Hardwoods give you the freedom to mix and match
Concerned about which American hardwood to choose? Think you have to select just one so that the floors, furniture, cabinets and moldings all “match?”
Relax, say the experts at the Hardwood Information Center. Don’t be afraid to blend different but complementary hardwoods and stains.
“‘Everything matching’ is a mistake; it’s not fashionable,” says New York kitchen designer Florence Perchuk. Match woods in trim, floors and cabinets? “No! Forget about matching! What’s important is the relationship,” says Patricia Hart McMillan, author of “Decorating for Dummies” (Wiley). A room with three or four warm woods is far more visually inviting than the matchy look.
For example, it’s important to consider the role you want your hardwood floor to play. A light floor will set off dark furniture beautifully or vice versa: the higher the contrast, the greater the impact. To get acquainted with the possibilities, visit www.hardwoodinfo.com to see 22 American hardwoods in natural, light, medium and dark finishes.
And don’t forget that hardwoods are a naturally soothing counterpoint to the starkness of home electronics. Designer John Buscarello says, “Flat-screen TVs are very big, cold, flat things; surrounding wood softens the high tech items.”Remember: interplays of hue, pattern and texture are the keys to successful interior design. You’d never cover every piece of furniture in the same pattern and fabric. Why repeat one wood on every surface?
Here are five easy ways to express yourself with American Hardwoods:1. Add semi-custom cabinets throughout the house for extra storage that will organize, simplify and de-stress your life.
2. Feature hardwood moldings along the ceiling. Simple crown moldings begin around $3/foot; carved at $22/foot. Splurge with coffered beams ($8,000 to $12,000 for a 12 x 14 room) or halve that cost with plain beams.
3. Go for that maple countertop: dents, burns and nicks are easily repaired and you’ll never know they happened.
4. Make any room more luxurious with classic hardwood blinds or shutters.
5. Accent the dining room with chair rails or wainscoting.