Let the countdown of fine woods commence! Discover ten amazing lumber attributes that once installed in your home will help unlock the greatest potential a room can display. From its unique knots and grains to stunning colors, what would our home be without wood?
by Works Photography Inc.
There are two categories of wood when it comes to the hundreds upon hundreds of species of forestry: Nature Vs Man Made. The first being the origins of all the wood surfaces in our home. From the pine tree with its strong Christmas roots, to the imported Brazilian cherry, the natural element of a wooden floor or china cabinet, even something as simple as framed artwork in reclaimed lumber is always a great facet of our motif. The species of wood that requires sun, soil and water is a choice that is sometimes made for us, but no matter your style, the era you are recreating there is a place for the uprooted wood planed to perfection for our décor and homes.
The other wood category has fewer species, but all bear remarkable resemblance. These woods are commonly known as Hollywood, Bollywood and even Lolly and Nollywood. These superficial wood kingdoms have erected more than cinema and entertainment. They have proposed a new standard for living of luxury, decadence and breathtaking beauty. But here’s a little known fact; you can converge these two wooden categories and open your doors to Hollywood approved and sanctioned wood.
These ten harvested woods can take your room from bland and expected to pieces of art that both our eyes and hands will appreciate.
1. Oak Wood
by Boor Bridges Architecture
Before we encounter treated Oak wood, it’s the Oak tree that heavily impacts us. This noble and strong tree has more than likely played a large role in our outdoor childhood entertainment and can still be found in our yard as a sun blocking, shade offering method. That nobility translate just as powerfully even when we snuff the life out of it and assemble it into our dining room as table and chairs.
It sits there regally and patiently endures the hot pots, condensation of ice filled glasses and our unruly elbows that prop our heads up after a long day of shopping for wood flooring. And when the wine is being poured take an extra moment to appreciate its superiority for out of the 600 species of oak perhaps one of them helped to age your wine in an oak framed barrel. Not too mention that the cork of your bottle may have originated from the oak bark as well. Now if I can only think of a more positive use for the acorn other than as artillery and ammunition used by my friends and family in our adolescence.
2. Cedar Wood
Perhaps we are most intimately acquainted with this wood as a great closet and chest material for its successful deterrent abilities against moths and other insects and odor destroying causes. Since cedar has a wide variety of trees that are dispersed sporadically, geographically speaking, there are so many purposes to this sweet scented tree in shades of red and reddish brown tones that are used for fencing, house structuring, shingles, guitars, even shipbuilding. So come stink bug or high seas, cedar has the dexterity to stand strong. (Napa stools by usona)
3. Padauk Wood
Originating only from the Pterocaprus species in Asia or Africa this hardwood, though heavy and dense responds well to the tender ministrations of a lathe. Padauk is used for various projects like musical instruments and carvings and most commonly the intricacies of furniture, for this wood is stronger than oak and can withstand adhesives making it a durable and vivacious red wood. (through AskFurniture)
4. Teak Wood
by Austin Interior Renovations & Statewide Remodeling
Here is the a golden opportunity to bring the splendor and majesty of the tropics home. This hardwood recognized as the national tree of the Philippines, in its green, yellow and brown tones is constructed into doors, window framea and both indoor and outdoor furniture. As it ages and matures in its processed state it will often be rendered to bearing a silver-grey surface. Sound familiar?
5. Walnut Wood
by Ilija Mirceski
Ah, how sweet are your seeds, dear walnut tree! And how equally and esteemed are you when you grace the floor beneath our feet, or the rocking chair we lull our babies to sleep upon and of course how harmonic are you when you are formed into a piano.
by Elite Metalcraft
Walnut is grown in different countries and climates thus have many different shades and temperaments, but is often acknowledges as a dependable wood neither expanding or shrinking, as another wood would do in normal circumstances. Which is a good thing considering that airplane propellers are structured out of one walnut specie. Whether high in the air, or firmly grounded on your kitchen floor, walnut is a great ally in design.
6. Alder Wood
This hardwood definitely has a soft side, but that doesn’t dissuade it from being a very worthy opponent for cabinetry due to its elasticity. Next to walnut this if one of the most common used woods for furniture and interior purposes and is an affordable option for installing a quality product. The wood can be easily manipulated through sanding and staining to create a one of a kind surface and hue. All in all this is a hot product no matter what trend hits our shelves. ($1,600 on FurnitureHomeDesign)
7. Purple Heart Wood
Often found deep in the heart of South America and in great demand world wide for its shiny, straight grain patterned texture. Known for its bendable and flexible endurance it is great for fabricating high quality furniture that is greatly resistive to fungus and termites. But of course, the most amazing asset of this wood is its deep and authentic purple color. The color, which changes in character overtime and become a richer, deeper hue, is a wonder of woods. (Designed by Kimberly Manne of Warp Designs)
8. Lyptus Wood
Admit it, exotic things excite and attract us. Take the Koala bear, for example. Surely you would have to agree that this is a rare and beautiful animal that shows great taste in millwork material. The Eucalyptus plant has made it possible for us to have a naturally salmon hued wood that like us gets a little darker when spending time under UV rays. This wood makes for an amazing wide paneled floor as well as cabinetry and as mentioned earlier, for millwork such as doors, frames, and crown molding. There are so many areas of your home that can chew on the homey taste of Lyptus. (by Lapis Design Partners)
9. Maple Wood
This wood gets a lot of comparisons, one being the above, Lyptus, which proves that this is a wood worth emulating and there are many valid reasons it receives unabashed flattery. When not being groomed as bonsai Maple is manufactured into simple things like baseball bats or bowling pins, but due to its stark and evident grain, it is very comfortable as an interior concept. From floors to furniture, to paneled walls Maple in it of itself is beautiful enough to be considered décor alone, and is often made into decorative wooden pieces. (by VERMONT WOODS STUDIOS)
10. Poplar Wood
This wood has within the past ten years made a scientific breakthrough, as it’s the first tree to have its DNA decoded. But before Science published this information we all knew that Poplars DNA played an integral part of our homes DNA. For the plywood that frames our four walls to perfection that not even the bubble in the level can complain about, well it’s due to poplar wood.
Paper, matches, chopstick, surely one of these is found in your home as well? Yes not only is this wood structurally flexible, but it is jack-of-all-trades and has served us well, do you not think! Poplar may not be the most popular for furniture but like the other nine woods we dug our carving knives into today, it has a Hollywood charm that will make our house a home and invite the stars of our lives to come and sit, stand or dine upon. (by dSPACE Studio Ltd)
