Replies

1. 
   beasleysevin | Mar 09, 2021 07:32pm | #1

   It's obviously a personal decor choice for you, but I love the look of Walnut and Cherry together. Purpleheart would also look really cool.

2. 
   mikaol | Mar 09, 2021 07:37pm | #2

   Personally, Chechen or some highly figured hardwood.

3. 
   DRBWWing | Mar 09, 2021 08:30pm | #3

   You can go dark or light ebony on one end, holly the other.

   Or any wood like mahogany can be dyed darker.

   Matter of taste.

4. 
   bilyo | Mar 09, 2021 09:14pm | #4

   Issue #211 of FWW had an article on contrasting wood color and grain.

1. 
   elmaduro | Mar 10, 2021 12:10am | #5

   Yes .. good article & reference.

5. 
   john_c2 | Mar 10, 2021 08:13am | #6

   I'm not wild about mixing cherry with other woods, personally. I like walnut with a bunch of things.

   For a good contrasting look, try cherry with sapwood. The heartwood will continue to darken over time, and the sapwood won't. Some like the look, some don't.

6. 
   stantheman | Mar 10, 2021 09:03am | #7

   maple?

7. 
   chuckvandyck | Mar 10, 2021 09:19am | #8

   Not sure this will be your thing, but I am currently working on a little side table and ruined a drawer front chopping pins. The idea was to retain continuity with the grain. Well, now that that's out the window, I'm going to get funky and paint the replacement drawer front made of poplar with blue milk paint and leave the other natural. The drawer front is < 3"x 2".

   Matt Kinney's website offers some pretty cool color inspiration.

8. 
   user-7627473 | Mar 10, 2021 10:48am | #9

   I think one of the first questions one has to ask is why? Does something about the "design of the piece" lend it self to using another perhaps darker species...something that may cause stark value differences. "Value" meaning qualities of light and dark. Stark value shifts can cause the eye to "move around" on a piece of furniture...meaning the focus of viewer shifts. Is this an advantage or disadvantage? Sometimes use of starkly differing species can cause a piece to be shall we say "chattery". I would be very careful about it and if you can, sketch out some versions with colored pencils e.g. or something like Sketchup if you use it. This will most likely help you in the process and since you are probably going to spending a fair amount of time constructing it - it would be better in the long run to have it "sorted out on front end" as this is going to your daughter (as a gift?).

9. 
   IrishBill_NY | Mar 10, 2021 01:47pm | #10

   Thanks for all the excellent suggestions. Going to Woodcraft to get some small sample pieces to try out....

10. 
    mschlack | Mar 10, 2021 05:46pm | #11

    I've made some panels with the frame pieces in cherry and the floating panel in maple. I like that look for a door on a cabinet with cherry sides and top.

11. 
    bilyo | Mar 10, 2021 06:40pm | #12

    Sample of cherry and cherry sap wood: