Alderwood is one of the softest hardwoods, just above poplar and pine. With a bending strength (in PSI) of 9,800, Alder is flexible but not overly soft.
It has a very fine grain and a uniform texture which makes it an excellent choice for fine furniture, cabinetry, paneling or flooring. Alder is easy to clean with soap and water but can be difficult to refinish if the stain color doesn’t match your taste.
The good news is there are many options when it comes to alder stained projects. Here are some alder stain colors for your project.
Disclaimer For Color
Actual product color and details may vary depending on your computer preferences and monitor settings. We strongly suggest ordering a sample of the species and stain color to avoid any confusion.
Do you wish to work with Pine too? Here’s also the pine wood stain color chart to help you choose the perfect shade for your pine projects.
Alder wood stain chart
Recommend Reading: The Best Stain Applicator
FRUITWOOD ON ALDER
Fruitwood on alder is a gorgeous color that looks great on fine furniture, cabinetry and paneling. It offers a rich golden tone with dark brown undertones.
CHERRY MAHOGANY ON ALDER
Cherry mahogany on alder is a deep reddish-brown stain with medium red tones. This popular color can be seen in many homes throughout the United States.
Rustic Cherry
Rustic Cherry is a pinkish brown stain with slim variation in color due to the differences in wood grain and patterning from board to board. Rustic Cherry is popular for furniture restoration projects because of how well it works on pieces that have been previously refinished or damaged.
TRADITIONAL CHERRY ON ALDER
Traditional cherry on alder produces a deep reddish-brown color with light red tones and dark brown undertones. The traditional look of this stain is perfect for kitchens, bathrooms or furniture pieces that need to match existing decor.
SUNSET ON ALDER
Sunset on alder is a beautiful color that gives off an orange-brown tone. It’s the perfect addition to projects such as paneling, flooring and furniture pieces.
SPICED WALNUT ON ALDER
Spiced walnut on alder offers strong brown tones with black undertones for a deep, rich stain. This popular color is perfect for kitchen cabinets, furniture and flooring.
NEW ENGLAND WALNUT ON ALDER
New England walnut on alder offers strong brown tones with reddish undertones that give off an orange-brown hue. This popular stain enhances the natural beauty of Alder wood while still providing excellent durability to your project.
GOLDEN OAK SPRAY ON ALDER
Golden oak spray on alder offers rich brown tones and black undertones for a deep, golden tone. This popular color works great in bathrooms or any other space needing to match existing decor.
SPECIAL WALNUT WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE ON ALDER
Special walnut with chocolate glaze on alder is a color that looks like milk chocolate. It offers a medium brown tone with black undertones and gives off the perfect, elegant look for furniture pieces such as dining tables or desks.
DARK WALNUT ON ALDER
Dark walnut on alder is the perfect color for any project needing to match existing decor. It offers rich brown tones with black undertones and enhances the natural beauty of Alder wood.
HERITAGE CHERRY SPRAY ON ALDER
Heritage cherry spray on alder is perfect for furniture, cabinetry and paneling. It offers deep brown tones with red undertones that enhance the natural beauty of Alder wood while still providing an elegant look to your project.
IVORY MIST WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE ON ALDER
It’s a warm, brown hue with black undertones. This popular stain is perfect for bathrooms or any other space needing to match existing decor while still providing excellent durability and enhancement of natural beauty in Alder wood.
NATURAL ALDER WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Natural alder with chocolate glaze gives off a warm, brown hue with dark undertones. It enhances the natural beauty of Alder wood and provides an elegant look to any project.
LYNFORD ON ALDER
Lynford on alder is perfect for projects such as paneling or flooring that need durability and enhanced beauty in Alder wood. The color is a deep brown tone with black undertones.
HARVEST END ON ALDER
Harvest End on alder is perfect for fine furniture, cabinetry or paneling that needs to match existing decor while still providing the durability of Alder wood and an elegant look for your project. The color is warm-toned brown hue with dark undertones.
FIRESIDE ON ALDER
This is color is a medium dark brown with an orange tint.
