Great news: you can’t go wrong with wood tones anymore—any combination is now allowed!
I once kept quiet about the supposed faux pas of mixing wood tones at home: walnut veneer on our cabinets and living-room walls, even though the floor was oak parquet. Now, though, the very look I worried about is considered on-trend, writes managing editor Miia Kauhanen.
I could list quite a few of this year’s trends that don’t excite me much—like the return of the ’80s and the color brown’s big moment. But I’ve been delighted to see how the generous use of wood surfaces is so popular here in Finland and around the world. Lately we’ve showcased many modern CLT timber homes, such as Hanna and Sami’s eco house.
Only good can come of this trend—if only because decorating with wood has been shown to support health and well-being. And the list goes on: wood brings warmth and coziness and improves indoor air quality and acoustics...
But can decorating with wood go terribly wrong? When I started working at Avotakka interior design magazine over 15 years ago, I quickly learned that many interior professionals considered mixing different wood tones a style faux pas. At most, it was acceptable to combine dark woods with each other and light ones with each other. I kept quiet about the fact that my home had walnut veneer on the kitchen cabinets and living room walls (it was in fashion then), even though the floor was oak parquet.
Luckily, decorating has become more relaxed and more permissive since those days. Now mixing different wood tones is even considered on-trend!
Mixing different wood tones brings authenticity and a lived-in feel to an interior.
Vogue’s trend report also highlights the phenomenon. According to the fashion bible, mixing different wood tones brings authenticity and a lived-in feel to a space—as if the various wood surfaces had accumulated at home over time. That way the décor doesn’t look too calculated or fresh out of the box, even if it’s just been updated.
It’s about consciously breaking an old—perhaps timeworn—style rule so the home doesn’t look too perfect, but human and natural. That kind of soulfulness is something interior architect Joanna Amemori has achieved in her own home. In her kitchen, three different wood tones—walnut, oak, and pine—coexist in harmony. Yet the result doesn’t look mismatched or busy.
But that’s how it goes: you can break the rules once you know them well!
The author is the managing editor of Kotona's Design & Decoration content.
