Mixing wood tones is definitely seeing its time in the sun. Gone are the days of completely matching furniture sets, and instead everyone is embracing the eclectic mix and match style. But how do you go about creating the look without going crazy mixing wood tones? In this situation, your best friend is simply the colour white. Let’s take a look at some of the top tips when it comes to mixing wood tones, and then we’ll show you how to use white to help bring the whole look together.
Find an anchor piece
Your anchor piece is the focal point of the room and you can expect the rest of the look to flow from it. Sometimes, it can be the inspiration for the style of the room or it could be just a beautiful piece that you want to highlight like one of these wood craft ideas.
For many rooms, this anchor piece will be a coffee table, dining table, bed, dresser, or another large piece of wood furniture.
Choose a dominant wood tone
Your dominant wood tone can come from your anchor piece or it can be created by choosing a common wood tone for the different pieces of furniture dotted around the space.
If you have a wood floor, this will often naturally become your dominant wood tone. But you shouldn’t completely match your furniture and wood floor using the same wood tone. Instead, use wood floors as a jumping-off point for mixing wood tones.
For example, if you have very light wood floors, then placing dark wood furniture or dark painted wood pieces on them will contrast nicely.
Mixing wood furniture finishes
Mixing wood tones is important but you also need to think about the wood finishes. Whether your wood furniture is matte or gloss, it needs to mix and match together nicely to create a cohesive look.
One solution is to use the same wood finishes throughout the space, with a mix of contrasting wood tones. This way, all of the furniture pieces will tie in together even though they are different tones.
Another solution is to use different finishes to create contrast with matching wood furniture styles.
Mixing different styles
A common way of creating an eclectic look for any room in the house is to use a mix of different furniture styles. For example, you might have a classic sideboard in your dining room contrasting with a modern style dining table. Or you could have an old-fashioned coffee table paired with a modern sofa.
The key to making this mix look intentional is to pay attention to the details. If you can find common elements that tie the pieces together this can help. For example, if they have similar lines, the same accent color, or the same metal accessories, this can help them to feel cohesive.
Opting for neutral bedding should make it easier to work with different styles, particularly white elements.
Lean into repetition
Just because you are going for a mix and match look, that doesn’t mean that absolutely everything has to be different from everything else. In fact, deliberately including repetition into the design can do wonders for tying a space together.
This is often achieved using colour, with the same accent colours repeated throughout the room, what is becoming popular is chalk paint. But it can also be achieved by using repetitive wood tones. For example, a light dominant wood tone intermixed with repetitive smaller dark wood pieces will help the room to make sense.
Use fabrics and texture
One element that is often neglected when people think about how to mix wood tones is the inclusion of textures and fabrics. A great mix of different wood tones can still look flat if the room is full of the same wood texture.
Fabrics are your best friend here. An area rug is a great way of breaking up wood floors and the furniture that stands on it. Window dressing, a dining room table cover, cushions, and more can all be used to add texture and to bring your colour scheme together.
But you can even add texture by using different materials for your furniture and accessories. Mixing metals, stone, and glass, for example, can all help to give the space more impact.
So where does white come into it?
White and wood tones are one of those perfect combinations that never go out of style. While both wood tones and white are neutral, white adds a clean and bright element to the mix that can help to highlight the wood tones, provide contrast, and create continuity and a soothing transition.
Using a white anchor piece
Your anchor piece doesn’t necessarily have to mix wood tones. You can use a white anchor piece to make the room feel brighter, whether it’s painted wood or another material altogether. The anchor doesn’t always have to be central; you can use a corner drinks cabinet like these too.
White as a dominant tone
Bright white walls are always popular. They create a clean backdrop onto which you can apply essentially any style. Any wood tones that you place against white walls, including both dark wood and light, will be highlighted.
White as a furniture finish
Painted white furniture is popular with people aiming for a cottage or vintage style. The benefit of it is that any other wood tones that you include, and especially dark wood, will have just enough contrast to shine.
White as a repetition colour
One of the best ways of using white to tie a room together is to use it as the repetition colour. Splashes of white throughout the room, through things like accessories, a white slipcovered sofa, a white dining table or coffee table, white wood trim or even white wood floors, can make the whole room feel lighter and bigger and will make all the different furniture pieces tie in together.
The bottom line
If you want to mix wood tones, there are some helpful tips and rules that can help you. And for every one of these tips, the colour white can be the perfect addition to help the entire look tie together. If you’re struggling to find the right feel for your room, lean into using white as your saving grace.