Ever paused to check out those beautiful bedroom packages or wedding sets where stores bundle a few wooden pieces to great effect? Wondered how you could mix wood finishes in your home, especially when you aren’t buying all your furniture from the same store at the same time? If yes, you aren’t alone.
When you want to decorate your home over time with a wide array of wood items having various finishes that you have purchased, inherited, or found, mixing wood finishes is inevitable at one point or another. But how do you do it right? The key is to bring variation in pattern, colour, style, and texture to keep things interesting.
Ideally, you should organise your wood furniture to create a nice flow in the space with a cohesive, stylish, and intentional look. Whether you are trying to match a dining table to your existing hardwood floor or planning to mix diverse wood furniture pieces together, the key to success lies in following a few tips and tricks. Ready to learn them to mix wood finishes in your abode like a pro? Read on!
Choose A Dominant Wood Finish
It always helps to choose a dominant wood finish as your starting point. This way, it will become easier to bring other wood furniture into the room. Your job is half-done if you have wood floors as that would be your dominant wood finish. Else, you should select the room’s largest piece of furniture, which could be a sofa, dining table, bed, dresser, or desk. As you go on adding other wood finishes to the space, don’t forget to consult your dominant shade first.
Work With The Undertones
Whether you are setting up your space with an array of finishes or matching just two or three, you should aim to match the undertones between various pieces to create a more cohesive flow. For example, if you have warmer undertones of maple or rosewood in the space, you can bring in cooler tones like pine and hickory to tie them all together and give your space a coordinated look, even with dissimilar colours and finishes.
Make The Contrasts Larger
Going for contrast, the largest if possible, is one of the best ways to mix multiple wood finishes. Though doing this might seem scary, you shouldn’t be afraid to mix and match light and dark wood finishes in the same jump, which will create an eye-catching balance in your space. Though a black-and-white look usually works the best, you may even opt for black-and-brown or white-and-brown contrasts. If these aren’t possible, you could simply integrate dark and light wood finishes for a sleek and sophisticated look.
Be Mindful Of The Grains
When your diverse woods have a prominent grain, it pays to keep the patterns similar to preserve the room’s “mood.” For instance, if you want to create a rustic ambiance, open or larger wood grains that are more expressive can help with the objective. However, you should refrain from mixing an open grain with another open one as it would create a clash, similar to putting two daring personalities in a room where each vies for your attention within the same space.
Use A Rug As a Visual Buffer
If you position a wood table directly atop a wood floor with a different finish, the dissimilarity will immediately draw everyone’s attention. The most effective and easiest solution in this case that needs the least effort on your part is to use a rug to break up your wood elements. This way, your dissimilar wood tones won’t be visually noticed right next to each other. In case your wood floors and furniture pieces are considerably different in colour, you could use a patterned, statement-making rug to reduce the contrast between the two.
Break It Up With Other Materials
You could get creative and break up your wood finishes by incorporating other materials like glass, iron, marble, etc. into your room’s furniture and larger fixtures. For instance, when you have a light, vibrant floor and desire to add a bit of depth, you can bring in some dark metal, such as iron. To create more visual interest in the space, you may even use some vibrant textiles as upholstery.
Don’t Worry Too Much About the Rules
Mixing your wood finishes doesn’t mean adhering strictly to rules. Instead, it’s about finding a balanced yet unique style that works wonders for your space. So, try experimenting, combining more than only your wood finishes, and bringing your favourite patterns, textiles, styles, and colours into the mix. You could even blend your heavy furniture pieces with light accessories or mix modern with vintage. When it comes to decorating your place with wood finishes, the sky is truly the limit.
Now that you have a few ideas on how to make combinations of wood finishes work for you, position your furniture the right way, irrespective of whether you already have them, come across a vintage piece with an unmatched charm, or have bought a few. With our shared tips and tricks under your belt, you will be mixing and styling your wood finishes like a pro in no time.
