When it comes to decorating your home, mixing patterns, colors, and design styles might feel like second nature. However, one aspect that can pose a challenge is deciding whether to mix different types or tones of wood. While sticking to one wood finish might seem like the safe option, designers often advocate for incorporating variety to add depth and dimension to a room. Mixing wood types and tones is not only possible but encouraged by design experts.
Understanding Undertones
Emily Henderson, a renowned designer, stylist, and blogger, emphasizes that mixing different wood types is easy when you follow one simple rule: ensure that the undertones match. Undertones refer to the underlying hues present in wood finishes, categorized into warm, cool, or neutral tones.
- Warm Tones: Wood with red and orange undertones, such as cherry, maple, and oak, belong to the warm tone family.
- Cool Tones: Woods with blue or gray casts, often found in stained woods, fall into the cool tone family.
- Neutral Tones: Woods with undertones that can appear both warm and cool but tend to lean slightly yellow are considered neutral.
Implementing the Rule
In any room, there will be a dominant wood tone, whether it’s from the flooring or a prominent piece of furniture like a coffee table or wardrobe. Start by identifying this dominant tone—whether warm, cool, or neutral—which will serve as a guide for incorporating complementary tones throughout the space using decorative accents.
Following Henderson’s rule ensures cohesion among multiple wood pieces in a room. By sticking to similar undertones, you create a harmonious look that ties the space together. However, Henderson acknowledges that if you love how two wood pieces look together, even if their undertones don’t perfectly match, it’s perfectly acceptable to embrace the mix. Sometimes, unexpected combinations yield remarkable results.
