Whitewashed Poplar

As seen in the Loft Bed Without Storage, our whitewashed poplar offers a modern look on a wood that has a traditional texture and grain. Whitewashed woods convey a clean, airy, and minimal aesthetic, while feeling right at home with beachy, rustic, and vintage-inspired environments. 

Poplar is a deciduous flowering plant of the genus Populus, and is used for a wide range of commercial products including millwork, paper, musical instruments, and even the production of shiitake mushrooms. Historically, poplar was the most common wood used in Italy for panel paintings (fun fact: the Mona Lisa is framed on poplar). Its high energy intake and output combined with its rich agricultural yield makes poplar an attractive candidate for use in energy crops. Poplar is fast growing and as such is a renewable forest crop.

Due to the lightness of this finish and the variety in tone of the wood, whitewashed poplar tends to reflect surrounding materials. For example in our workshop (white walls and cool, gray concrete floors), the grays and blues in the wood are highlighted. Put a whitewashed poplar bed in a room with oak floors and walls of a warmer hue, and you will see the tan, rose, and neutral tones emerge. Scroll through the images to see various closeups taken of whitewashed poplar showing a range of tonal quality and grain.

We also offer a whitewashed oak option, as seen in the Farmhouse Modern Island.