materials
Customize your choice of Material
Our products are crafted from a variety of wood species and finishes making them the perfect starting point for what you want. (unlike most generic store available mass-produced one size fits all pieces of veneered MDF or particle board offered by our competitors.
You have full control over the materials used for your furnishing. Our sole contribution to the design is the cabinet-grade plywood veneers in 3/4″ thickness which deliver structural strength.
We offer the following options for you to choose from. Each of these types of plywood delivers a unique look and feel to help you design the perfect custom shelf for your living or workspace.
Explore Your Options for Shelf Materials
At New Edge Furniture, you have full control over the materials used for your shelves. Our sole contribution to the design is the cabinet-grade plywood veneers in 3/4″ thickness which deliver structural strength to your shelves.
We offer the following options for you to choose from. Each of these types of plywood delivers a unique look and feel to help you design the perfect custom shelf for your living or workspace.
Basic Ply
Pine is one of the most affordable types of wood used for custom shelves. While soft and light in weight, this type of wood offers considerable stiffness and resistance to shock. As it also resists shrinking and swelling, you can rest assured your pine shelves will retain their shape.
Appearance
Pine is easily identifiable by its unique color and brown knots. The sapwood is usually yellowish-white to reddish-white. Meanwhile, heartwood is reddish-yellow, and can be as dark as reddish-brown in color. Depending on the direction of cut, the wood will flaunt either a striped or wavy grain pattern.
While the wood’s natural color can be accentuated by a clear coat, you can easily change its color. Pine is easy to stain and paint. Therefore, you can enjoy the flexibility of choosing from various finishes.
Additional Benefits
Pine delivers a distinctive look due to the wood’s light color and dark knots. It’s suitable for most styles despite being used mainly for rustic styles. Pine is also eco-friendly as it’s one of the most sustainable types of wood available.
Standard Ply
Oak is another popular option for custom shelves. This hardwood is very resilient and less likely to show signs of wear or damage. Oak also resists warping over time. As a result, this wood has the potential to last for decades.
Appearance
Oak is one of the versatile types of wood we work with. Its color depends mainly on the variety of the wood. The color of red oak ranges from light brown to pinkish red. Meanwhile, white oak has prominent yellow rays and flecks. However, even the same oak tree can produce different colors throughout.
Oak’s grain is also unique. Both red and white oak are straight grained with an uneven texture. However, the pores of white oak are water-resistant because they’re sealed off by tyloses. Red oak, on the other hand, has open pores.
Another feature you will notice about oak is the rays alongside the grain. White oak has long, showy rays which tend to blend together. As for red oak, rays appear like short tick marks which are 1/2″ long at most.
Because of these characteristics, oak is beautiful in its natural state. That said, its light coloring makes it ideal for staining. The wood is porous, allowing it to absorb stains easily.
Additional Benefits
Oak fits perfectly with a wide variety of interior styles – from traditional to modern. It can even flaunt a vibrant hue which lights up any room. Oak is also a good choice in terms of eco-friendliness. In addition to being biodegradable, it’s durable enough to stay out of landfills.
Maple is one of the stronger, more durable hardwoods. It can last longer than most types of wood, adding beauty to your home or work space for 50 to 100 years. The real beauty of maple, however, lies in its affordability and ability to take dark stains well.
Appearance
Maple flaunts a white hue with reddish-brown flecks and mineral streaks. Stains can accentuate the streaks further as they appear darker on the wood. While the sapwood is commonly used, you can also opt for the reddish-brown heartwood. The type of maple tree used also determines the pattern on the wood. For instance, sugar maple free has mottled patterns known as curly maple or birdseye maple.
Maple wood has a fine texture with straight grain. The wood lacks visible pores, further adding to its durability. As a result, woodworkers and furniture experts tend to choose maple for creating custom furnishing.
As for stains and paints, these work beautifully with maple. In fact, the wood can be stained to look like more expensive types of wood such as mahogany and walnut. However, you can always enjoy the beauty of maple in its natural state. The grain, flecks, and mineral deposits will add character to your shelves.
Additional Benefits
While durability and affordability are the main advantages of maple, this type of wood is popular for its eco-friendliness. Maple trees grow in abundance and are domestically sourced from sustainable sources. With less carbon emissions from domestic transportation, you will effectively contribute to saving the environment.
Birch is similar to maple in terms of properties, but costs less in comparison. This medium hardwood is stiff and heavy, which means your shelves will be quite sturdy and dependable for years to come. Adding to the wood’s appeal is its resilience to everyday wear, scrapes, and damage.
