Species Guide

White Oak

Countertops, tabletops & shelving — cut to your size

Dense and durable with a classic straight grain, from pale tan to warm honey.

1,360Janka hardness (lbf)8white oak productsfrom $30entry price100%solid wood
Solid white oak hardwood surface, milled in New York
Origin
Eastern North America
Color
Pale tan to warm honey
Grain
Straight, closed-pored, classic ray fleck
Best for
Kitchen counters, restaurant tops, floor-matched shelving
Hardness
1,360 lbf Janka
Price band
$$
Outdoors
Interior use
Finish
Food-safe zero-VOC hardwax oil
Where It Belongs

White oak is the workhorse of the shop: dense, closed-pored, and honest-looking in every room. It is the safest choice for a kitchen countertop that gets real use, a restaurant tabletop that gets abused, or shelving that has to match oak floors — which is most floors. If you are torn between species, white oak is almost never the wrong answer.

Natural vs. Stain

Natural, it lands between pale tan and warm honey. It also takes stain more evenly than nearly anything else we mill, so it is the base we recommend when you are matching an existing floor or cabinet tone — from whitewashed Scandinavian through espresso.

See every stain on real wood ›

Built in White Oak

Every white oak piece we build

Countertops

Kitchens, islands, bars, and vanities — milled to your template, sink and stove cutouts included.
Straight Edgefrom $180
Live Edgefrom $205

Tabletops

Dining, desk, and conference tops for your own base — sized to the quarter inch.
Straight Edgefrom $220
Live Edgefrom $250
Straight Edgefrom $220

Round Tabletops

True-circle tops cut on the CNC, from bistro to full dining rounds.
Straight Edgefrom $340

Shelfs

Floating shelves on the concealed 300 lb Hovr bracket, straight or live edge.
Straight Edgefrom $30
Live Edgefrom $35

Want to feel it first? Order a white oak sample › or compare all fifteen woods in the species guide ›

From the Journal

White Oak, in depth

Rift Sawn vs. Quarter Sawn White OakRead the guide ›European White Oak vs American White Oak: What’s the Difference?Read the guide ›Case Study: Custom White Oak Tabletops for Allswell Waterside, FloridaRead the guide ›Case Study: Custom Outdoor Dining Table with White Oak Base in SouthamptonRead the guide ›
Questions

White Oak FAQ

How hard is white oak?
White Oak measures 1,360 lbf on the Janka hardness scale — among the hardest boards we mill, more than durable enough for daily kitchen and commercial use.
Is your white oak solid wood or veneer?
Solid, always. Every white oak piece is milled from full-thickness hardwood boards in our New York shop — no veneer, no plywood core, no composites — which is why it can be sanded and refinished for decades.
Can I get white oak in a custom size?
Yes — length, width, and thickness to the quarter inch, priced instantly in the Builder. Current lead time is 10–12 weeks, and every piece ships crated, nationwide.
How do I care for a white oak surface?
Every piece ships finished in food-safe, zero-VOC hardwax oil: wipe with a damp cloth day to day, and re-oil high-use surfaces about once a year. Scratches sand out and re-oil invisibly — the advantage of solid wood.
Do you take on custom or one-off projects?
Yes. Beyond the online builder, we take on custom sizes, oversized pieces, matched commercial runs, and bespoke solid-hardwood millwork. Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll quote it by hand, usually within one business day. Start a custom project ›
Milled to Order in New York

White Oak, cut to your project.

Open the Builder in White Oak

Current lead time 10–12 weeks · ships crated, nationwide