Premium Timber Stain Colors for Pergolas & Pavilions.
Beautiful Timber Doesn’t Start With the Stain
It starts with the wood — real timber, rough-sawn, and stained into the grain.
The finish
Beautiful on rough-sawn timber
Western Timber Frame finishes every timber pergola, pavilion, and outdoor structure with a Sherwin-Williams water-based stain, applied in two shop coats and backrolled — which works it deeper into the rough-sawn surface than spraying alone, so the color becomes part of the timber rather than sitting on top like paint.
Unlike a thick, opaque coat of paint, this is a stain finish. On rough-sawn timber — whether Douglas Fir, Coast Redwood, or Cedar — the surface texture stays visible, so the wood still reads as real timber instead of a smooth painted surface.
Natural is a clear finish that simply warms and seals the wood, leaving the rough-sawn timber’s natural color and texture fully visible. On every other color, the rich color enhances the timber without hiding its rough-sawn texture.
Start with the wood
Premium timber makes all the difference
Premium Douglas Fir, precision rough-sawn texture, and a penetrating stain work together to create color that becomes part of the timber’s look — matte, textured, and unmistakably wood.
We hand-pick select-grade timber, so only the best of it ever becomes your structure. If a load doesn’t meet our standard, it doesn’t make the cut.
We build in three species, each with its own character and grain — every one selected and prepared to take a finish beautifully and last outdoors.
Tight, strong grain
Douglas Fir (FOHC)
Tight, straight grain and a rough-sawn face that lets the stain work in deep — strong, stable, and made to last.
Warm red tones
Coast Redwood
Naturally durable, with a warm, red-toned character that deepens beautifully as it ages outdoors.
Light and refined
Cedar
Light, stable, and easy to work, with an even, refined grain and a natural resistance to moisture.
The finish
A finish is only as good as the wood beneath it
We finish every structure with a Sherwin-Williams water-based stain. Unlike a thick, opaque coat of paint that hides the wood, it’s a semi-transparent finish that keeps the timber’s grain and texture visible — so it reads like real wood, not a painted surface. Natural is a clear finish that simply warms and seals the wood; every color lays down real, rich color. Either way, on rough-sawn timber the grain and character show through.
The color of your timber structure influences not only its style but the feel of your entire outdoor living area. That’s why Western Timber Frame™ offers a full suite of premium wood stains, curated for timeless design, performance in extreme climates, and seamless integration into your space. From bold and rich to soft and neutral — or completely custom — we’ve got you covered.
The colors
Explore our timber frame stain colors
No two boards are identical — the grain runs long and tight, and cathedral figure gives way to a knot or a fine mineral streak. The color goes on rich and even, and because the rough-sawn texture still reads through it, each board keeps its own character instead of looking like a flat coat of paint.
Try placing your finger across the middle to break the illusion. What we see isn’t always what is. Light, angle, and surroundings can subtly shift how a stain appears. This illustration is a helpful reminder that color is deeply influenced by perception.
Find your color
Which color fits your space?
A color choice usually starts with the look of your home — its style, the color of the windows, the surrounding stone, the landscape — more than a stain name. Explore the finishes below to see which one feels most at home in your space.
These are taste-based suggestions, blended with what we’ve seen work across the thousands of structures we’ve built. Think of them as a helpful starting point, not a rule — the right color is the one that looks right to you.
Modern & black windows
Clean lines and dark accents call for depth and restraint.
- Black Ebony
- Canyon Grey
- Bleach
Farmhouse
Warm and lived-in, with a little brightness on top.
- Early American
- Alpine White
- Natural
Mountain & rustic
Rich, earthy tones that hold their own against big landscapes.
- Rich Cordoba
- Rich Sequoia
- Wild Olive
Coastal
Light, airy, and easy under a lot of sky and sun.
- Beach Sand
- Alpine White
- Bleach
Stone & brick
Warm browns that pick up the earth tones already in the masonry.
- Rich Cordoba
- Early American
- Canyon Grey
Traditional
Timeless mid-browns that never look of-the-moment.
- Early American
- Rich Cordoba
- Natural
A few quick notes
- Darker stains (Rich Cordoba, Black Ebony) create stronger contrast with light siding or stone.
- Lighter stains (Beach Sand, Alpine White, Bleach) keep the structure feeling open and soft.
- Canyon Grey works especially well when you want the timber to feel architectural rather than warm.
- Natural adds no color of its own — it keeps the wood’s own tone, simply sealed.
Samples are available if you’d like to see a color in your own light before deciding.
In the wild
Our colors on real structures
Swatches are a start — but color comes to life on a real structure, in real light. Here’s every color on a build of its own.
Good to know
Every board finishes a little differently
The same color reads differently from one beam to the next, and that’s the wood doing its work. Growth rings, latewood and earlywood, the odd knot, the light it sits in, and everything around it all shift how a color lands. That variation is the mark of real timber — not a flaw to hide, but the reason it looks like nothing else in the yard.
Caring for your finish
Real timber lives outdoors, so it wants a little care. With regular maintenance suited to your climate and exposure, our finishes hold their beauty and keep protecting the wood for years.
The details
Timber finishes, answered
What stain does Western Timber Frame use?
We finish every structure with a Sherwin-Williams water-based stain, applied in two shop coats and backrolled — which works it deeper into the rough-sawn surface than spraying alone, so the color becomes part of the timber’s look rather than sitting on top like paint. Because it’s water-based, it’s low-odor and low-VOC.
Is the stain transparent or a solid color?
Only Natural is a clear, transparent finish that warms and seals the wood without adding color. Every other color adds real color; because the stain works into the rough-sawn surface, the wood texture stays visible, so it reads like timber rather than a flat coat of paint.
What stain colors are available?
Ten colors, plus custom matching: Rich Cordoba, Early American, Natural, Rich Sequoia, Black Ebony, Canyon Grey, Wild Olive, Beach Sand, Alpine White, and Bleach.
Does the stain show the wood grain?
Yes. The rough-sawn finish keeps the texture and character of the wood visible rather than hidden under a thick, opaque coat.
How does the finish hold up over time?
It behaves differently than paint — this thin stain wears gradually and renews with cleaning and reapplication. Because the color lives in the wood, refreshing it takes no heavy sanding or stripping.
Does the finish need maintenance?
Real timber outdoors benefits from occasional re-staining. A refresh is simple cleaning and recoating — because the color lives in the wood, there’s no heavy sanding or stripping.
Does the stain protect the wood?
Yes. It works into the rough-sawn surface to help seal against water and weathering, and it resists mildew.
What wood is the stain applied to?
Douglas Fir, Coast Redwood, or Cedar — each finished rough-sawn so it takes the stain richly and evenly.
Can I get a custom stain color?
Yes — custom colors can be matched to your project.
How do I choose the right color?
Start with your home’s architecture, windows, stone, or siding, then pick a color that matches that character. Samples are available on request.
––– Ready to begin?
Tell us about your project
Send us your project and we’ll help you choose the right color and put together a quote for your structure. Prefer to see a shade in your own light first? Samples are available on request.
Built nationwide · Recognized at home
7,000+ outdoor structures.
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Across the United States, Canada and Hawaii.
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Designed, manufactured, and crafted in the USA
Projects across all 50 states & Canada