lighting fixtures can solve this issue.

Contemporary Home Office by Park City General Contractors Todd Arenson Construction 

4. Family room. An office in the family room has pluses and minuses. On the one hand, working near the kids offers family integration. Parents get to hang out with their children; the kids don't get resentful that Mom or Dad is always too busy for them.

On the other hand, noisy distractions and important deadlines don't mix well. If you can work out a schedule that suits everybody's needs, the office–family room combo can be a huge success — especially in a room like this, where built-in benches hide toys and provide a cozy environment both during the workday and after hours. 

Contemporary Kitchen by Wellesley Kitchen & Bath Designers Divine Kitchens LLC

5. Kitchen. Every family kitchen should be equipped with a mini office. At least it might feel that way to a parent getting bombarded with requests for signed permission slips and help with homework in the middle of fixing dinner. Itcan be as simple as a drawer organizing system that holds everything from a stash of writing utensils and paper clips to the checkbook for those "I forgot I'm supposed to bring money" moments.

If you can afford more space, a sweet setup like this one keeps household affairs in check and gets closed off behind cabinet doors when not in use.

Traditional Home Office by Vancouver Photographers Heather Merenda 

6. Dining room. No, this isn't about using the dining table as a desk, though honestly its size isunbeatable for large projects. Here a desk is built into a hutch, and a low-profile stool gets tucks out of the way under the counter. When the owners host a dinner party, they can even move the stool and computer and use the desktop as a serving area.

Eclectic Home Office by Mill Valley Interior Designers & Decorators SC Interiors and Designs 

If a built-in hutch isn't a possibility, an antique secretary desk is a great alternative. Its streamlined silhouette and fold-away tabletop allow it to be disguised as furniture appropriate to a room's primary function.

Smart Investments in Kitchen Cabinetry — a Realtor's Advice

Article By: Tiffany Carboni

The kitchen is the most expensive room in the house to build. The national average cost of a kitchen remodel is $50,000, though the real cost can vary widely, depending on where you live, the scope of the project and the materials you choose. New cabinetry can take up much of that expense. Make the most of this big purchase by treating your new cabinets as an investment. 

Realtor Victoria Gangi offers insider tips on how to get the best return on your cabinet investment, even if you're not moving in the foreseeable future. 

Eclectic Kitchen by Falls Church Kitchen & Bath Designers Cameo Kitchens, Inc. 

Create an optimal layout. Long before a kitchen starts to take actual shape, there needs to be a well-crafted plan for how the kitchen will be laid out to offer maximum benefits to the homeowners and their guests. 

"Layout is the number-one feature home buyers are looking at in a kitchen," says Gangi. "You will lose your audience if cabinets aren't designed in a functional way with good flow." 

Traditional Kitchen by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators Kimberly Arnold Fletcher 

A kitchen or cabinet designer can help you get started. Don’t make any rushed decisions in the planning process. 

One way to help visualize a designer's plan is to tape out the dimensions of the new cabinet configurations on the floor and walls. Granted, you're going to need a really good imagination for this to work, but it will give you an opportunity to literally walk through the measurements to see if things feel well spaced. 

Contemporary Kitchen by Vancouver Photographers Heather Merenda 

Invest in quality cabinetry. Once you've got a plan for where everything's going to go, decide on a style and quality that will age well and withstand trends and changing tastes.

Quality cabinets are one of the smartest investments in a kitchen remodel, saysKarl Keul, owner of Cameo Kitchens. "The lesser grades of cabinets tend not to age gracefully and often need more upkeep,” he notes.

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The quality to choose will depend on your long-term plans. “Midrange cabinets are generally a good bet," Gangi says. "If you intend to sell your home, these cabinets will look attractive to buyers, and you’ll likely see a return on your investment."

She adds, "Even if you plan on staying in your home for the foreseeable future, this is still a safe option, because they'll last. Choose top-of-the-line cabinets only if you have the money to create the kitchen of your dreams without any worries of recouping the money.” 

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Integrate the door style. Choose a door style and color that integrate well with the rest of your home, especially rooms that look directly into the kitchen. If the rest of your house is traditional, you’d be better off steering toward a more traditional or transitional door style than going completely modern, and vice versa.  

Farmhouse Kitchen by Lodi General Contractors WL INTERIORS 

"Don't choose a style that's too ornate or too modern," Gangi advises. "Modern is good; people like clean lines and clean finishes. But ultramodern or any style that's too out of the norm isn't what buyers tend to want." 

Contemporary Kitchen by Austin Architects & Designers Loop Design 

In general the best kitchen designs are those that work in harmony with the rest of the home's architecture rather than try to fight it. A harmonious house is easier for potential buyers to understand and, in turn, to want to outbid each other for. 

A savvy designer can help navigate you toward the best cabinet options that will work for your home and budget.

