“Mixing wood tones makes a room more inviting and effortless, rather than calculated and expected," says Hannon Douglas designer Hannon Kirk Doody, "I would not shy away from putting together, for instance, a painted oak table and a Louis XVI walnut commode." Doody also recommends dodging blandness by incorporating ...
Combining mixed wood types – such as oak, walnut, ash – has become increasingly popular over the last few years thanks to the laid-back, 'lived-in' trend sweeping the interior world. Contrasting woods create interest, insight personality and add depth to any living space – exuberating a warm and sleek aesthetic.
When it comes to contrasting our woods, we tend to keep it bold to avoid competing visual points. For example, if we have a light oak piece or finish we want to contrast, we'll likely pair it with a dark wood like walnut or stained maple.
Neutrally toned woods like Walnut are the most versatile. Walnut has soft purple undertones that work with warm and cool-toned wood alike. Feel free to mix dark and light woods of varying finishes and grain sizes so long as the undertones are consistent.
"I enjoy mixing maple with cherry or mahogany, and like blending walnut with cherry. For exotic woods, I often combine wenge with either lacewood or bubinga." Chuck Hedlund: "On traditional projects, subtle color differences work well. I'll go for sharper contrast on contemporary styles.
While wood finishes don't need to match, they should complement each other, Goerg says.
“Walnut has a warm undertone; it deepens and becomes richer and darker within the first year,” notes Laura. Walnut is becoming a top choice for several reasons. “So many people love the modern look but don't want it to appear cold.
Oak has a light to middle brown colour with some reddish hues, complimented by a straight and tight grain pattern. Walnut can range anywhere from a light brown to a deep, dark chocolate hue. Though its grain is very open and more coarse than maple, walnut still has a beautiful, uniform surface.
Dark Walnut stains look great with other dark colors, like plums, blues, greens, and dark reds. Alternatively, lighter colors like off-white, light grays, and other neutral shades can pleasantly contrast the eyes. Don't be afraid to mix different shades of stained wood and different types of wood in a room.
Walnut wood can change color depending on the way it's dried or its age. The heartwood usually is a dark brown color and the sapwood is a light yellow color. When the wood is left out in the elements, such as the sun, the lighter wood will turn darker and the darker wood will turn lighter.
Which colors best suit an oak wood trim? Compare lighter shades of oak with various darker paint colors (and vice versa) to determine the perfect match. You might choose complementing shades like smooth, velvety neutral shades, including beige, ivory, and gray as well as various hues of blue and green.
With dark wood cabinets, white and light paint colours look fantastic. Choose countertops in white, brown, black, or grey. Dark oak cabinets look great with off-white walls, maple or oak floors, and stainless steel hardware. Choose a dark oak kitchen table and stainless steel appliances as a finishing touch.
Oak planks with oak logs look great. The same can be said for spruce. Sandstone, another fairly easy block to come by, looks great with several other blocks. Oak and spruce logs, nether bricks and more can all pair well with sandstone, creating a light and dark theme.
Other species of oak, such as American White Oak, have a light-to-tan brown colour with a straight grain. Walnut, on the other hand, can have a characteristically sleek cream-to-chocolate brown colour — often with an alluring tinge of purple.
After all, they're both materials that are popularly used for hardwood flooring. That being said, oak is a slightly stronger hardwood product than walnut. Oak is one of the stronger and more durable natural wood options available for kitchen cabinets.
Neutrals infused with earthy tones like green and brown work beautifully here. However, avoid overloading your interiors with too much walnut furniture, especially if it has a dark hardwood floor. Break things up with a neutral area rug or think about neutral upholstery.
Walnut wood offers rich, brown colors that range from light to dark brown. The sapwood (outer part of the tree log) is pale yellow to white and the heartwood (center of the tree log) has brown shades that vary from light brown to dark chocolate brown with some dark brown streaks.
White walnut has a much lighter color than black walnut wood, but that's not the only difference: This wood is much softer, and it's not as durable against decay as the other types of black walnut wood. It's easy to work with, but because it's soft, it has a fuzzy surface, even after it's been sanded.
Walnut is more expensive than oak due to its scarcity, slower growth rate, and greater demand for its unique qualities such as its rich color and distinctive grain patterns.
Durability. Walnut is rated at a 1010 on the Janka Hardness Scale. European Oak is a 1360 on the same scale. This means that Oak is more durable than Walnut and will stand up better against constant use and daily wear and tear.
Yes, it's ok to mix wood tones in your home decor. In fact, it's encouraged!
This is a wood that while rising in popularity has always remained among the top choices of wood species. It's unique and durable characteristics make it a great option for those who wish their pieces to last a lifetime and charm to remain timeless.
Unless you're going for the lodge look, it's possible to have too much wood in a room — no matter how skillful you are at mixing the finishes.