CIDER SPRAY ON ALDER
The cider spay on alder is a popular choice because of its natural color and interesting grain pattern. This stain looks great with the knotty appearance on Alder, which is one reason it often gets chosen for use in rustic homes.
Alder Black Mahogany
Alder Black Mahogany is a great choice for anyone who likes to keep things simple. This stain has no glaze, which results in a natural look that you will love!
HUBBS GREEN WITH WHITE GLAZE ON ALDER
This color is a deep green hue with a bit of gray. The white glaze gives it an almost snowy appearance, which is especially nice during the winter months!
AUTUMN WHEAT ON ALDER
This color is a beautiful golden brown that works well in a variety of regions. The Autumn Wheat is not too dark, but also isn’t so light it would be considered yellow. This Knotty Alder stain complements the natural wood color nicely!
SPANISH OAK ON ALDER
Spanish Oak on Alder is a deep tan stain that looks great with the knots in Alder. This stain is similar to Autumn Wheat but just slightly darker, which makes it a nice choice for anyone who prefers something that isn’t quite so golden!
PECAN ON ALDER
If you like the look of a stain that is similar to Autumn Wheat but slightly darker, Pecan on Alder could be for you! This color works well in most regions and has a deeper golden brown hue. It looks great with knotty Alder and compliments it perfectly!
PROVINCIAL ON ALDER
Offering a deep brown color, Provincial on Alder is similar to the Pecan and Spanish Oak stains. This stain has slightly more red undertones than other options like Autumn Wheat or Pecan, which makes it unique! The dark reddish hue works well in most regions but does best outside of coastal areas where humidity can cause issues with the color.
EBONY ON ALDER
Offering a dark espresso brown, Ebony on Alder is perfect for those who want more of an aged and weathered look to their cabinets. This color works well in most regions but isn’t ideal if you’re looking for something that will go with knotty Alder boards or other types of knots.
EARLY AMERICAN WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE ON ALDER
Offering a light brown color, Early American with Chocolate Glaze on Alder works best in areas where humidity isn’t typically an issue. The lighter wood tones of the Alder work well with this stain and complement it nicely!
BLEACHED MAHOGANY ON ALDER
Having more red undertones than other stains like Ebony , Bleached Mahogany on Alder is an attractive color that offers a rustic look. This color is an easy way to give your Alder furniture piece an antique look without all the work! It also looks great with black hardware or decorative pulls. This finish pairs well with our EBONY ON ALDER
IVORY MIST SPRAY ON ALDER
This color is a medium toned, light brown. It has a matte finish with no glaze applied to it which gives you the option of applying your own color or clear coat for different looks. If you want an even more custom look, consider using two colors together in this stain!
OLIVE GROVE
This color is a medium toned, dark green. It has an oil base and must be sprayed to achieve the desired look . You can use it on any species of wood as well as for coloring metal like iron or steel furniture!
BEECH Green WIPED
This color is a light green that starts out with yellow undertones and then turns to an olive-green.
BEECH Yellow With Chocolate Glaze
This color is a yellowish-brown that starts out with a green undertone and then turns to a dark brown.
BEECH WALNUT Green With Chocolate Glaze
This color is an olive-green which starts out with red undertones and then changes to a darker shade of green.
HUBBS YELLOW WITH CHOC. GLAZE
This color has a yellow tone to it. It also has some hints of brown, which give the color warmth and depth. This is one of our most popular colors due to its unique coloring.
OLIVE GROVE WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZ
Our olive glaze brings out the green undertones of this stain’s base color by emphasizing the red tones. It is a great color for painting over knotty pine or rough wood, because the glaze will help smooth out some of those imperfections in your furniture’s finish.
NUTMEG WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE
This is one of our most popular colors due to its unique coloring. Nutmeg has a brownish hue that is well-balanced between warm and cool.
NUTMEG
Nutmeg offers a more traditional color palette. It can also be painted on Knotty Alder, which is lighter in weight than Yellow Birch and Red Alder.
Some of the most popular colors are Nutmeg with Chocolate Glaze or Black Coffee with Black Glaze . Both have an earthy tone that goes well with many styles of furniture.
