What is Knotty Pine?

Knotty pine refers to pine wood boards that have a large number of visible knots. This type of wood was very popular in kitchen decors throughout the 1950s because of the rustic appeal that it could achieve. Often, kitchen cabinetry has a honey finish that varied in a range between orange and red colors. Matching a knotty pine cabinetry run with Formica countertops and wrought iron hardware was a very popular décor. Today, many renovators are re-popularizing the knotty pine look by introducing it once again into modern home styles for a retro feel.

There are not many actual advantages to building with knotty pine other than achieving that type of visual style. The wood itself is relatively cheap and is not extremely durable. Considering the use of knotty cherry wood may be a more sensible alternative that can be made to look very similar in finished color but provides a significantly more suitable and durable cabinetry run.