Styles change, and it doesn’t matter if you are talking about clothes, cars, or interior design. Thankfully, the trend of having a perfectly uniform furniture set has passed. But in its wake, one may wonder how to mix woods, wood tones, and finishes into interior décor. Adding a combination of dark and light wood frames and furniture to your space can give it a personal, layered look whether your style is modern, traditional, or lands somewhere in between the two.
Start thinking about the types of wood you like. Do you enjoy darker woods like walnut and cherry? Perhaps you prefer lighter woods like maple or ash. Suburban Frames offers these tips to help generate ideas for you to mix and match woods to create a personal and unique look that’s all you.
5 Tips For Mixing Wood Tones Like a Pro!
1. Check Undertones
The key to successfully mixing woods is to keep the undertones consistent. Woods that have a warm undertone will present a red or yellow appearance. Think about Cherry, Hickory, and Mahogany, for example. These types of woods will fit well together aesthetically, even if their grains and tones vary.
Woods with a cool tone may have a grayish appearance. Think about Ash, Pine, Poplar, and Maple. Then, there are neutrally toned woods like walnut that can provide the greatest versatility. Walnuts will have soft purple undertones that pair well with both cool and warm-toned woods. You can mix dark and light woods and a variety of finishes and grain sizes together effectively as long as you keep the undertones consistent.
2. Evenly Mix Woods and Finishes Around the Room
Piling darker wood pieces all on one side of the room will make it feel unbalanced and heavy on one side. To provide visual interest and balance, mix your lighter and darker pieces throughout the room. If your room has a permanent wood component, like floors, beams, or paneling, play off the natural character by adding other wood elements to balance the effect. This can be various pieces of furniture or custom frames made to fit.
This principle applies to gallery walls, too. You can use custom frames made from different woods, metal, or painted finishes as long as you spread the types throughout the arrangement. This keeps a balanced look, so one side doesn’t look like it is weighed down. We can also help you design a gallery wall using custom frames in your Atlanta home. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.
3. Vary the Grain Patterns
It’s not always consciously, but we do tend to think about wood grains in the same way we consider style. Usually, larger wood grains suggest a lived-in, casual look. Fine wood grains are typically perceived as being more formal. Mixing various wood grains can help open up a room so it doesn’t feel so “planned” or stiff. However, if you prefer a specific look, focus on whatever wood grain fits and communicates your style.
4. Use Older and Newer Pieces
You’ve probably acquired your home’s furnishings over time. Maybe you inherited a dresser, picked up a nightstand at a garage sale, or splurged on a couch. This may be the same way you’ve come to own your custom frames. This unique mixture of old and new makes your space feel like it has slowly evolved over the years.
The problem is, that when you add furniture pieces here and there, the woods probably do not match. You can embrace these differences and just up the contrast. When you mix various finishes, it will look like a design choice that is both deliberate and chic. Style your pieces so that the end result offers you a traditional, modern, or happy medium of the two.
5. Repeat Wood Tones
You probably love a wide variety of wood tones. Just pay attention to how many different tones you are using in one room. It’s okay to mix different woods. However, try to use each type of wood at least twice to help pull together the overall look. This suggestion works for furniture and custom frames.
Let Suburban Frames Help You Mix Woods in Your Atlanta Home!
We have decades of experience when it comes to expertly crafting custom frames. We’ve worked with all different types of woods and materials to create customized looks for customers for years. Call us today and let us know what look you are going for. We’d love to help you build the perfect space.