Warm up your home with wood accents We believe home renovation companies should not only be knowledgeable on British architecture and planning, but also interior design. At Home Tales, whether our clients are looking to carry out a loft conversion, bedroom refurbishment or a ground floor extension in London, we go above and beyond to meet their needs. Sometimes this involves suggesting materials and feature that would best suit their proposal, which is dependent on the type of style they are going for within their home. In this post, we would like to talk about why wood can be a great addition to a household, and how it adds warmth to any room. During these cold nights, don’t we all deserve to feel safe and snug? Important traits People love the look of wood in their homes, and we want to share our theory on why that is. Firstly, wood is irrefutably beautiful, with an array of unique grains and colours that add character and texture to any interior. It physically warms up any home, as wood is naturally a good insulator. It feels warm to the touch compared to other materials, as the heat from your hand takes longer to transfer to the material. For example, tiling is durable and stylish, but can feel stark on your hands and feet, especially when it comes to stepping out of the shower. These seemingly small differences add to an overall feeling of warmth. Wood naturally emits a calming effect in the home, as it reminds us of the great outdoors. It helps ground us, as we subconsciously associate it with nature. Imagine a peaceful forest or cabin where you can only hear the crackling of a campfire at your feet. This scenario involves wood in all forms! As wood is a fibrous material, it produces pleasant acoustics that many homeowners enjoy. For these reasons, there have been sweeping historical movements that have worked to incorporate more wood into residential architecture, such as traditional farmhouse or the Arts and Craft movement. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of these designs in modern homes, with Scandinavian interiors becoming increasingly popular. Finnish architecture reflects its surroundings in this way. Furthermore, sustainability and environmental awareness also play into this increase in interest. How to incorporate it into your home We believe wood is a timeless addition to any household and should be strongly considered when renovating or extending a property. Now that we’ve covered the nature of this material, what steps can be made to integrate it into an interior? Hardwood floors are an investment that can add a lot of value to your home. They can be dressed up or down, are easy to maintain, improves with age, and retains heat better than laminate flooring. If you don’t want to shell out on hardwood floors, introduce smaller accents into your home. This could be an elegant wooden chair with a warm finish, wooden shelving to proudly display your baby photos, or even wooden frames to mount said photos. You don’t have to go crazy with it and make your whole interior wooden, but even changes to small details such as kitchen cabinet handles would make a difference to the vibe of a room. You could replace your current kitchen countertop with a butcher’s block, repurpose reclaimed wood for your dinner table, or install hanging barn doors for a strong rustic interior. Scandinavian interior design has rapidly grown in popularity around the world. This type of design originates from the frosty countries of Northern Europe and involves a minimalistic layout with muted tones, and cosy features. This style values lightness in a room. Whites and warm browns, with accents of black show up often in modern Scandinavian design. Naturally, these homes feature plenty of wooden accents throughout, as warm stained wood contributes a bright and sunny atmosphere to a room. Scandinavian countries famously have a high standard of living, with Finland previously ranking number 1 on the list of countries with the highest quality of life. No wonder the rest of the world wants to adopt their style! Wood is not only lovely to look at, but it is also a sustainable material that lasts for decades, making it particularly popular in the current environmentally aware climate. Fun fact In Copenhagen, Denmark, there is a commune called Freetown Christiania with around 850 inhabitants that live separately from those in the city. When walking through their streets, there are many workshops that source and sell timber to the occupants to build their own homes! The majority of these homes have furniture and decorations mostly made from wood. This is an extreme of what we are talking about, but it is beautiful to see people so in-tune with nature. We hope to see more natural materials in residential architecture, as it looks amazing and is better for the environment, especially if sourced locally! If you would like to speak to a professional about your home improvement project, our friendly and knowledgeable team would love to hear from you. We can be contacted on 02070432378, or via email at hello@hometales.co.uk. Alternatively, you can book a telephone consultation here, at a time that best suits your schedule. We look forward to helping you build your dream home!
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