Contemporary Kitchen by Framingham Photographers Mary Prince 

Choose light colors. Lighter-colored cabinetry will appeal to more buyers. "Dark kitchens are out," notes Gangi. "People prefer light and bright." 

Contemporary Kitchen by Tampa Interior Designers & Decorators Paul Anater 

To integrate the appliances or not? Integrated appliances significantly increase the cost of a kitchen, not only because of the added cabinetry door fronts, but also because the appliances needed to facilitate this option are more expensive.

While this feature may look attractive to some home buyers, especially in a price range where integrated appliances are an expectation rather than an exception, your may not see the return on this high-priced detail in a midrange-price house. 

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According to Gangi, your cabinet investment can be safe even if you don't integrate the appliances. "Stainless steel appliances are still very popular and well accepted by buyers," she says. 

Traditional Kitchen by Raleigh Kitchen & Bath Designers J Maness Designs 

Choose cabinet details that matter. What's inside the cabinet is just as important as what's on its outside. "Buyers are on the lookout for rollout and quiet-close drawers," notes Gangi. "This is where that choice of midrange versus low-range cabinet quality becomes important. Spending the extra money it takes to get good-quality slide rails and quiet-close features will come back to you."

Contemporary Kitchen by Tucson Kitchen & Bath Designers Dorado Designs 

Opt for clean-lined hardware. "Buyers prefer drawer pulls and handles to be just as clean lined as the cabinetry," says Gangi. 

Contemporary Kitchen by Jersey City Design-Build Firms Brunelleschi Construction 

If you like ornate hardware, go for it. However, should you sell your home, expect to replace those fancy pulls with a more streamlined set that will appeal to a broad range of buyers. The good news is that your fancy hardware can move with you.

9 Ways to Configure Your Cabinets for Comfort

Article By: Jennifer Ott

Those of you building or renovating a kitchen face countless decisions. Just for the cabinetry you have to select the material, frame type, door style, hardware and more. 

I hate to add to your list of selections to make, but there are a few details to think about when it comes to ergonomics, too; how you configure your cabinetry can make your kitchen a comfortable and efficient workspace for you and your family.

Beach Style Kitchen by Philadelphia General Contractors McCoubrey/Overholser, Inc. 

1. Minimize uppers. Wall cabinets can be a stretch for many to access — or altogether out of reach for some — so consider removing wall cabinets and putting in a bank of windows instead. This is an especially smart move if doing this will give you a nice view. 

Traditional Kitchen by Putney Design-Build Firms Kenzer Furniture 

2. Be shallow. Instead of wall cabinets, I like to install shallow floor-to-ceiling pantries. They're an efficient use of an interior wall, where you can't have a window anyway. By limiting the depth to just 6 to 9 inches, you are forced to line up your dry goods in a single row, making everything easier to find.

Contemporary Kitchen by Nantucket Architects & Designers Joe Olson 

3. Go for open shelves. If you really need wall-mounted storage, try installing a few open shelves. They're a more efficient way to store items, because you (and your guests) can see where everything is, and you don't have to open and close cabinet doors to access things. Limit the stored items to those you use often so they are less likely to collect dust. 

Contemporary Kitchen by Menlo Park Architects & Designers Barker Wagoner Architects 

4. Lift up, not out. For those who want closed wall cabinet storage, take a look at horizontal cabinets. There's only one door you need to open to see everything in the cabinet, and you don't have to step out of the way as you open and close it. 

Modern Kitchen by Bonita Kitchen & Bath Designers Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS 

5. Install drawers. When it comes to base cabinets, I can't recommend drawers over doors strongly enough. Deep drawers can hold almost anything you need to store in a base cabinet. Plus, it's much more efficient to just pull the drawer out and have all the contents on view right in front of you than having to open two doors and root around for what you need.

Contemporary Kitchen by Chicago Architects & Designers Gary Lee Partners 

6. Avoid corners. If you can design your kitchen to not have corner cabinets, do so. Corners tend to cause traffic jams in kitchens, and corner cabinets can be awkward to use. 

Traditional Kitchen by Edina Kitchen & Bath Designers The Woodshop of Avon 

7. Or make the best of your corners. If you can't avoid corner cabinets, then at least make them as functional and easy to use as possible with fully rotating lazy Susans or clever corner drawers.

Contemporary Kitchen by Oceanside Cabinets & Cabinetry Trueline Woodworks, Inc. 

8. Upgrade cabinetry.Soft-close door hinges and drawer glides are more must-haves. It is totally worth the small extra charge for these features, which allow you to shut doors and drawers with one efficient push and no slamming.

Traditional Kitchen by Mississauga Architects & Designers Parkyn Design 

9. Vary countertop heights. While the standard kitchen countertop height is 36 inches, there are many tasks that are more comfortably performed on a lower or higher surface. This is especially true for those who are taller or shorter than average. 

