THE WONDER OF WOOD

Learn how to incorporate natural, welcoming wood elements into your farmhouse.

Learn how to incorporate natural, welcoming wood elements into your farmhouse.

Wood is an essential element and building material for farmhouse style.

But why? Part of the reason is historical: When settlers were moving out West and farming the land, lumber was the cheapest and most sustainable option for building a farmhouse. Now, though, with many other options such as steel, concrete, glass and brick, farmhouse lovers still adorn their homes with wood. In their new book Made of Wood: In The Home, authors Mark and Sally Bailey describe why: “Blackened by time, worn by use, bleached by the sun or smoothed by the sea, timber is a survivor.” Here are some ways you can add this classic farmhouse element to your own home.

WHICH WOOD?

Before you start any renovations with wood, it’s important to decide what type to use. Each wood has distinct traits such as grain pattern and durability. These are important to consider when choosing what wood to work with for your home, whether you’re adding wood paneling or a piece of vintage furniture. Here’s a quick summary of a few styles of wood:

• Ash: A light-colored, tough hardwood, known for its bendability and straight grain pattern.

• Beech: A hard, strong, heavy wood that’s very light in color, with an even texture and fine grain pattern.

• Mahogany: A traditional, versatile hardwood with colors that range from medium brown to deep red brown.

• Maple: A durable, moisture-resistant wood that’s pale in color with a swirling grain pattern—the ideal wood to withstand wear and tear.

• Oak: A popular, sturdy choice for homes that comes in a two-color variety of white and red, both with an open grain pattern.

• Pine: An affordable, lightweight softwood that blends well with other wooden accents.

APPLICATIONS

Once you have your flavor of wood picked out, it’s time to apply it to your designs. From flooring to interior paneling or a piece of furniture, utilize new wooden elements to play along with your existing farmhouse décor. Be sure to create balance with other contrasting elements like industrial metal, glamorous glass or natural textiles like linen or wool.

An easy way to start adding wood into your home is to collect a few vintage furniture pieces, such as bookshelves, dressers or tables. These larger pieces immediately make other wooden accents pop, especially if you’ve matched the wood to your other décor.

When it comes time to paint, consider adding panels such as shiplap. Wood gives warmth and texture to a room, and you can always paint over it if you get tired of the natural wood look.

Overall, wood always has a place in the construction of our homes. Whether as the underlying foundation or the eyecatching accents, wood’s natural element is a key player in what makes your farmhouse a welcoming abode.

This cozy dining nook offers wide spanning views framed by natural wood. The allwood window seat runs the full width of the room, feeling like an extension of the paneling itself. Other wooden accents like the dining table and end tables contrast with the metal light fixtures, hardy linen pillows and sheepskin throws. If you live in a home where addingwood paneling isn’t an option, use furniture to add that rustic farmhouse vibe instead. See page 53 for a chippy painted furniture DIY.

This farmhouse has natural, painted brickwork and exposed wooden beams. Antique wood furniture pieces are scattered throughout the kitchen, including built-in oak lintel cabinets that flank each side of the cream-colored Aga range cooker.

Each wood hasdistinct traits such as grain pattern and durability.

(above, left) Exposed wood paneling creates a rustic, natural backdrop for this work space, with its simple trestle table and Edwardian swivel chair. The differing shades of wood create contrast against one another, despite being the same material. (above, right) This cozy bathroom houses a classic clawfoot bathtub and extended shelving. Here, the wood speaks for itself with a rich caramel color that has varying grain patterns. The shelving displays a collection of bottles, glassware and ceramic soap dishes to complement the wood elements.MADE WITH WOOD: IN THE HOME BYMARK AND SALLY BAILEY, PUBLISHEDBY RYLAND PETERS & SMALL, © 2018;RYLANDPETERS.COM.