The search engine requests from my web statistics give me insight into what people are googling to be to Design Strategies. I have noticed some version of the terms Mixing Woods every month.

Like many decorating decisions, the introduction of wood tones into a plan requires some conscious awareness, but at the same time, when I visit a space for a first time I never think, “Well, this would be nice if the wood tones coordinated better.”

I hear about this fear from my clients, too. Mixing Wood Tones scares people. I think part of this comes from the choices of the recent past. About 20 years ago there was natural oak (country) and deep cherry (traditional). And they didn’t work very well in the same space.

Today case goods are readily available in retail furniture stores in an easier mix of palettes. Deep nearly grain-less dark brown tones commonly called espresso and equally grain-less birch are very common. Both play well with others.

Choose wood tones that coordinate well with the entire plan. The fore mentioned oak works well in casual rooms, where the rules are looser. If the flooring is wood, consideration should be given to its tone as well. It is not necessary to match the wood on the furniture to the wood on the floor. Not necessary or even desirable. A knotty pine floor, oak cabinetry and painted end tables could be interesting here. In a contemporary plan, light bamboo floors would be a perfect backdrop to a dynamic teak.