How To Mix Wood Tones Like A Professional

thais553
Jul 21, 2021
2 min read

While people are getting more and more adventurous with mixing periods and styles in their home, one of the puzzling questions we're always asked as editors is how to mix wood tones in a room. Whether it's matching a dining table to an existing hardwood floor or trying to mix several wood furniture pieces together, many people are hesitant to combine different woods in a space. But let's say here first, the era of matchy-matchy furniture is over. Say goodbye to the furniture sets of yore, because mixing wood tones can be just as beautiful as mixing metals in a room.

Let's see some tricks!

The goal in design when mixing anything from colors to styles is to create continuity—a design conversation or story, if you will. By paying attention to details such as undertones, finish, and wood grain, it becomes easier to mix and match confidently.

Pick a Dominant Wood Tone:

While mixing wood tones is perfectly acceptable—and in fact, we encourage it—it always helps to pick a dominant wood tone as a starting point to help you choose other pieces to bring in the room. If you have wood floors, your work here is done — those are your dominant wood tone. Otherwise, pick the largest furniture piece in the room like a desk, dresser, or dining table. When choosing your other wood tones to add to the space, always consult your dominant shade first.

Match the Undertones

Another helpful tip for mixing wood tones is to match the undertones between different pieces. Just like you would when choosing new makeup or clothes, figuring out undertones first can make all of the difference. Pay attention to whether your dominant wood tone is warm, cool, or neutral, and stay in the same family to create a coherent thread.

Try to use some Contrast

If you're feeling more daring, contrast is your friend. It may seem counterintuitive, but going for high-contrast shades can actually work seamlessly.For example: the light warm wood floors could becomplemented with a dark, almost inky, walnut chair and plenty of medium wood tones on the piano and ceiling beams. Playing with contrast adds visual interest and gives a design more depth while repeating shades (like the warm wood floors and matching accent chairs) gives the space some continuity.