When you're investing in high-quality solid wood furniture, you've likely come across the terms heartwood and sapwood. These terms aren’t just industry jargon— they play a big role in a piece’s appearance, strength, and longevity.
At Vermont Woods Studios, we’re passionate about educating our customers about the craftsmanship behind each of our pieces. So, let’s dive into the differences between heartwood and sapwood— and the part each plays in the natural beauty of wood furniture.
What Is Heartwood?
Heartwood is the dense, inner part of a tree trunk. As a tree grows, the older central layers of xylem cells, or the tissue that transports water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the tree, die and become heartwood. While no longer actively transporting nutrients, this inner core becomes a structural backbone— naturally strong and often darker in color due to the accumulation of organic compounds.
Key Traits of Heartwood:
- Richer color tones— ranging from deep browns to reds
- More resistant to decay and insects
- Denser and more stable
- Preferred for fine furniture due to its durability and depth of color
What Is Sapwood?
Sapwood is the younger, outermost portion of the wood that still carries water and nutrients throughout the tree. It’s typically lighter in color and less dense than heartwood. Though it plays an essential role in a living tree, sapwood is more vulnerable to environmental changes once harvested.
Key Traits of Sapwood:
- Lighter, creamier color
- Slightly softer and more porous
- More prone to staining or insect damage (though kiln-drying can reduce this risk)
- Can be used for visible contrast or budget-conscious builds
Visual Differences: Color and Grain
The most immediate difference between heartwood and sapwood is color. For instance, in a species like walnut, the contrast between the rich chocolate-brown heartwood and pale sapwood can be striking. In others, like maple or cherry, the color difference may be more subtle but still noticeable over time as the wood ages.
Sustainable Use of Heartwood and Sapwood
At Vermont Woods Studios, our craftsmen are intentional about their use of heartwood and sapwood. While we can't promise that every piece of wood we use is going to look the same, we can say that we spend time grain-matching boards in an effort to ensure that our pieces look great and are durable enough to last a lifetime.
When (and if) sapwood is used, it’s typically on parts of the piece that aren’t visible to the eye, like the backs of drawers or undersides of tabletops, for example. The exception to this would be any maple furniture, where it's actually the sapwood of the tree that is most prized for use. And in that case, it's the heartwood of the maple boards that gets used in less visible places.
Using both heartwood and sapwood allows us to minimize waste and respect the full value of each tree. Sustainability is central to our mission at Vermont Woods Studios, and selecting boards that highlight the best part of each tree helps us deliver beauty, strength, and responsible sourcing in every piece.
Whether you're furnishing a dining room, bedroom, or home office, our solid wood furniture is handcrafted in Vermont using sustainably sourced North American hardwoods.
