Not every project calls for the finest grade of important blood wood or figured black walnut. We recently posted an image of a table we made for a client that was solid hardwoods start to finish. There was a lot of feedback asking about cheaper or lighter solutions and those were all great questions. We often do use lighter wood such as pine (pictured). Pine can make a beautiful finished product. This piece was coated in a custom mix of Mimwax stain. We finished it with four hand rubbed applications of a wipe on poly. The deep colors and rich grain variation look spectacular under the satin topcoat and will remain vivid for decades.

The downside to pine is that it is more susceptible to damage than harder species that can take more abuse without showing the wear. Whether or not that trade off is acceptable is something everyone has to decide for themselves. You can choose what is right for each individual project and how you plan on using it. The piece in the picture here is going on the top of two nightstands in our own home so it certainly has a place for everyone!