Inspirational Black Walnut Wood Projects

Beautiful and with rich and varied grain patterns, black walnut wood is a favorite material for many woodworkers and craftsmen. You’ll find plenty of high-quality black walnut slab pieces at The Lumber Shack. We can help you select the ideal piece of lumber for your next project.  

Before beginning any walnut project, make sure you know how to properly finish the wood for the finished look you want. We can help answer your questions at The Lumber Shack. If you wish to properly draw out the wood grain of black walnut, you may wish to hand sand the wood.

Using a great deal of care and creativity, Luthur Utt, Apex, NC, created the attractive and rustic living room table pictured above. He was drawn to the walnut’s patterns of burl, feather and fiddleback. To finish the table, Utt said he went all the way to a 2000 grit sanding disk and then used several coats of neutral finish to enhance the beauty of the slab. You may also use a grain filler to lift up the pattern of the grain. In lieu of the main table, Utt said he could picture this piece as a foyer table or placed in front of a window to better show off its lustrous grain.

Angela Himmelberg of Omaha, Nebraska created this stunning black walnut Nakashima style bench using a black walnut she purchased at the Lumber Shack. George Nakashima is an American woodworker who believes that each tree has but one perfect use and its our creativity that brings wood alive. Himmelberg's bench is proof of this simplistic and direct approach to woodworking.

However, if you wish to create something a bit more practical, something a bit more utilitarian, consider using black walnut to create a beautiful bedside table. Take a look at this highly figured small dresser created by Peter Christianson of Castle Rock, Colorado. The grain and the finish is so fine, so precise, the pattern seems to swirl before your eyes and the wood appears to be in motion.

Finally, don’t be afraid to have a little fun with black walnut.

Though furniture pieces are certainly beautiful, consider crafting a beanbag game for your children, grandchildren or the neighbor kids....or in this case, Jon Richardson, Cedar Falls, Iowa made these attractive game pieces to give to his dad on Father's Day using black walnut and maple lumber from the Lumber Shack.

We value hard work and craftsmanship at The Lumber Shack. We’re always happy to see pictures of finished projects from our loyal customers. Please send us your photos so we can share them with others. Our Facebook fans LOVE to get inspired by all the projects people use our black walnut for!