There are few things that deliver as much warm indulgence as wooden furniture—wood of any kind—mahogany, teak, sheesham, mango, oak… It can work in beautiful ways to create the feeling of a warm, cozy home. It can be moulded, contoured and customized to suit any personality. Pradeep James, Director, Design and VM, Urban Ladder, lists 5 easy ways to get wooden furniture into your home decor.
Home Decor: Set a Theme
Are you French Country or Transitional Contemporary? Do you like neutral palettes or a spread of colours? Are you on shoestring budget or have room to play? Answering these questions at onset will help you select the right wood textures for your space. You’ll understand whether you need distressed, stained or polished wood.
Wooden Furniture: Colour Match
If you’re going for a clean, white subway tile kitchen, opt for lighter stained or natural woods like Oak, Ash or Pine. These woods are lighter in colour and complement the stark whiteness of the kitchen. If you want to go for a velvet sofa in your living room, match the richness with a deep Mahogany or Walnut table. While contrasts can work, it’s better to use complimentary wood tones with the colour of the room. Before you begin the renovation or installation, match wood samples with the other textures (tile, marble, vinyl, etc) you plan to use.
Furniture at Home: Old & New
Wood is a very transitional element. A nice ancient door, a rustic armchair, a vintage diwan—these furniture can work as great reminders of the past and add character to a room. Mixing these older wooden elements with a wabi-sabi coffee table or an industrial dining table can create a wonderful juxtaposition between the new and old wooden textures. This adds depth and functionality to a room and makes it lived-in as opposed to a clinical and unapproachable setting.
Go Green with Wooden Furniture
If there is one colour that is absolutely perfect for a room full of wood, that is green. But not just any green—flora and fauna greens. Combining the earthiness of the wood with the delicacy of colours can create the ideal, unifying space. A baby rubber tree, a fiddle leaf fig tree, or an Areca palm, a dash of these can add much needed life to the stillness of wooden furniture.
Textile and Wooden Furniture
Almost any and every kind of fabric works well with wood. A woven rug, a linen tablecloth, or a cotton throw pillow, all of these soften the surface stiffness of wood, weaving in fluid and soft fabrics brings the textures together and adds to the richness of the space.
