From MDF to mahogany, there are all sorts of woods out there that can be used to make your home more elegant, more refined – and also more durable. In the minds of many people, wood is a home decoration tool that will never go out of fashion, and it’s also associated with craftsmanship and artisanal work because of its durability.
However, while plastic and metal may not look quite as pretty as wood for your floor, your exterior, or your furniture, sometimes they’re superior in one way or another. For that reason, it’s important to use the right type of wood for the right job – and to ensure that wood is an appropriate decoration item for that particular goal in the first place. If it’s not, then you may quickly find yourself in a situation where you’re picking up the pieces.
Wooden furniture
Wooden furniture has long been regarded as a craft, and with good reason. Wood is a durable and solid material that can be used for a variety of purposes, and it’s often a long-lasting material that doesn’t require much maintenance or regular replacement. Given that most wooden furniture is used indoors, the most common objection to wood (that it runs the risk of rotting in the rain) is not applicable here.
Heavy woods have typically been used to make furniture. Mahogany dining tables, for example, are a common sight in many traditional and even contemporary dining rooms. From a practical point of view, wooden furniture is almost perfect as it lasts a very long time and only offers a number of small drawbacks – such as vulnerability to scratching, or lack of ease of movement from place to place. Aesthetically, though, heavy woods are sometimes considered a little too out of date – and as a result, lightwood options are now commonly chosen. Light wood is a common choice for wooden shutter blinds too, which offer a great way to control light inflow into a room.
Wooden exteriors
In the US in particular, the phenomenon of using wood to construct houses is common. Clapboard houses, where wooden weatherboards are arranged (usually horizontally) to cover the exterior of a building, are commonplace – and they come with a number of advantages, not least the aesthetic value of decorating your home in what has become widely associated with the American way.
There are some drawbacks to using wood to decorate or support the exterior of a house in this way. Not all types of wood are useful for this purpose, and it’s important to use a largely weather-proof type of wood to avoid moisture and rot – or to coat it in lacquer or other substance that will be able to fight off the wind, rain and more. However, for those who want to create that quintessentially American look for the exterior of their home, clapboard is a great way to go.
Wooden floors
Wooden floors are stylish and elegant options that are often found in homes that are going for a rustic look, such as country farmhouses. However, floors made out of wood also have some vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. The moving of furniture on wooden floors can often create scratches, which in turn require treatment with specialist wood floor fluids.
If you end up with moisture or damp problem in your home, meanwhile, then some wood floors could end up becoming damaged. The high cost of a wooden floor means that it’s something of a risk to install, especially if there are lots of people coming in and out. As a result, choosing “wood-look” flooring options such as Karndean is a common choice as it creates the same aesthetic without the risks. High-traffic environments in which heavy shoes, wheeled luggage, or other floor-unfriendly items are often present are often the ones in which wood replacement comes in handy – and with many wood replacement floors appearing identical to real wood, it’s difficult to differentiate between the two.
Using wood in your home décor plans is a great idea, and it works well in all sorts of areas of the home. From the floor to the exterior and from the furniture to the shutters, wood can be seen everywhere – and provided you choose the best type of wood for each location, the risks of damp, rot and damage can be vastly reduced.