American Black Walnut is a light-to-dark chocolate brown with a faint purple cast and darker streaks running through the heartwood, set against a creamy white sapwood that gives the floor its contrast. Occasionally it throws a curly figure.
It is tight-grained and polishes to a genuinely smooth finish, which is why it turns up in the most considered rooms. Softer than the Australian hardwoods at around 4.5 kN Janka, so it suits living and sleeping spaces better than a hallway that takes boots.