Use Different Wood Species to Enhance Look and Feel

by Doreen Schofield

We just finished up the season of home remodeling shows and I talked with many people.  We chatted about a lot of things, but one topic was reoccurring.   “I have oak woodwork in my home so I have to stick with oak cabinets.”   Nothing could be further from the truth.

In the 1990s, the housing market was booming.  New subdivisions and neighborhoods were popping up everywhere.  Country was the trend, and oak was abundant and affordable.  The trend was to match.  Tables matching the chairs, matching the cabinets, matching the molding, matching the staircases and floors!  This trend was so popular, people began to think it was a rule.  My goal today is to tell you, there is no rule and the oak-matching trend of the ’90s has ended.

But what do we do with our oak?  The answer is easy.  And the timing is perfect.

We coordinate new species of wood with complimentary textures and grains and/or we paint it.

Popular wood species derives from supply and we are abundant in hickory, maple, and bamboo.  Some of us desire exotic woods like Tiger wood, Rosewood, and black wood.  And luckily for us oak owners, all these woods blend beautifully with oak!

Learning about the characteristics of wood will help when choosing woods that coordinate.  I’ve highlighted the most popular below.

With help from a Callen Sales Design Consultant, like me, finding complementary stain options for mixing wood is as easy as picking out an outfit for the day.  Our cabinet supplier Starmark offers 10 species of woods and hundreds of stains and glazes.  For example, golden oak has honey undertones and becomes bright and bold when coordinated with Mocha on maple wood.   Dark nutmeg oak becomes deep and rich when combined with Butterscotch on bamboo.

But we have lots of wood in our homes: cabinets, doors, moldings, windows, floors, and most times too much of anything is just that – too much.   Painting is another solution to obtain moderation.  Strategic paint colors can open and brighten a room, enhance wall and wood color, and break up the monotony of repetition.  A dramatic successful look is to have doors and windows stained, but the casings and moldings painted.   Painted moldings draw a spotlight to a stained fireplace or stained cabinets.  Painted spindles and risers make stained stairs become interesting attention grabbers.  Picking a paint color is personal preference.  Some like glossy white, others cream and ivory.  I’ve dabbled in black recently and the result is breathtaking!

These photos show how combining wood species (Golden oak, Natural, and Chestnut maple) with painted moldings and casings invigorate the existing oak doors and floors.  The combination of light oak and dark maple adds interest and creates focal points.  Alternating wood colors highlight the saturated color of the kitchen walls.

As a designer, I’m driven and inspired by trends.  Designing in the 1990s was fun, but I’m happy to say designing in the new millennium is fulfilling.  To be able to create more personality and more interest in someone’s home re-engages and energizes us.  We’re tired of the same old, same old.  So let’s update our homes with an interesting variety that is as eclectic as we are.  The best designs come from homes that look collected, not designed.  I’m here to help.