Appearance
Birch is famous for its light-colored sapwood. Its color can range from creamy-white to golden tan, and occasionally flaunts a pink hue. The wood, however, may develop a yellowish-red tint over the years.While the sapwood is the most prized part of the tree, the deeper-toned reddish-brown heartwood is as beautiful and in demand.
Adding to the beauty of birch ply is its grain pattern. While typically straight grained, the wood can have a wavy or curly grain. This, along with a fine and even texture, adds to the beauty and character of your shelves.
Due to the uniform appearance of birch wood, you can easily have it stained or painted. Our experts have the expertise to prevent blotchy and irregular results. The most popular choice is darker stains to make birch resemble cherry, walnut, or mahogany. Alternatively, the ply can be finished naturally.
Additional Benefits
Birch is strong, durable, and can last a lifetime from the right vendor. It’s also considered eco-friendly as its trees grow in abundance in most parts of the country. Therefore, you can opt for this wood without worrying about your carbon footprint.
Premium Ply
Walnut is a wonderfully durable, stiff, and strong option. While softer than some types of hardwood, its softness contributes to its resilience to shocks. With a dark rich color to add, walnut offers value for money when used for custom shelves.
Appearance
Depending on its source, walnut ply can range from pale yellow to deep brown. The heartwood offers the darkest color with light brow, purple, gray, or reddish flecks. On the other hand, the sapwood is pale blonde to yellow gray. With the passage of time, natural walnut will lighten slightly to develop a gleaming patina.
Traditionally, walnut is straight-grained. However, you may notice waves or curls which further add character to the wood. American walnut especially stands out due to its lively grain. Meanwhile, European varieties have a more uniform albeit darker color.
Walnut can be stained, but that is not recommended. Stains wash out the grain and water down the wood’s character. Therefore, a clear coat finish is more suitable. This is especially true considering the uniqueness of the color variants and depth visible in each piece of ply.
Additional Benefits
Walnut adds a touch of class to wooden furnishing. It’s versatile, allowing you to easily create different design styles which complement your space’s theme. Walnut is also eco-friendly as its harvest is tightly regulated to prevent tropical deforestation.
Mahogany is considered one of the most treasured hardwoods. It’s commonly used in fine furniture due to its beauty, durability, and color. While it’s costlier than most hardwood types, it’s popular due to its high resistance to decay and insects such as termites. Therefore, your shelves will last for a very long time.
Appearance
Mahogany offers a unique consistent color which varies from light pinkish brown to dark brown. The color grows darker with time, which is why polished mahogany shelves have a reddish sheen. That said, Mexico and Central America offer white mahogany, which has a light golden yellow color.
Traditionally, mahogany features a straight, fine, and even grain. Unlike other types of wood, the grain character is not the result of the way the wood is sawed. Mahogany has two grades: plain and figured.
Figured is identifiable by the interlocking and interlacing of wood fibers. On the other hand, plain grain has no surface markings besides those produced during tree growth.
Mahogany is open-grained, which means it’s easy to stain and color once the grain is sealed. However, transparent stains are highly recommended to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the wood grain.
Additional Benefits
Mahogany is cost-effective since it resists wear, tear, and damage. Therefore, it has a lower risk of filling up landfills. As the wood itself is biodegradable, it’s a good choice for the eco-conscious.
Bamboo is an ideal alternative to natural hardwood. It’s an increasingly popular choice because it’s safe, durable, and sustainable. It’s also resilient to atmospheric changes, ensuring your shelves withstand the change from humid to dry weather.
Appearance
Bamboo’s colors range from natural pale yellow to carbonized honey brown. You can also get ‘tiger’ patterned ply, which is a combination of natural and carbonized bamboo. Some ply may have black or brown streaks or patches, which is the result of fungal decay in live bamboo.
As bamboo is grass, you will never see any growth rings, sapwood or heartwood. Bamboo’s beautiful texture is singular, ranging from medium to fine depending on the ply’s density. You may, however, notice intermittent variations in the fiber based on how it was split and processed.
Bamboo stains and dyes exceptionally well. Therefore, you can choose a color to complement your overall décor. That said, the natural colors of bamboo ply are equally as beautiful and can enhance the look of your walls.
Additional Benefits
Bamboo is attractive, durable, and resistant to warping. Therefore, you will be getting your money’s worth over the years. Bamboo is also more sustainable than hardwood as planting and harvesting do not impact the soil. Moreover, this type of ply produces low formaldehyde emissions, making it healthy for the environment.
