WAYS WITH WOOD

trend five

Wood has a perennial beauty and, while finishes and types go in and out of fashion, its popularity as a versatile building material with warmth and interest never wanes. Reclaimed woods with their varied texture and colouring – and minimal eco-footprint – are especially sought after. Also on trend: interesting treatments to enhance grain, or combine them with paints and stains. The same wood can look very different depending on how it is sawn, burnished, brushed or treated (with oil, varnish or wax).

THIS KITCHEN FEATURES LIGHTLY OILED OAK IN MANY OF ITS ELEMENTS – BASE UNITS, WORKTOPS, A DEEP UPSTAND AND SIMPLE, OPEN SHELVING – AND DOESN’T BECOME BLAND BECAUSE IT IS ONLY IN A SMALL AREA AND HAS PLENTY OF CONTRASTING TONES AND TEXTURES.

THE SIMPLICITY OF THIS LITTLE KITCHEN IN THE SUSSEX DOWNS LIES IN THE BEAUTY OF ITS TACTILE SURFACES AND ASSORTMENT OF HANDCRAFTED WOODEN FEATURES. WOOD IS SUCH A TIMELESS MATERIAL THAT IT’S POSSIBLE TO BLEND PIECES FROM DIFFERENT AGES AND TYPES.

WOOD HAS ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES AND ITS TREATMENT HUGELY AFFECTS ITS APPEARANCE, ALLOWING YOU TO EASILY COMBINE TONES AND GRAINS. HERE, A SIMPLE CONTEMPORARY STYLE WITH FINGER HOLES USES OAK IN DIFFERENT PLANES AND VARIED FINISHES TO KEEP IT INTERESTING (LAVENHAMJOINERY.CO.UK).

WHETHER YOU WANT A glamorous spa, walk-in wet room, quirky hideaway or lush plant paradise, the bathroom can be the perfect place to get your creative juices flowing. These days, more and more of us give just as much consideration to the look and feel of our bathrooms as we do to the rest of the house. To help you realise your dream design, we’ve tapped into the latest big trends for the smallest room.