American Walnut

Q: I have fallen in love with American Walnut flooring. THE WAY IT LOOKS WHEN IT IS NEW! The beautiful grain patterns and cool, deep taupey-brown tones of the wood are very appealing to me. I was under the false impression that it darkened with age and was seriously disappointed to discover that it gets lighter and yellows with age! Any suggestions? Could an unfinished walnut be LIGHTLY stained to protect that lovely color and prevent this color change? Please advise!
Thanks much!
Signe
A: Many of the species of wood shift in color over time. In the case of walnut, the shift from its chocolate brown tones to a more golden hue can be a bit of a downside to those who are fans of the darker color. This being said you could apply a light stain to the walnut to help maintain this color. I would suggest avoiding oil-based stains and finishes as these tend to naturally add a slight amber hue to wood, which would defeat your goals here.
A light stain in a similar brown color would help to maintain the natural tone of the walnut. Keep in mind that if you favor the white colored sap wood in walnuts along side the brown tones that you will lose this very distinct difference and get a more uniform brown coloring after applying a stain.
Once you apply the stain, I would suggest using a waterborne finish and to avoid oil-modified finishes as this can give the amber tones you are trying to avoid.