Applications of wood for interior design products
Wood has been used for thousands of years throughout the planet by our ancestors for a wealth of building and interior related materials. Woodlands flourished across the planet and people quickly utilsed this material for building shelters, homes, pens for animals when farming began, heat and security to name but a few applications.
As societies gained wealth, wood was sculpted, dressed, cut and modeled by interior designers, carpenters, musicians and was being used as the de facto building material until the 19th and 20th centuries when metals, bricks and other man made materials began to take hold. Wood however still flourished, was still farmed and used for some of its incredible properties.
Properties of wood which work for interior products
Wood has inherent properties which make it ideal for an interior design related material. It can be incredibly strong. Some hardwoods will last centuries with little maintenance if kept indoors, this is a dream come true for furniture makers throughout the years. It’s strength is matched by it’s ability to be manipulated. Wood can be bent, cut, sanded, joined and strengthened with pins. This versatility makes wood another choice material. Wood is unique. This small detail makes wood another choice material for interior design applications, as no two pieces of wood are the same, which appeals to designers and home owners alike as they will have something personal to them. Wood can be treated with colours, it can be painted, stained, polished, lacquered , again lending itself to dream finishes.
Wood has also traditional been a locally sourced and naturally available material which builders and carpenters could source for projects from the location in which they were working. Unlike stone or other materials which might have been transported hundreds of miles, wood likely grew nearby, keeping costs down.
So we have a material which grows locally, is incredibly durable, cost effective due to it’s natural growth rate, it can be cut and shaped, it can be custom treated and finished. We have the near perfect material for multiple uses in the home.
Modern problems of this joyous material face us now, as the resources are depleting we look towards sustainable wood for long term security, we look to charities to help manage wood and we look to companies who supply environmentally friendly interior design products.