Why wood is so popular for contemporary interior design

Wood is like wine; it just gets better with age and never seems to lose its beauty. Even with the increasing number of modern materials, we prefer wood for our interiors. But why are interior designers faithful to using wood in their projects? What makes them so passionate about it?

Why use wood for interior design?

Wood has been used for centuries to create homes and objects that reside inside them — from traditional wooden floors to building quality furniture.

Alongside the variety of use cases, wood has other fascinating properties:

• It is strong and durable, making it a long-lasting choice.
• It is easy to use both for professional builders and DIY fans.
• It has great properties. Ash, pine, teak, oak, beech, mahogany, and every other type of wood (especially thermowood) have their unique appearance and qualities.
• Wood is a natural material, and if it has been certified by the FSC, it guarantees that it has been responsibly sourced in managed forests and thus contributes towards responsible woodland management.

Combined with the woods’ delicate and warm appearance, these strengths make it the ideal interior design and decor material.

Why wood is the next big thing in interior design?

Over the last years, there has been increasing use of wood in interior design, as sustainability considerations gain importance and biophilic design is trending.

Plastic has become a widely available material, cheap, easy to process and maintain. However, wood has remained a popular material used by designers. Wood enriches a spaces’ interior and is pleasing to the eye.

Let’s take a look at the benefits wood offers to interiors:

1. Durability

As mentioned above, wood is incredibly durable, making it a favourite of many interior designers. As a natural material, small differences in texture and colour are part of the beauty of wood. It is also a material that ages very well and is low maintenance. This makes wood suitable both for domestic and commercial spaces. With the right treatment, wood can be used also in wet rooms like bathrooms or spas and also in kitchens.

2. Eco-friendly

Wood is a natural material and less damaging to the environment than some other indoor decorative materials. Processing wood releases less carbon that can be otherwise harmful to the environment and our health.

Furthermore, wood has outstanding insulating properties, thus incorporating it in your home will ensure space is cooled or heated nicely. Plus, it can absorb excessive noise, making it a better place for your mental wellbeing.

3. Affordability

When you compare the benefits of adopting wood in your home instead of its price, you will be amazed. Wood has a very good price and quality ratio to be used in interior design. Creating statement walls doesn’t require much material and the installation is also quick and easy.

4. Aesthetic adaptability

Not only is wood aesthetically pleasing, but you can also design and use it in different ways to give charm, warmth, and earthiness to a space. From decking to cladding to flooring, wood is a superb material for many home interior designers. When used the right way, wood can transform a space into a sanctuary.

Wood surfaces can easily be treated with color to brighten up the interior or sanded to get the original color back afterwards.

Thermally modified wood has rich tones, making it an alternative to exotic wood.

5. A source of inspiration

Besides the soothing properties wood brings to an area, it is a material that can be adapted to provide a different look and aesthetic. Combining different profiles allow you to add texture and tactile qualities to a room.

Wood can be polished, sanded, painted, and given a glossy finish if needed. From Thermory’s collection, Ignite has a black embossed surface that resembles charred wood but thanks to modern technology, leaves no residue. Drift has an aged, weathered, barn-house look that gives a rustic feeling to an interior.

Even if you decide not to modify the wood, it can still be crafted into several designs and features that can highlight its features and aesthetic. Wood is perfect to compliment any style, decor and colour tone.

Wooden modern interior design trends

Interior designers and architects have long been passionate about working with wooden materials. As sustainability becomes more important, architects try to incorporate biophilic design principles into architecture and interior design. Adding plants and wooden accents is one of the easiest ways to bring nature into your home.

However, contemporary trends have favoured the use of wood for several reasons, including wood is the perfect complement to other materials mentioned above. But because wood is a modern interior design style that employers frequently choose because research has demonstrated that similar to the way indoor plants can help ease stress, indoor wood surfaces can also improve physiological health.

It was revealed that if 82% of workers who were exposed to eight or more wooden surfaces in their office were either ‘satisfied or very satisfied’ with their work, compared with only 53% of workers with no wooden surfaces present in their workplace. Wooden interiors therefore improve employees’ job satisfaction, stimulate creativity, and increase efficiency.

With our move towards remote working due to the global pandemic, designers have increasingly adopted to create this nature-inspired atmosphere into the home. Wood is being used in interior design in several forms, from the entire structure or merely elements within the home.

Use cases for using wood in modern interior design

Wooden floors

Wooden floors typically refer to parquet flooring. A parquet wooden floor provides a touch of elegance and additional warmth in your home. Thermowood flooring panels come in various thicknesses, lengths and widths, all able to add something to your home, office or restaurant.

Wooden saunas

Wood walls in a sauna give them warmth and inviting appeal. Still, physical appearance is not the primary reason for these wooden elements. The hot, moist air in a sauna would easily damage plaster or drywall, which lacks wood’s resilience and durability. Thermowood varieties are better than other alternatives because it stays cooler and does not get hot to the touch.

Wooden walls and wood panelling

Wood is ideal for walls and panelling. Whether indoors for a dining or living room, outside for effect on a veranda, wooden cladding allows you to create a private but beautiful space to look at. Wood is a good material for creating statement walls and giving the room an accent. As a natural material, it instantly adds warmth to an interior.

Wooden ceilings

Heavy, wooden beams typically supported the first floor in older houses. They are now used as a stylish design to highlight a room’s interior, not only for a classic look. Actually, modern wood ceilings are now a popular choice of contemporary styling enthusiasts.

Wooden doors and stairs

Unless you’re using glass or plastic, an internal door is typically made of wood. Some builders choose to finish interior doors with a layer of paint whilst installing beautiful wood doors to let the wooden structure shine through.

This also applies to wooden stairs. A wooden stairway is stunning and low-maintenance, and wood properties last for years.

Wooden furniture

Classic furniture is typically made of wood, although plenty of plastic options still occupy our homes. It’s thought that wood only has a specific look and colour, yet wood comes in a plethora of colours, finishes and formats.

Wooden decoration

Finally, there are thousands, perhaps millions, of wooden decorative objects to choose from. There’s something for everyone: wooden bowls, hat stands, photo frames, and unlike plastic, keep better-reselling ability and can be recycled.

Wood’s interior aesthetics are timeless

When it comes to modern interior design, wood is a classic and timeless material choice that will remain in style for years to come.

Wood is versatile and adaptable as a modern interior design material. Wood can look rustic and modern and contemporary, yet still, offer warmth and homeliness to wherever it is applied — at home or in the office.

Because wood is this exquisite material with its universal and versatile character, it can easily combine with other materials and textures — this is why it has become so popular for contemporary modern interior design.

Why not check out Thermory’s vast array of wooden products to make your home feel warm and look fantastic. Browse Thermory’s new Interior collection.

Originally published at https://thermory.com on January 25, 2022.