Adding wood to your decor can really warm up a space. Wood, in all its various applications, can add texture, pattern and colour to a room.
In this column I'm not referring to fine wooden furniture necessarily but rather rough hewn wooden elements and organic pieces.
Flooring
This cosy room photo, courtesy of Lauzon flooring, shows how gorgeous a wood floor can be. Even though all of the walls and ceiling in this room are white, the wood flooring adds warmth, subtle pattern and texture. Lauzon's new Atlantis line features a matte finish, combined with beautiful colour variations and a subtle texture that feels like silky, smooth waves to the touch. Developed to meet consumer demand for a calming, back-to-basics getaway, the flooring's unique texture, called Echo, becomes more or less pronounced as the lighting in the room shifts, mimicking the changing beauty of a windswept beach.
Just like the trees outside clean the air, Lauzon's Pure Genius air-purifying smart technology makes homes healthier. When activated by natural or artificial light and by the movement of air, the flooring breaks down airborne toxins and significantly improves indoor air quality by up to 85 per cent. This is a positive feature of what is otherwise a mostly decorative product. This technology is especially important in our climate where we spend a lot of time indoors over the winter months.
There are three overriding trends in hardwood flooring for 2016.
Gone are the days of shiny, pristine hardwood flooring. The rustic, whitewashed look embedded with imperfections is all the rage, inspired by the movement towards natural, organic living.
Previously trendy dark wood planks are being replaced by lighter natural and grey flooring with variation in tones. With a subtle pattern on each plank, multi-toned flooring adds charm and interest to any room.
From subtle to more pronounced textures, the new wood flooring has a touch of depth, as opposed to looking artificially smooth. Influenced by our three-dimensional technological world, sensory-rich textured flooring is infused with character.
Other wooden touches
The unfinished beams on the ceiling also add tons of character to this room. The fact that these two wooden elements transformed this blank canvas is proof of just how visually relevant natural wood can be in the decor. Beams are one way to add the beauty of wood to the décor but there are easier ways to bring a touch of wood into the home that are less work but just as effective.
I happened by Faveri's unpainted furniture the other day and noted they carry live edge products. This might be a dining table with a natural raw edge, which is asymmetrically gorgeous. Products with a live edge really bring the rustic feel of natural wood into the home. Drop by Faveri's to see what they have to offer. Finishing the piece yourself can offer a real one-of-a-kind look to your decor. Wicker world also carries live edge pieces. Shop locally!
Found objects
Architectural salvage wooden pieces can be great additions to the decor. If you're lucky enough to come across something like this, even in plank form, consider using it to create a table, headboard, feature wall or other decorative element to your décor. Shiplap, barn board, old wooden windows, wooden stepladders, wooden crates or palettes and shabby chic wooden furniture pieces can all be finagled into the décor somehow. You might be able to repurpose an old wooden window into a coffee table or simply hang it on the wall as is. Stencil lettering to a wooden crate and use as a side table. (The lettering might insinuate that it came from a warehouse for instance.) I had painted a raw, round-topped trunk in a turquoise paint and stenciled 'Dock B' on it as if it came from fishing docks. This was a simple project that turned out quite well.
Bits and pieces
Older, weathered items made from wood can work as well. A collection of worn wooden boat oars might be used as a headboard or simply a feature on the wall. Worn wooden signs, if you're lucky enough to come across any, can be stunning as an accessory.
Driftwood is another great found item that can be used as an accent piece in the decor. Look for interesting pieces that have lots of character then make them a feature in the home. Dried twigs in a decorative vase provide an organic, textural accent to the home and can usually be found right out the front door. A collection of vintage wooden cutting boards would make a great feature on a kitchen wall. Slice pieces of a small, felled tree trunk and install the circles as a grouping to create a focal wall or headboard. Old wooden children's blocks would make great accent pieces in a nursery.
The object of adding more organic wood to the home is to celebrate the dings and dents and rough, weathered finish on whatever you happen to find. The rougher the better. Mix these natural pieces in with your regular furniture to create visual interest and instant warmth.
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