If you’ve spent some time in modern homes, you may have notice that reclaimed wood is one of the most eye-catching trends in interior design. With its immediate warmth and character that evokes pleasant emotions and visual wonder, reclaimed wood has been making a resurgence in recent years. This is due in part to reclaimed woods ability to be used for both interior and exteriors, but also because it is an ecologically-friendly building material. With sustainable materials being lauded for reducing their impact on the world, reclaimed wood has numerous advantages over newer wood, including:
- more stability than recently-harvested wood
- natural patina
- more cost-effective than new material
- less susceptible to mold and pests
- character and charm from wear & tear
It’s also worthy to note that reclaimed wood is at home—pun intended—in nearly every room of your house. In its most simple usages as a decoration, reclaimed wood accents draw the eye and can influence how a home’s occupants view the space in a welcoming light. Due to increased strength of reclaimed wood, it can be used to reinforce structures or renovate areas of your house that may need more support. Or, if you’re looking to refurbish your home with this elegant material, reclaimed wood works perfect for cabinets and furniture, as well.
In this article, we’ll touch on a number of interior design trends that use reclaimed wood.
Interior Design Trend #1: Fireplace
First thought that comes to mind when one thinks about wood is fire, so it makes sense to install a reclaimed wood fireplace mantel to match the coziness and natural warmth from your home. Another good interior design trend using reclaimed wood is planking the fireplace with decorative wall panels, which can be adorned with framed photos and other accents to transform a no-frills fireplace into the centerpiece of your home with a modern feel.
Interior Design Trend #2: Shelves
As the years go by, homeowners tend to accumulate more things than they have places to put them. Luckily, installing reclaimed wood shelves anywhere that you have space can create storage space and open up your walls to new eye-catching designs. Wood shelves are incredibly easy to install—all you need is wall anchors and a level—and you now have places for those charming knick knacks, souvenirs from trips, and anything else you’d love to display.
Interior Design Trend #3: Flooring
Considering homeowners spend a good portion of their waking hours on their home’s floor, it makes sense that using a versatile material for flooring is a sound decision. Reclaimed wood can be sealed with any type of finish, sealant or lacquer that “regular” wood uses. This gives it the versatility you’d come to expect with wood, but reclaimed wood has a character that can transform ordinary spaces into unique distressed wood flooring that has a lived-in quality, which newer materials can’t approximate.
Interior Design Trend #4: Wood Beams
Reclaimed wood beams are a good demonstration of the versatility of reclaimed wood. As mentioned in the introduction, reclaimed wood can bolster your existing structure, whether you choose to use reclaimed barn wood to highlight your exterior and provide support that can stand the test of time. Or, you can use it as an accent to supplement the ceiling space of your home. If you’re truly ambitious, using wood beams to create a structure for a loft space can add untold value to your home, particularly when guests stay the night.
As you can see, there are a number of interior design trends that demonstrate a myriad of uses for reclaimed wood. If you’re looking for more information about reclaimed wood, including the process that goes into making it and how to maintain its appearance for years to come, check out the infographic below.