Typically you want your forearms to be at or near level when you're working at the countertop. But for us tall folks, that'd require a surface height of 42 inches or more — a difficult height for kids or shorter members of the household to use. 

The solution is to set up areas with differing countertop heights to accommodate the various statures of the users and their tasks. Extra storage room in the cabinet underneath is an additional upside to taller work surfaces.

Love to Bake? Try These 13 Ideas for a Better Baker's Kitchen

Article By: Charmean Neithart

Having a baker in the family is a mixed blessing. Who doesn't love the aroma of sugar and butter circulating through the house? That's the good news: Baking equals good-house vibes. The bad news: That's a lot of calorie temptation to contend with on a regular basis. Yummy carbs are so hard to pass up. 

Baking is specific; it's really a science, if you think about it. Designing or modifying a kitchen for a serious baker requires some thought, even some field research. I recently put together some ideas for a baking enthusiast making some tweaks to her kitchen. Some ideas are suitable for small kitchens, while others work best in kitchens with a larger footprint. 

Grab a glass of cold milk — the cookies are in the oven. Here are a baker's dozen ideas to consider while you wait. 

Traditional Kitchen by Seattle Kitchen & Bath Designers Seattle Custom Cabinets

1. Open shelves. Bulk storage of dry ingredients like flour and sugar is easily accessed from convenient open shelves.

Eclectic Kitchen by Omaha Interior Designers & Decorators Birdhouse Interior Design

2. Rolling cart. Design with function in mind. If you are short on wall space for cabinets or open shelves, consider a rolling cart placed close to counters that holds ingredients and equipment.

Spaces by Howard Lake Cabinets & Cabinetry Dura Supreme Cabinetry

3. Tray and baking pan storage. Upright tray storage is ideal for bakers, because what's inside is easy to view and access; cabinets made specifically for trays are narrow and tall. Tray storage can also be placed in upper cabinets above ovens or a microwave.

Eclectic Spaces by Danvers Kitchen & Bath Designers Heartwood Kitchens 

4. Storage drawers and bins. Drawers are ideal for storage. Being able to view ingredients and kitchen equipment from above is practical. Also, bins with airtight lids keep ingredients fresh. 

Eclectic Kitchen by San Francisco Photographers Alex Amend Photography

 5. Tool display. A collection of paint-dipped bread boards is hung just like an art installation here. Even if tools are just for looks, hang them out in the open. This could also work with rolling pins or cake molds.

Contemporary Spaces by Howard Lake Cabinets & Cabinetry Dura Supreme Cabinetry

6. Roll-out drawer. Plan for a small roll-out drawer within your cabinet design. Use narrow drawers such as this for storing cookie cutters and measuring spoons.

Traditional Kitchen by Chicago Kitchen & Bath Designers Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab

7. Tech corner. Plan for a small space where you can wire in a TV, desktop or laptop computer or just display an iPad. There are thousands of recipes and how-to videos online. Include a tech corner next to your countertop and bake right alongside your favorite demonstration video or cooking show.

Traditional Kitchen by Wellesley Kitchen & Bath Designers Divine Kitchens LLC

8. Double ovens. If you have the space and budget, get wall-mounted double ovens; they're dreamy for bakers. 

Consider looking into convection heat as well.Convection ovens work with fans that recirculate heat, which is great for evenly baked cookies and crusts. Even baked goods such as croissants develop acrispy, even texture with convection heat.

Traditional Kitchen by Rockford Kitchen & Bath Designers Midwest Stone Source & Custom Cabinetry | Rockford

9. Built-in step stool. If you have trays or pans stored in tall upper cabinets, consider a built-in step stool for easy access.

Eclectic Kitchen by New York Media and Bloggers Apt 2B Baking Co.

10. Workstation. If you bake on a regular basis, go ahead: Set up a workstation right on top of the countertop. Just like in a real bakery, make the countertops your work areas. Solid-surface countertops like marble and granite are ideal for rolling out dough. Display your tools and equipment right where you use them.

Modern Kitchen by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Tara Seawright

11. Cookbooks. Consider a bookshelf close to a working area. You may want to create easy access for frequently used books or recipe folders. A shelf next to a center island, for instance, is practical and good looking.

Traditional Kitchen by Howard Lake Cabinets & Cabinetry Dura Supreme Cabinetry

12. Spice drawer. Keep the cinnamon, nutmeg and all the rest at arm's reach. A drawer allows for a top view of frequently used spices and toppings. If you are into organization, alphabetize the spices within their rows. 

Traditional Kitchen by Berwyn Architects & Designers Peter Zimmerman Architects

13. Pastry table. Plan a space for a pastry table in the main work triangle. Old-fashioned pastry tables are typically lower than standard countertops. A marble or similar solid surface is ideal for rolling out pastry or bread dough.