In the built environment wood surfaces often experience different exposure conditions, particularly exposure to sunlight. This can result in part of a surface receiving full sun, while other parts may be completely shaded. Methods that minimize the resulting colour differences between exposed and shaded areas would enhance the aesthetic appeal of wood. In the present work a “pre-weathering” approach to wood colour stabilization was investigated. After two months of natural exposure, colour change was similar regardless of pre-exposure. The heartwood samples in a shade exposure were much more discoloured than the equivalent sapwood samples. This suggests that heartwood extractive oxidation is a major cause of initial heartwood discolouration. The samples exposed to the sun did discolour more, indicating a UV/Visible light effect as well.