BLACK COFFEE WITH BLACK GLAZE
This color is a deep dark brown that provides a rich contrast to lighter woods. It can be applied over light or medium toned stains and is perfect for knotty alder wood because it accentuates the natural grain.
CINNAMON WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Cinnamon with Chocolate Glaze adds spice to your home! This color looks like a warm, brown spice cake glazed with rich chocolate. This color is especially nice in knotty alder wood because it brings out the grain of this textured species.
CINNAMON ON KNOTTY ALDER
Cinnamon on Knotty Alder is a rich, golden brown color. It has the warmth of knotty alder wood and adds spice to any room!
ESPRESSO
Espresso is a deep brown color that looks wonderful on knotty alder. It makes this textured wood pop and adds depth to the room!
NATURAL KNOTTY ALDER
This color is a beautiful medium brown with natural variations. It is a great neutral color that compliments the warmth of knotty alder wood!
AUTUMN OAK WITH BLACK GLAZE ON KNOTTY ALDER
This stain color is a warm brown with black glaze on knotty alder wood. It has the same effect as cinnamon but without the spice!
CINNAMON WITH BLACK GLAZE ON KNOTTY ALDER
It is a rich brown color with black glaze on knotty alder. It has the warmth of cinnamon and adds depth to any space!
COCOA WITH BLACK GLAZE ON KNOTTY ALDER
The color “Cocoa” is a rich, dark brown with black undertones.
ESPRESSO WITH BLACK GLAZE ON KNOTTY ALDER
The color “Espresso” is a deep, dark brown with black undertones. It look like a strong cup of coffee.
NATURAL WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE ON KNOTTY ALDER
The color “Natural with Chocolate Glaze” is a warm, medium brown so it has golden undertones and looks natural. It also goes well in a country or farmhouse kitchen.
This can doesn’t have a glaze.
NUTMEG WITH BLACK GLAZE ON KNOTTY ALDER
The color “Nutmeg with Black Glaze” is an earthy, warm brown that has black undertones and plays well in modern farmhouse kitchens. It also works really well for dark stained cabinets or exposed beams and wood panel ing.
The color “Nutmeg” is an earthy, warm brown that has black undertones and looks great in modern farmhouse kitchens. It also works well with dark stained cabinets or exposed beams and wood paneling.
WILD CHERRY
The color “Wild Cherry” is a vibrant red-brown that looks great with white or dark stained cabinets. It also works really well in traditional kitchens that have stainless steel appliances and wood countertops.
The color “Wild Cherry” is a vibrant red-brown that look good with white or dark stained cabinets. It’s ideal for traditional kitchen settings where you might find stainless steel appliances and wood counter tops.
Related Post: How To Neutralize Red Tones In Wood
Weathered Gray with Black Glaze
The color “Weathered Gray” is a light, cool gray that brings to mind weathered wood and often plays well in modern spaces where you might find stainless steel appliances and white countertops. It also works really
What is a good stain for Alder?
Dark walnut tone Water-base dyes are the best for alder wood. They add dark rich lustrous colors easily without leaving any blotch marks.
What is the natural color of alder wood?
Alder wood is a light to medium brown color.
Is Alder a good wood to stain?
Yes, Alder is a good wood to stain. Alder wood is a lighter color and takes a higher sheen. It usually has a dark brown/sepia tone with beautiful grain going in multiple colors.
Recommended Reading: Best Stain for Poplar Wood
Thank you for providing the stain chart! What brand stain are these colors? I can’t seem to find them….
Thanks!
Varathane stains
What brand of stain are you using on the alder? I like the nutmeg with chocolate glaze and the natural with chocolate glaze.
I like Varathane and I buy it at Home Depot
I have some unfinished alder cabinetry that I’m trying to stain a light brown hinting toward grayish color. The problem I’m having is I can get the color to look right when I apply the stain, but when I put the clear coat on it brings out the red. I’m trying to figure out how to get rid of the red.
Thanks!
Are you using an oil-based clear coat? If so it probably has an amber hue. Try a water-based clear coat.