Understanding & Choosing a Stain
Picking out colors is much easier with the right information.
While the wood is often the most highlighted feature of Amish furniture, the finishes used by the Amish are truly a marvel. Each stain is made to offer a long-lasting color and smooth texture without masking the wood grain.
With solid American hardwoods and durable stains, each piece is a work of art.
We work with a large variety of Amish furniture builders that have a wide selection of stain options. If you don’t have a specific stain in mind, it might feel overwhelming to know which stain to pick.
Why Amish Stain colors?
1. Easy to Clean
All it takes is a damp dishcloth and a gentle soap solution. This will remove any dust and dirt from the surface of your furniture without damaging the finish. You can see more care tips on our Furniture Care page.
2. Durable
Amish finishing shops work hard to offer stains that are more durable than many other options on the market. Quality furniture deserves nothing less than a quality finish.
3. Endlessly Customizable
While we love the in-stock pieces in our showroom, we understand that the current trends and colors may not fit your preferences. That’s why we offer a seamless and detailed custom furniture program so you can have the colors that fit your perfect home.
4. Satisfaction Guaranteed
If there was a mistake or misjudgment when choosing a stain color, the wonderful builders we work with make it possible for us to work out a solution for you. Within 7 days of receiving your furniture, you can return the undamaged new piece so we can rebuild it to your specifications. Read more in our Shipping/Warranty.
How To Pick A Stain Color
Whether shopping with us in-store or online, your color-picking experience should be seamless and insightful. Here are some ways you can prepare before viewing our color samples.
Observe the lighting in your home
The presence of natural and artificial lighting can drastically affect the colors in your home.
A space with little light will feel darker and may even feel smaller if filled with deep color-stained furniture.
Do you want cool undertones and desaturated neutrals, or would you prefer the warmth from red and yellow undertones?
This preferences must be considered for the wood type and the stain color.
A stain color can change drastically depending on what kind of wood it is applied to.
Think about the tones you like
While some individuals like to make use of complementary colors in a space, we realize that’s not everyone’s preference.
Color matching may seem daunting , but don’t be afraid to come us with a color request. While preparing for your shopping trip, you can view and compare color samples ahead of time.
Please note, that most phone screens and computer monitors are not 100% accurate and there may be slight discoloration.
Wood types range in colors as we mentioned before, but they also range in hardness levels.
For a quick overview, see the common wood types below:
Hickory
Hardest & Heaviest
Warm or Cool
Hickory has the highest hardness rating out of the options listed, and the heaviest. This has been a popular wood for dining tables and other furniture that experiences frequent use.
Hickory can vary in darkness but tends to remain fairly neutral, making it good for both warm and cool stain colors.
Quarter-Sawn White Oak
Durable and Versatile
Slightly Warmer
Quarter-Sawn White Oak is the second hardest wood option in this list with small stripes in the wood grain – a pattern developed by cutting the boards into quarters.
It is heavier than oak and a great wood for daily wear. While this wood is also neutral, some find it’s slightly warmer in tone than hickory, great for a variety of styles.
Red Oak
Medium Hardness
Warm
Red Oak falls in the middle of the hardness ratings and handles tough use well. As the name implies, it is slightly warmer in tone than QSWO and has a strong arch-shaped grain that is seen in many traditional styles.
This wood is often readily available, making it a common option for furniture.
Brown Maple
Soft and Light
Medium to Dark
Brown Maple is a classic wood in Amish furniture, and is classified as a softer hardwood.
This wood is lighter, making it desirable to bring out the pigment range of stains, but it can experience mineral streaking that can make the wood look gray. As such, it does better with medium and dark finishes
Cherry
Soft and Traditional
Red Undertone
Cherry is a very smooth grain with the same hardness as Brown Maple. This wood is noticeably red/pink when compared to other woods.
This elegant undertone is often seen in traditional furniture but has been making a comeback in some modern furniture.
Need Additional Help?
Don’t leave yourself guessing! we encourage you to visit us in-store with your color requests and questions.
our knowledgeable staff can then help you identify the wood and colors that will fit your needs. Your satisfaction is our highest priority through every step of your shopping experience.
If you’d like to see the experience of our past customers, please check out our Customer Stories.
Here’s a Google review from one customer who needed help choosing stain and wood options.
Products & Color Options Page
As you browse through the Amish furniture selection, check out the product details. In this dropdown, we include as much information as we’ve been given by builders to inform you about the features of the furniture you are viewing. Like the color used in the stock image of a product? Open the details tab to see the wood and stain used.
If you like the product but know you want it in another color or wood. click “More Options” to see if our database of stains and options. (As always, remember that your screen may not be 100% accurate in representing a color but this will be the closest online example.
Want to see furniture displayed in more than one stain color? Some of our builders have made their products customizable online, these are called Design Center products. They allow you to view the furniture in multiple colors and options so you don’t have to guess what the product would look like with your ideal stain.
