A client in Boise asked me why I always use maple for drawer boxes

She said she liked the look of birch better in her last kitchen. I've been doing maple for 15 years, just the standard way I learned. It made me stop and actually think about my default choices. Anyone else get stuck in a 'this is how we do it' rut with materials?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettywilson18d ago

Feel that in my bones. I used maple for everything until a client asked for clear pine on a painted piece, and it looked so much softer. Makes you wonder what other little habits we don't even see anymore, right?

morgan.mary18d ago

Totally get that. Maple's just the default in so many shops. My old boss would only use poplar for painted interiors, said anything else was a waste. But then you see a walnut drawer box and it's like, oh wow, that's a nice detail. Sometimes a client pointing out something simple like birch can shake up your whole routine. Makes you question all the other autopilot choices, like drawer slides or finish schedules.