Flower Love
There are some materials that are fashionable for a year or two, but then they are considered “old” and “antique”.
Others, however, are timeless and can be incorporated into the interior at any time.
For example, wood is one of those timeless materials, and it has been gaining momentum recently.
Wood is interesting because it can be found in a wide variety of settings and comes in many different styles and shapes.
Image source: Laura Fedro Interiors, Inc.
You will find wood that suits every interior, every price range and every durability requirement. However, this creates confusion at a level where many people don’t really know what to do with it and how to combine different types of it. Here are some things to keep in check when mixing different types of wood.
Image source: Neutral construction
Don’t go with lots of different tones
A wide variety of different wood tones can look messy and disorganized. However, if you simply limit yourself to two or three tones at most, you can use them to create harmony anywhere in the room. Once your lots are in place, you can experiment with whatever furniture you want with the remaining furniture.
Image source: CG&S design build
For example, if you have a wooden floor in the kitchen, you can use maple cabinets – it looks sleek and sleek. If you have parts that don’t go with your wood idea, try painting them to blend in.
Your floor is the basis
If you have hardwood floors, you need to take them into account when choosing furniture. Chances are you’re not changing your floor and you already have a wood tone to work with. If you have several tones, you can choose one for the rest of the furniture.
Image source: Jan Gleysteen Architects, Inc.
Your friend is neutral
Neutral color on your walls or other elements is something you can’t go wrong with, especially when you combine this with wood. Any wood tone goes well with neutral colors, which gives you plenty of options with the rest of the furniture.
Image source: Lowe’s handyman
You can even mix and match wood tones as these won’t cause any problems with the neutrals at all. As for neutrals, you can go for light brown or taupe walls if you want a color that is more noticeable, or classic white if you want the wood tones to stand out.
Don’t forget the temperature of the wood
Some woods can give off a yellow or orange undertone and warmer temperatures, while others like ash or maple are a little cooler in that regard. There are even some stained woods that have both cool and warm tones, which is great for you as you can use different colors of wood for the rest of the furniture.
Image source: Northern Sky Developments
Complement, don’t match
Complementary wood colors can give the entire room a much more pleasant look than matching ones. Natural wood furniture colors can give a rustic feel, and dark furniture, for example, provides contrast. When everything is the same tone, nothing will stand out – not even the pieces you want.
Image source: Lynn Gaffney Architect, PLLC
Think about the grain
Different types of wood have different grains, and trying to keep the patterns close together can set the mood of the room the way you want it.
Image source: Hughesumbanhowar Architects
Choose the root note
When combining more than one tone, choose one that dominates all of the others and set that as the basis for everything else.
Image source: ZAK architecture
If you don’t want to go neutral, adjust the undertones
If you want a colorful wall instead of a neutral one, you can match the wall color to the undertones of the wood surfaces you are working with.
For example, mild yellow walls look great when wrapped around wood that brings out golden undertones. Green or even blue works great as a wall paint if you have ashy undertones from your wood.
Image source: Parker & Associates Architects
These types of combinations can play up the wood and ensure that every element in the room pops instead of disappearing between all the others and going unnoticed.
Carpets are more than just decoration
A carpet can be a functional miracle – if the transition between a piece of furniture and the wooden floor is too hard or too sudden for your taste, you can always lay a carpet that smooths the transition and creates a path from the piece of furniture to the floor.
Image source: Les Constructions Montagne Art
This also works if you have pieces of furniture that match the floor, as a contrasting rug can act as a partition so that they can be better noticed.
Use accessories to mix the tones
When combining more wood tones, use accessories that contain those tones but mix them up. For example, if you have bamboo in one room and mahogany in the other, then place accessories with a mahogany in the room where the bamboo dominates and on the contrary. This way you combine the tones even better.
Image source: RKI interior design
Don’t forget the texture
Each type of wood has a different surface and texture. Combine the differences like smooth and rough surfaces to create an interesting effect.
Control the contrast
Working with extremely dark and extremely light tones is not going to look good. Make sure the contrast is lower and combine extremes with media instead. A lower contrast makes for a much more pleasant effect.
Image source: Shelter Interiors LLC
Match the upholstery to the wood tones
If you have wooden furniture or elements, their shades can be combined with many things. For example, a mahogany table can be combined with a sofa that is upholstered in a mahogany shade.
Image source: Teton Heritage Builders
Combine both dark and light
This is where contrast plays back and you can use it to your advantage. For example, if you choose mahogany wood, which is a dark color and a dark hue, you can go for a lighter shade for the wall color. If you have furniture for a light color, choose darker walls.
Image source: Then Coffey Photography
Make sure you don’t go overboard with the contrast and keep levels low. However, if you choose such opposites, the wooden elements will burst and grab attention instead of interfering and going unnoticed.