How popular is birch right now for kitchen cabinets?

[bay area dave]

Is it currently trendy? Just saw my neighbor's new birch kitchen cabinets. They look so nice I'm tempted to put birch on my short list for my own up coming kitchen remodel.

dave

[Leon]

The only kitchen cabinet that I recall seeing made from Birch were intended to be painted. Personally I would go Maple over Birch. Perhaps in your neck of the woods you can get decent looking Birch. All the Birch that I have seen has a pretty wild and inconsistent color and grain.

[George]

I like light, and a lot of ply is white birch. But since when does anyone but SWMBO decide such things?

[js]

I just had birch floors laid in the house, and everyone that has seen them so far has commented on how the grain, and colour changes are refreshing.

I say if you like the birch cabinets, go with birch cabinets.

[bay area dave]

Leon, it was inconsistent enough that I thought it was hickory! :)

dave

Le> The only kitchen cabinet that I recall seeing made from Birch were intended

[Swingman]

LOL ... I am GC on another home at the moment, and even on that one, in which she will never live or likely visit after it's finished, SWMBO jumped up last night while I was going over the preliminary plans and started making decisions on the color, height, and type of kitchen cabinets _she_ wants.

They just can't help it.

[Leon]

Hickory is good. '~) I don't know how popular it is but if that is what you like, go for it.

[bay area dave]

I find that it is TOO "busy" looking. I like the grain, but individual pieces vary so much it isn't quite my cup of tea. The birch kitchen, while having quite a bit of variety, didn't vary as much as any hickory sample cabinets I've seen so far. The light-to-dark variations were more subdued. Maybe that was due to the builder matching pieces. I haven't seen enough to know what the typical "look" is with birch.

dave

Le> Hickory is good. '~) I don't know how popular it is but if that is what

[Mark L.]

Dave, It really is just a matter of preference, like many other choices. Personally, I like hickory. I installed some kitchen cabs made from hickory, although looking at a small sample the wood looked like hell. But when the whole job was finished, it looked good. IMHO ;_) I'm thinking about hickory for some flooring now......

Too bad I can't afford teak. Ever since I spent some time in Asia, teak is my 'current' favorite wood.

But back to the cabs, the birch I've seen around here (midwest) is very similar to hickory. Just not as strong of a contrast from light to dark. Have you seen any complete kitchens with birch cabs? Maybe you should look around to judge for yourself? Mark L.

bay area dave wrote:

[Eric Ryder]

"red" birch is pretty hot up in the NE right now. Not the most stable thing on the planet tho..