Sarita says…

This month Sarita discusses the do’s and don’ts of mixing woods…

”One of the questions I hear all of the time is whether or not all of the wood finishes in one space should match. I tell everyone the same thing: absolutely not. It is not easy to mix and match different wood finishes and tones in one space, but it is achievable and it is desirable. A room with all matching wood tones on every piece of furniture will be uninteresting and lack variety. Variety is one of the most important principles of design and should not be underestimated. So, before you purchase that coffee and side table matching set consider picking pieces that complement each other but are NOT the same.

A few helpful tips for mixing woods:

1. Do include a variety of finishes and textures. You may want all of your wood tones in your space to be dark, but you can still incorporate variety by choosing different finishes on each dark wood piece. For instance, one piece may have a smooth and shiny finish, and another piece may have a matte finish with a visible wood grain.

2. Don’t do “matchy-matchy.” Stay away from sets of matching pieces, like coffee table and side tables. How boring! If you really like the coffee table then you should have it, but look elsewhere for side tables to go with it. It’s almost like fashion. Isn’t it more interesting to combine a necklace, earrings, and bracelet that all complement each other but aren’t matching? Or shoes that don’t necessarily match the color of your clothing but add a pop of color or fun pattern that complements what you’re wearing.

3. Do choose a primary finish for large pieces and use alternate or interesting finishes on smaller accent pieces like end tables, accent tables, or accessories. The key is to have a unified look that is full of variety, so it’s best to choose two or three wood tones and stick with them. Let one of the tones be the primary choice and choose large pieces in this finish – think media credenzas or dining tables. Then fill in the smaller pieces with your alternate tones and finishes – think small tables, stools, chairs, and shelving.

4. Do pay attention to the wood tones and finishes of the architectural elements of the space. Wood floors, kitchen cabinets, moldings, railings, and doors need to be considered when choosing which woods to select for furnishings. These elements (especially kitchen cabinets in open floor plans) can have a major influence on which woods will work best for furniture. A large majority of wood floors are usually in a light or medium wood tone and work with many different woods. But, there are some wood floors that don’t mix well with everything, for instance red-toned woods or very dark brown or black tones.”