A plank slate: Wood panel options abound
Whether reclaimed pine, oak, walnut or laminate, you have lots of choices
Q Is wood panelling on walls making a comeback? I’ve been thinking about putting wood panelling into our basement. I’ve been seeing it in restaurants, clothing stores and on Pinterest. I saw you talking about it on television and I wonder if you can go over which wood is the best for home use — love that mod farmhouse style.
A Wood on the walls is definitely big, but it’s not the super- fake wood panelling of the ’ 70s, and, thank heavens not orange knotty pine. So I will continue with my mission still — “to paint orange knotty pine, one cottage at a time.” As far as woods that look dynamite on a wall, I’ve done a little shopping for you and selected four species ( OK, OK, one is a faker!)
Reclaimed pine is on the top of my list. Pine is a soft wood and is easy to install, but be prepared for dents and scratches if you use it on floors. That said, while natural pine is orange, the reclaimed pine I’ve selected is a darker brown and it gets better with use. Reclaimed pine also provides a great back- drop for many colours and styles of furniture. Whereas the orange pine that we see in many cottages is limiting — it looks good with white and pale linens or spare modern furniture, but for many people light- coloured furniture is too high maintenance and clean- lined furnishings feel too austere. For a more rustic look, opt for wider planks. The starting price is $ 12 per square foot.
Walnut is a designer favourite because of the beauty and softness of the grain. It’s often used on walls and kitchen cabinets and comes in colours ranging from nearly white to dark brown. Though it’s classified as a hardwood, it’s on the softer side, so, again, you have to be prepared for scratches and dents on floors. The starting price is $ 10 per square foot.
Oak comes in multiple colours, especially that washed- out grey that you are seeing everywhere. It takes stain well and has a flat matte finish and is great for anyone who wants to lighten up a space. The super- wide 7.5- inch planks remind me of log cabin walls. The great thing about this hardwood is that it’s very durable and the grain hides any damage. ( Most flooring in homes from the ’ 60s and ’ 70s were finished with red oak narrow-strip or parquet floors).
Engineered oak means the top layer is made of natural wood and the core is layers of plywood laminated together for durability. Because engineered floors are straight and flat, they are easier to install than regular solid hardwood that can have bends or bows. If you want wider plank, you’ll want to consider using engineered floors, because wide natural planks tend to move and split, whereas engineered tends to stay in place and warp less. Oiled oak needs to be oiled biannually and starts at $ 8 per square foot.
The final contender is a laminate. When I first saw this floor at the Darmaga showroom ( darmaga. com), I was drawn to it because the planks varied so much in colour. There are whitewashed areas and turquoise spots that make it look like salvaged wood from a painted barn. The price starts at $ 3 per square foot.
One last thing to keep in mind is that narrow planks look best with spare architecture and clean- lined modern furniture. If your style is more classic, those narrow planks can look like you had extra flooring that you ran up the walls.