American Craftsman

Sagehill Designs

www.sagehilldesigns.com

August 9, 2022

featured excess amounts of ornamentation. Arts and Crafts style furniture is most often characterized by clean lines, select materials, and sturdy construction. It focuses on the hand of the craftsperson and honest use of materials with its inherent beauty. With this level of attention to detail, only solid natural woods were used and quarter sawn white oak was, and still is, the dominant wood of choice. When compared to rift sawn, plain sawn, or live sawn wood, quarter sawn white oak is far superior due to: • A smoother surface featuring more consistent grain • No cathedral grain • Less expansion/contraction along the board’s width • Resistance to twisting, cupping, and warping • The wood more consistently ages over time

• Far fewer instances of surface checking • More resistant to moisture penetration What exactly IS quarter sawn wood?

From the tree and how it’s grown, to how it is processed, there are many important aspects that determine the end quality of hardwoods like white oak. The way the white oak

is cut a f ects how it is dried, how it will look after fnishing and how it will act in the bathroom once it is installed. These di f erences can make a huge di f erence in the satisfaction of the homeowner.

What is considered “Craftsman Style?”

Primarily, it is “function” over form.

When the log is cut to make quarter sawn boards, the annual growth rings are at 90 degrees to the surface. White Oak is especially popular quarter sawn because both the vibrant ray fecks along with the tight wavy grain pattern create a unique and elegant look. The fecks are caused by medullary rays, which are the life veins of the tree. Those medullary rays run perpendicular to the annual growth rings and parallel to the surface of the quarter sawn board. These rays are very

There are elements of intrinsic beauty in simplifcation. ~GUSTAV STICKLEY

Most commonly seen with evenly spaced vertical slats, straight backs, warm & refned wood construction, doweled joints, mortise and tenon construction, exposed tenons and dowels, and hammered metal pulls and latches. As you can see, New American Craftsman fts the bill!

pronounced in white oak and it creates a very desirable fgure and grain for which mills charge a signifcant premium … but the sheer beauty is worth it! When you’re ready to experience the traditional and functional beauty of the New American Craftsman from Sagehill Designs, we’re here to help!

Sagehill Designs

www.sagehilldesigns.com

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