I frowned. The maple dining set in front of me cost $700 more than its cherry counterpart. The handsome table had grabbed my attention the second I walked into Brightly’s Furniture Store. Smitten by the strong lines and no-frills style, I knew the search for the family’s dining table was over. Now, looking at the price tag, I wasn’t sure.

I was still standing there, like a wishful boy at the candy store, when Ed Brightley walked in. Returning his greeting, I noticed Ed’s blue eyes sparkled just as cheerfully as they had years ago when he coached the neighborhood baseball team. If there was anything that Ed was more passionate about than baseball, it was furniture. Knowing I was in good hands, I got down to business.

“Can you give me the price points on a table like this?”

He quickly gave me prices in various wood species and finishes.

“We were thinking we would go with maple,” I said, hesitating, “But it’s a lot more expensive than the other species.”

“That’s right,” he said, “maple lumber prices have increased 120% in the last two years. Any maple furniture that is less expensive than cherry right now is below market value and new maple furniture coming in will be much more expensive. Increase in home improvements and trade sanctions against Russian birch imports are causing record-breaking demand. Maple production is severely limited by labor and machine shortages. Foresters can’t just go out and cut down a bunch of maple trees efficiently, since only 20% of the trees in a healthy forest are maples. Maple trees are harvested at the same time as oak, poplar, and cherry trees. Demand, and subsequently prices, are expected to keep rising with no end in sight.

Maple has clear advantages despite the rising costs. It’s still the best option if you’re looking for a smooth look with a gray stain. Maple compliments the gray tones, unlike cherry, which tends to adopt a pink hue with time. In 2015, when gray stains came into favor, maple sales increased dramatically.

Feeling enlightened, I still wasn’t sure “Is there an alternative to maple?”

Ed was just warming up. As he launched into his explanation my hand wandered across the driftwood gray table top. “Probably the most common alternative is cherry. That’s ironic, since maple used to be the poor man’s cherry. Cherry was always favored for reddish brown stains, giving that rich look that maple can’t imitate.

Now, with cherry prices not rising much since the ‘08 Recession and maple prices soaring, we will be seeing more painted cherry. Solid paint may cause problems on cherry, especially white or off-white colors. The pitch pockets in the wood tend to show through the paint. Woodworkers are using wood filler to combat this problem but only time will tell with what success.

Distressed paint finishes work great on cherry. The rubbed-thru edges finish a few shades darker than maple.

Poplar and wormy maple have been trending in the fine furniture trade. Both species could be used as a maple alternative but only by lowering the current durability standards. The demand for white wood will drive these prices up as well.

I foresee strong demand for maple despite the rising prices. Once considered the economical choice, maple has turned into a luxury species. A hardwood coveted for its beautiful adaption to paint and gray stains, as well as it’s timeless qualities of smooth surfaces and strength so favored by Pennsylvania’s best craftsmen.”

That night I sat at the new table. Again, the feeling of awe when I drew my hand across the driftwood gray top. Pulsing upward through my fingers, the life story of an elegant maple tree, sustainably harvested, and crafted into a family heirloom. A modest monument to the beautiful hills and towering hardwoods of the Pennsylvania forests.

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