Get The Curated Look And Celebrate Wood Tones
March 11th, 2025
Gone are the days where good design means everything must match!
As we all
want to unleash our inner interior designer on our homes, why not create a
space that is little more sophisticated by mixing wood tones?
A big trick is to make material
choices with purpose rather than ease – but this is easier said than done! Let’s
talk about wood tones and how to use them as a part of a scheme to achieve more
of a curated, lived in look.
1. All
About The Undertones
The simplest way to combine wood tones is to only use warm or cool tones.
Warm wood tones such as oak, walnut and mahogany have red or yellow undertones whilst cool wood tones such as ash and maple tend to look greyer.
You can of course mix the two for an enhanced eclectic look but will take more thought to get right…sampling is key here!
If you’re looking to update existing wooden elements in your scheme, why not try a wood stain?
Wood stains are a great way to instantly transform and elevate timber as they not only change the colour of the wood but will also enhance the natural beauty of the wood grain.
Wood stains provide a translucent finish, so the colour of the woodstain will enhance the original colour of the wood. You can test how this will look on a small section first to see how the overall colour will look.
2. Keeping A Consistent Finish
When using wood within a scheme, it is important to mix and match colours, textures and wood grains; but using the same finish on all the elements will be key in creating a look that is well put together.
For example, if you’re upcycling furniture or refinishing flooring, be sure to use either a matt or satin finish across the whole scheme.
Finishes also affect how a colour will look, so test it out on a small section first before fully committing.
3. Getting The Right Balance
When using different wood tones, it is all about getting the right balance.
As with a colour scheme, try to use the 60/30/10 rule with wood tones.
For example, choose your most dominant wood tone in flooring, architectural details or the largest piece of furniture.
You can then use
a secondary wood tone in smaller items of furniture and a tertiary wood tone
for smaller details such as frames, shelving or styling accessories.
Head into your local Brewers Decorator Centre for more top tips, expert advice and product insight.
