The Workbench: Understanding Our Woods

At The Designcraft Studio, we don’t use stains, dyes, or heavy lacquers to hide the soul of the wood. We believe that the natural grain of a high-quality hardwood is a masterpiece all on its own. Every box we build in our family workshop is shipped in its natural, unfinished state—just like the heirloom furniture made by master craftsmen generations ago.

Choose Your Character

While every box is built with the same "father and sons" attention to detail, the wood you choose defines the personality of your piece.

Classic Red Oak

  • The Personality: Strong, dependable, and traditional.
  • The Look: Features a bold, open grain that you can feel. It is the quintessential "heirloom" wood.
  • Color: Arrives in a light, golden-tan. It stays very true to this color over the years, only mellowing slightly into a warmer gold.

Naturally Light Maple

  • The Personality: Clean, modern, and incredibly tough.
  • The Look: One of the hardest woods we offer, with a very tight, fine grain that feels smooth-as-silk.
  • Color: Our lightest option. It has a creamy, bright appearance that makes it perfect for a well-lit office or a clean, modern collection space.
Extra large unfinished hardwood box with hinged lid – Cherry

Natural Rich Cherry

  • The Personality: Elegant, satiny, and full of surprises.
  • The Look: Famous for its smooth texture and delicate, flowing grain patterns.
  • The "Real Story" on Color: Cherry is often misunderstood. Most "Cherry" furniture in big-box stores is actually cheaper wood stained a dark, artificial maroon. Our natural Cherry will never be that dark red color. It arrives as a beautiful, light pinkish-tan.

Common Questions from the Shop

"Do I really not need a finish?"
You sure don't. Antique furniture makers didn't have the modern chemicals we have today, yet their work has lasted for centuries. Our boxes are built from solid hardwood meant to stand the test of time all on its own. Most of our customers never add a thing.

"What if I want to add my own touch?"
If you enjoy a little afternoon project, you can easily apply a natural furniture wax or a simple wipe-on oil like linseed or tung oil. Because we've already done the heavy lifting with the sanding, the wood is a "blank canvas" ready for your personal touch.

Have you decided on your wood type?

Did you find the perfect wood for your project?

Let's head over to our shop collections and explore some of our boxes. If nothing quite piques your interest, please reach out! I love creating custom engraving designs and can build almost any of our boxes to the exact size you need. While we specialize in small-to-medium boxes, we can customize anything up to the size of our Extra Large box.

Whenever you're ready... let’s go!

Let's Go Shopping