Why You Should Try Hardwood for DIY — A Huge Upgrade in Look and Feel

When you build a desk or shelf for your DIY project, do you think about whether you’re using softwood or hardwood?

Most people just pick wood without thinking too hard about the type. I was the same — I just had a vague sense that “there are different kinds of wood, I guess.”

These days, I deliberately mix hardwoods into my DIY projects.
Hardwood grain and feel are simply gorgeous, and I’d really recommend trying a hardwood project at least once.

This article covers why hardwood is great for DIY, what it looks like in finished pieces, where to buy it, and how it differs from softwood.

Why Use Hardwood for DIY (with Examples)

■ The case for hardwood

The main reason is simply how good it looks and feels.
And on top of that, the satisfaction when a piece comes out is on a different level.

For analogy: it’s the difference between wearing an 800-yen watch and wearing a really nice one. (I don’t actually wear a watch, so I’m guessing 😅)

■ A piece I made in hardwood

Here’s an example of how hardwood looks when finished.
This is a shoe cabinet I made from tamo (Japanese ash) glue-laminated panel.

Tamo is a hardwood widely used in furniture in Japan.
Solid (single-piece) tamo boards are pricey, but glue-laminated panels (multiple pieces edge-glued together) are much more affordable.

I left this piece unstained — finish is just a clear matte varnish.
That calm, refined feel is exactly the kind of thing hardwood gives you.

I use a lot of pine (a softwood). If pine has a “bright and energetic” personality, tamo has a “natural and calm” one.

I also have an article on a bedside table I made from birch (another hardwood) — that one is currently Japanese-only.

What Is Hardwood, Exactly?

Trees broadly fall into two groups: softwoods and hardwoods.

The Japanese terms are 針葉樹 (literally “needle-leaf tree” = softwood) and 広葉樹 (literally “broad-leaf tree” = hardwood).
As the name suggests, hardwoods are generally — but not always — denser and heavier.

Quick comparison

Softwoods: common in cold or high-elevation regions, narrow needle-shaped leaves, fast-growing
Hardwoods: common in warmer regions, broad leaves, slower-growing

Softwood (needle-leaf)

Leaves: narrow, needle-shaped
Tree shape: usually conical, growing tall and straight
Climate: cold or high-elevation regions
Growth: generally fast-growing

Common species
Pine
Cedar (Japanese sugi)
Cypress (Japanese hinoki)
Fir

Pine, cedar, and cypress (softwoods) are stocked at home improvement stores and easy to use for DIY.
Living up to the name, they’re soft and easy to work.
They’re also affordable, making them ideal DIY material.

Hardwood (broad-leaf)

Leaves: broad-shaped
Tree shape: often irregular
Climate: warmer regions
Growth: slower-growing than softwoods

Common species
Maple
Oak
Tamo (Japanese ash)
Camphor

These are the woods you’ll find in high-end furniture.
True to the name, hardwoods are denser and heavier, and they take a bit more effort to work with for DIY.
Hardwoods have stunning grain, but they cost more than softwoods.
Because the grain is so pretty, I usually skip stain on hardwoods and finish with a clear oil or clear varnish.

Where Do You Buy Hardwood?

Pine, cedar, and cypress (softwoods) are stocked at almost every home improvement store and very easy to find.
Hardwoods, on the other hand, often aren’t carried by smaller home improvement stores.

To buy hardwood, your options are:
・Larger home improvement stores
・Online retailers

For online ordering in Japan, my go-to is Marutoku Shop.

My Pitch: Use Hardwood for the Statement Pieces

I’ve made the case for hardwood, but yeah — it’s pricier than softwood, so it can be intimidating to commit to.
Solid hardwood boards in particular get expensive fast, so my suggestion:

Use hardwood glue-laminated panels for the projects that really matter

That keeps cost in check while still giving you that hardwood feel.
You can also use hardwood for just one part of a project — for example, the desktop while keeping the legs in softwood.

Once you’ve used hardwood and seen the grain and feel up close, you’ll want to use it again. It just doesn’t get old. (Maybe that’s just me being sentimental?)

Definitely worth trying at least once.