How to Identify Cedar Wood in Furniture
Cedar is one of the only woods that tells you what it is before you even look at it. That warm, spicy scent? It’s hard to miss. If you’ve ever opened a vintage hope chest and wondered how to identify cedar wood, the answer often starts with your nose.
But not all cedar looks the same. Some types are bright red. Others are pale or golden. It might be mistaken for pine or redwood depending on where the piece was built. If you’re planning to refinish a cedar chest or bench, you’ll also need to consider how your finish might affect that famous scent.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to identify cedar wood in furniture, when it was most popular, and how to approach it if you’re working on a refinishing or repair project.
Why Identifying Cedar Wood Matters
Cedar is soft, lightweight, and naturally resistant to insects — which makes it a popular choice for storage furniture. But it can also be frustrating to work with if you’re not sure what you’ve got.
I’ll be honest — I haven’t refinished cedar furniture myself. But I grew up in Canada, where cedar was everywhere: lining closets, inside blanket chests, and built into rustic cabin furniture. Since moving to Europe, I don’t come across cedar often.
How to Identify Cedar Wood: Common Characteristics
Let’s dive into the easiest characteristics of identifying cedar wood.
Colour
If you’re working with aromatic cedar — the kind most often found in vintage chests — the heartwood is usually a rich reddish-purple, while the sapwood is pale or creamy white. The contrast is often quite strong.
Other types of cedar are more muted. Western red cedar leans light brown with a soft red tone, while yellow cedar is pale yellow with a golden or greenish hue. Aged cedar
Learn what heartwood and sapwood means for identifying wood.
Grain
Cedar grain is typically straight, with occasional cathedral arches in flatsawn cuts. You might also see knots — especially in rustic or log-style builds. It’s rarely dramatic, but it’s distinctive in its simplicity.
The grain may appear slightly blurred or dry on older or unfinished pieces, especially near the sapwood edge.
Texture
Cedar is a softwood. The grain is closed, but the surface often feels fuzzy unless sanded smooth. On aged pieces, it can feel slightly chalky or dusty when dry.
Common Grain Figures in Cedar
Cedar isn’t known for its dramatic figure, but you may see:
- Cathedral patterns in flatsawn boards
- Strong visual contrast between heartwood and sapwood
- Occasional curl or wave in higher-end cuts
- Knots or streaks that deepen over time
There’s no tiger stripe, burl, or shimmer — just clean, straightforward movement.
Unsure what figure means in wood identification? Check out these 5 common types of wood figure.
When Was Cedar Popular in Furniture?
1920s–1960s: Cedar Chests & Hope Chests
Aromatic cedar was a staple in storage chests throughout the mid-1900s. If you’re working on a Lane Cedar Chest, you’re likely looking at aromatic Eastern red cedar.
Closet Linings & Interiors
Many wardrobes and cabinets were lined with cedar to deter moths. These panels were often glued into solid hardwood cases or used to line drawers. Also, very popular in sauna’s due to the smell it can produce.
Rustic & Cabin-Style Furniture
Cedar also appears in rustic benches, chairs, and log furniture — especially Western red cedar in North America. These pieces usually have a knotty, rough-hewn appearance and a very soft surface.
Furniture Types Where Cedar Appears
You’ll most often find cedar in:
- Blanket chests and hope chests
- Wardrobe or closet linings
- Drawer interiors — especially in vintage American furniture
- Rustic cabin furniture
- Keepsake boxes, humidors, and tool chests
If the interior smells like a forest and the wood feels soft under your fingers — there’s a good chance it’s cedar.
Where Cedar Comes From
The type of cedar you’re dealing with depends on the region:
Aromatic Cedar (Eastern red cedar) – Juniperus virginiana
Most common in furniture. It is found in North America. Known for its strong scent and red-purple heartwood.
Western Red Cedar – Thuja plicata
Native to the Pacific Northwest. Used in rustic furniture, outdoor builds, and decorative interiors.
Yellow Cedar (Alaska Cedar) – Cupressus nootkatensis
Pale, creamy yellow. Sometimes used in rustic or outdoor builds in Canada and parts of the U.S.
In Europe, cedar is very rarely used in furniture. Most of what appears here was either imported or built with similar-looking woods like pine or redwood.
Woods That Look Like Cedar (and How to Tell the Difference)
| Wood Type | Colour & Grain | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Pine | Yellow to orange with knots | No scent, heavier, and more defined growth rings |
| Redwood | Brownish-red with coarse grain | Lacks purple tone and doesn’t smell like cedar. |
| Fir | Orange-toned and dense | No scent, harder texture |
| Mahogany | Reddish with fine grain | Heavier, more uniform tone, no scent |
Still not sure if it’s cedar? Compare it more closely with pine, Douglas fir, redwood, or Mahogany — or visit the full wood identification guide for more side-by-side comparisons.
Quick Cedar ID Checklist
- Spicy, woody scent — especially when sanded
- Purple-red heartwood with pale sapwood
- Straight grain with occasional knots or arches
- Soft texture — dents easily
- Common in chests, closet linings, and rustic furniture
- Unfinished cedar keeps its scent longer
- Rare in European furniture
Refinishing Tips for Cedar Furniture
Cedar is soft and scented — two traits that make it both lovely and a little unpredictable to work with. Here’s what I’ve learned:
That famous smell? It fades with time but comes back when sanded. If you want to keep the scent, avoid sealing the interio
Avoid heavy oil-based finishes. They can darken the wood and trap the scent. Use water-based finishes (which will trap the smell) or a soft wax if you want to keep the colour light.
Test before you sand heavily. Cedar can be delicate — especially if the surface is dry or uneven from age.
If you plan to paint, use a primer that blocks resins and bleed-through. Here’s my guide to choosing the right primer.
Tools I Use for Wood Identification
These two tools help me cross-reference grain and colour when I’m unsure:
Wood Identification & Use by Terry Porter — excellent visuals and examples. Find it here on Amazon
Sauers Veneer Sample Kit — perfect for comparing grain and colour up close. Available here
These tools are helpful for teak and identifying nearly every species in the Wood ID series.
Final Thoughts
Cedar isn’t flashy — but it doesn’t have to be. It’s one of the most recognisable woods out there, and sometimes, all it takes is opening a drawer or running a sanding pad over the surface to know what you’re dealing with.
I haven’t refinished cedar furniture yet, but I’ve seen it enough in Canada to appreciate its soft texture, natural contrast, and unmistakable smell. If you’re restoring a cedar chest or repurposing an old piece lined with it, take it slow, treat the surface gently, and try to preserve what makes it special.
