How To Mix Wood Tones; our top 3 tips to get you started

Lived in spaces develop over time. Gone are the days of living room and bedroom sets and we’re not sad to see them go!

More often than not, we collect pieces as we go and matching the wood tones in old and new pieces is not only near impossible, it can also be boring and flat.

Mixing wood tones in your space adds interest, warmth and a touch of rustic charm. Once you get the hang of these basics, you’ll never look back.

1. Pick Your Dominant

We recommend always starting with finding your dominant wood tone. From caramel, honey and chocolate, this images shows varying warm wood tones, all pulled from the rustic reclaimed wood feature wall and neutralized with modern white cabinetry.

Picking your dominant wood tone doesn’t mean you can’t mix warm and cool tones, contrasting tones can also bring a balanced interest to spaces, but have a dominant and keep it in mind.

Read more about this rustic Tiny House Project by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design here.

Warm vs. Cool Tones

Warm woods like Cherry, Mahogany, Hickory and Walnut, have undertones of yellow, red and orange.

Cool woods like Ash, Poplar and Pine have undertones of gray and blue.

Neutrally toned woods like Walnut are the most versatile.

2. Spread and Balance

Now that you have your dominant wood tone and maybe even a prominent light, medium or dark wood tone within that, spread it throughout the space to bring visual consistency and balance.

You want your eye and interest to travel around the room, taking it in as a whole, rather than have one piece or area that is so demanding and heavy, that it pulls your attention immediately to it.

Photo by @remodelaholic who has a great article and more wood mixing tips here.

3. Add a Barrier

Remember that your wood floors count here!

Adding an area rug or other textile to the picture acts as a great divider between differing wood textures and tones and can also add another great eye-catching feature.

White is also a neutralizing barrier between tones, think cabinetry, table bases, chair legs.

Photo by @malfattiinteriors