The Stars Of Unsellable Houses Are Obsessing Over One Design Trend - And It's Perfect For Your Own Home
In the world of interiors, a design trend can emerge from a few places. On the one hand, it's really a forecast, a prediction from insiders like manufacturers and industry journalists. Trends are influenced by purchasing patterns, the fashion industry, the economy, world events, and throwback design eras. Now, in the age of social media, consumers can also help a color, material, texture, or shape catch on fire until it suddenly appears everywhere. From a designer's point of view, a current trend beloved by HGTV's Lindsay Lamb and Leslie Davis of "Unsellable Houses" is the exuberant warmth of wood-on-wood. It's perfect if you're itching to fully renovate or simply upgrade by adding just a touch of wood to your home.
Trends in interior design have a much longer shelf life than those in the fashion industry, so they aren't "out" as quickly; the slow-living design trend is a perfect example. What makes wood so versatile is that even though it can pop up as a trend, it's also a classic and will remain a classic. No one will point to your wooden chest of drawers in the future as an eccentric design experiment that everyone's left behind. Lindsay Lamb says (via Lamb & Co.), "One of the beauties of natural wood elements is the fact that it's incredibly versatile and can be used in nearly any design, whether you're channeling your inner mid-century modern, rustic, or traditional vibes."
Ideas for how you can use wood-on-wood
Many of us already have natural hardwood flooring, which is beautiful, but this trend is about more than just floors; it's about doubling down and featuring wood in your home as a star. This trend is an opportunity to be super creative. You can reconfigure your walls with unusual wood shapes or add accents like mirrors with prominent, oversized wood detailing. In your dining space, consider swapping out metal or glass tables for wooden dining pieces. In addition to Lamb's ideas, we'd add two other unusual places to consider renovating or updating with wood — use horizontal wooden slats on the exterior of your home in a rich, inviting color, or if you're considering adding a kitchen island, have the base made of wood.
There are a few cautions to keep in mind. For instance, Lamb says, "Bathrooms are typically a place where we suggest shying away from wood flooring due to the moisture, but it is a great place to use statement accent pieces instead," such as bathroom fixtures like a vanity table. Stay away from woods that are gray or painted. The look here is warm, natural, and immediately identifiable as wood; think honey colors or lighter with visible grain.