Why wood is so popular for contemporary interior design

Wood has been used for centuries to create homes and objects that reside inside them – from traditional wooden floors to building-quality furniture.

Alongside the variety of use cases, wood has other fascinating properties:

• It is strong and durable, making it a long-lasting choice.
• It is easy to use both for professional builders and DIY fans.
• It has great properties. Ash, pine, teak, oak, beech, mahogany, and every other type of wood (especially thermowood) have their distinct style, unique appearance and qualities.
• Wood is a natural material and if it is obtained certified, e.g. by FSC or PEFC, it shows that it comes from responsibly managed forests, thus contributing to sustainable forest management.

Combined with the woods’ delicate and warm appearance, these strengths make it the ideal contemporary style interior design and decor material. Over the last years, there has been increasing use of wood in modern design, as sustainability considerations gain importance and biophilic style is trending in interior design.

Plastic has become a widely available material, cheap, easy to process and maintain. However, wood has remained a popular design style material. Wood enriches a space’s interior and is pleasing to the eye adding contemporary flair.

Interior designers and architects have long been passionate about working with wooden materials. As sustainability becomes more important, architects try to incorporate biophilic design principles into architecture and interior design. Adding plants and wooden accents is one of the easiest ways to bring nature into your living space.

However, the contemporary design movement has favoured the use of wood for several reasons, including wood is the perfect complement to other materials mentioned above. Constantly evolving trends inspire employers increasingly choose wood in offices’ open spaces. Because research has demonstrated that similar to the way indoor plants can help ease stress, using indoor natural wood surfaces can also improve physiological health.

It was revealed that 82% of workers who were exposed to eight or more wooden surfaces in their office were either satisfied or very satisfied with their work, compared with only 53% of workers with no wooden surfaces present in their workplace. Wooden interiors, neutral colors and natural elements improve employees’ job satisfaction, stimulate creativity, and increase efficiency.

With our move towards remote working due to the global pandemic, designers have increasingly adopted to create this nature-inspired atmosphere into the home. Wood is being used in contemporary style interior design in several forms, from the entire structure or merely architectural elements and excessive carved details within the home.

1. Durability

As mentioned above, wood is incredibly durable, making it a favourite of many interior designers. As a natural material, small differences in texture and neutral colors are part of the beauty of wood. It is also one of the natural materials that age very well and is low maintenance. This makes wood suitable both for domestic and commercial spaces. With the right treatment, wood can be used also in wet rooms like bathrooms or spas and also in a contemporary kitchen.

2. Eco-friendly

Wood is a natural material and less damaging to the environment than some other indoor decorative materials. Processing wood releases less carbon that can be otherwise harmful to the environment and our health.

Furthermore, wood has outstanding insulating properties, thus incorporating it into your home will ensure space is cooled or heated nicely. Plus, it can absorb excessive noise, making it a better place for your mental wellbeing.

3. Affordability

When you compare the benefits of adopting wood in your home instead of its price, you will be amazed. Wood has a very good price and quality ratio to be used in interior design. For example, creating a statement wall in your dining room or enhancing neutral shades in a contemporary-style bathroom doesn’t require much material and the installation is also quick and easy.

4. Aesthetic adaptability

Not only is wood aesthetically pleasing, but you can also design and use it in different ways to give charm, warmth, and earthiness to a space. From decking to cladding to flooring, wood is a superb material for many contemporary designers. When used the right way, wood can transform a space into a sanctuary.

Wood surfaces can easily be treated with bold colors to brighten up the interior or sanded to get the original neutral tones back afterwards.

Thermally modified wood has rich tones, making it an alternative to exotic wood.

5. A source of design inspiration

Besides the soothing properties wood brings to an area, it is one of the natural materials that can be adapted to provide a different look and aesthetic. Combining different profiles allow you to add visual interest and tactile qualities to a room. Timber gives an opportunity to enhance living space with clean geometric shapes or streamlined silhouettes, earthy palettes or bold colors.

Wood can be polished, sanded, painted, and given a glossy finish if needed. From Thermory’s collection, Ignite has a black embossed surface that resembles charred wood but thanks to modern technology, leaves no residue. Drift has an aged, weathered, barn-house look that gives a rustic feeling to a contemporary interior.

Even if you decide not to modify the wood, it can still be crafted into several designs and features that can highlight its features and aesthetic. Wood is perfect to compliment any style, decor and color tone.

Wooden floors typically refer to parquet flooring. A parquet wooden floor provides a touch of elegance and additional warmth in your home. Thermowood flooring panels come in various thicknesses, lengths and widths, all able to add something to your home, office or restaurant.

Wood is ideal for walls and panelling. Whether indoors for a contemporary bedroom or dining room, outside for effect on a veranda, wooden cladding allows you to create a private but beautiful space to look at. Wood is a good material for creating statement walls or structural elements and giving the room an accent. As a natural material, it instantly adds warmth and natural light to an interior.

Classic furniture is typically made of wood, although plenty of plastic options still occupy our homes. It’s thought that wood only has a specific look and colour, yet wood comes in a plethora of colours, finishes and formats.

Heavy, wooden beams typically supported the first floor in older houses. In present-day design, they are used as a contemporary design to highlight a room’s interior, not only for a classic look. Actually, modern wood ceilings are now a popular choice for contemporary-style home enthusiasts.

Unless you’re using glass or plastic, an internal door is typically made of wood. Some builders choose to finish interior doors with a layer of paint whilst installing beautiful wood doors to let the wooden structure shine through. This also applies to wooden stairs. A wooden stairway is stunning and low-maintenance, and wood properties last for years.

Wood walls in a sauna give them warmth and inviting appeal. Still, physical appearance is not the primary reason for these wooden foundational elements. The hot, moist air in a sauna would easily damage plaster or drywall, which lacks wood’s resilience and durability. Thermowood varieties are better than other alternatives because it stays cooler and does not get hot to the touch.

When it comes to modern interior design, wood is a classic and timeless material choice that will remain in design styles for years to come.

Wood is versatile and adaptable as a contemporary interior design material. Wood can look rustic and modern, yet still, offer warmth and homeliness wherever it is applied – in a contemporary home or office.

Because wood is this exquisite material with its universal and versatile character, it can easily combine with other materials and textures – this is why it has become so popular for contemporary and modern design.

Why not check out Thermory’s vast array of wooden products to make your contemporary home feel warm and look fantastic.