Interior design of a house made of timber

In this post we’ll talk about how to create a harmonious and stylish interior of a house made of timber, and what techniques and solutions will be needed for this.

Design: Anna Garmash, Vedran Brkic

In what style can such a house be decorated?

Many people associate the abundance of wooden surfaces with something cozy, close to nature, which is why furnishings with rustic motifs and a country slant are so suitable for houses made of timber. However, these are not the only possible options. Let's take a closer look at these and other suitable styles.

Country, Mediterranean and Provence. These styles are based on furniture, decoration, fabrics, light and decor in the classics with a provincial touch. Such solutions will organically complement the design of a house made of timber, and small crevices that will appear on the surfaces of walls and ceilings over time will only add atmosphere to the atmosphere.

To create a Provençal and Mediterranean aesthetic, the wood is either bleached or tinted a light blue shade. Country is usually about dark wood.

Design: Eduard Grigoriev & Alla Grigorieva

Scandinavian. When decorating a home in this direction, furniture and lamps with Nordic design are used in the aesthetics of Gubi, Fritz Hansen, Louis Polsen and other Nordic brands.
The wood is coated with white varnish or oil: this way the wood pattern will be clearly visible through the coating and will not turn yellow over time. Cold, grayish shades of white would be appropriate for a Scandi interior.

Chalet. The DNA of this style is an emphasis on “winter” thick fabrics, comfortable low furniture, and retro decor. Wood surfaces can be tinted with both dark and light shades.

Design: IDinterior design
Design: IDinterior design

Design: IDinterior design

Hamptons. Or the style of houses in a famous resort town on the Atlantic coast - a kind of American classic. It features white or light gray walls with dark contrasting elements, lots of linen fabrics and shiny metallic finishes.

In the spirit of a Russian estate. This style produces the most elegant, nostalgic interiors. You will need tiled tiles in the entrance area, traditional multi-color carpets in the living areas, classic furniture, heavy curtains with tassels, lace fabrics and paintings on large canvases in the style of Russian impressionism.

Design: Boris Valuev and Albert Ghazaryan
Design: Boris Valuev and Albert Ghazaryan

Design of finishing a house made of timber: 5 basic rules in the selection of materials

1. Wood is a material with a pronounced texture that attracts a lot of attention, so it is important to balance it with other finishes: natural stone, porcelain stoneware, concrete and microcement, brickwork, wallpaper.

Design: TS Design

2. The active rhythm that is set by the laying of timber should also be balanced, no matter what type of timber is used in construction: glued, profiled, rounded or block-house timber. The simplest and most effective way is to choose a floor covering that contrasts with the walls and ceiling. The coating should differ from the wood on the walls and ceiling in texture, element size, color and degree of lightness. The following will also help balance the rhythm of laying wooden walls and ceilings:

horizontal blinds,
slatted partitions,
coffered ceiling elements.

Design: ArtHall

3. A good, expressive technique is to combine several types of wood. Most often, designers resort to it when they design calm, monochrome interiors. A log combined with clapboard and wooden panels will add expressiveness to the interior of a house made of timber and will not let you get bored among similar colors.

Design: Arch.Item

4. Do not coat wood with clear varnish. Over time, the coating will unsightly darken and turn red, and the interior will resemble a dark bathhouse.

Design: VSL

5. The more elegant the interior solution is conceived, the more smooth, glossy textures it should have. These can be shiny metals, polished stone or porcelain tiles, wallpaper with a silky surface, glass.

Design: Irina and Yuri Vopshinov

Application of various compositions

For the interior decoration of a wooden house, several types of compositions are used: varnishes, paints, mastics, oils. They can be transparent, tinting and impregnating, but all have the main purpose - protecting wood from moisture and rotting.

Ways to protect wood from rotting

For interior work, glossy, matte and semi-gloss varnish compositions are used. The most commonly used materials are water-based, which eliminates strong odors, although it somewhat lengthens the drying time. If quick drying is necessary, you can use nitro varnishes, which require careful ventilation after completion of work. The glossy variety is intended for hallways, living rooms, and common areas. The matte option is more suitable for bedrooms, especially children's bedrooms.

For interior work, glossy, matte and semi-gloss varnish compositions are used.

Paints are used to create an opaque coating and are often combined with the application of plaster. The main advantage is the ability to provide any color scheme in accordance with the chosen interior. Acrylic paints and enamels are widely used.

Painting timber walls

Wax mastic can be transparent or in various shades to emphasize the wood texture. It reliably protects the timber from moisture and preserves the natural pattern of the structure for a long time. This material has an increased cost, but it does not form a surface film, which provides a breathing effect for the wood.

Wax mastic for walls

Impregnation with an oil composition protects the wood from rotting and provides a golden hue while maintaining the texture. Natural oils are used: linseed oil or so-called Danish oil obtained by cold pressing.

Danish oil for wooden walls

What should cabinet furniture be like?

The main principle is not to select cabinets, cupboards, shelves and cabinets and kitchen furniture made of wood to match the main wooden finish. Choose furniture that is richer, darker or lighter, otherwise you will end up with an inexpressive, blurry interior.

A beautiful effect will be achieved by combining smooth, uniform-colored wooden facades next to wood with a pronounced texture - an abundance of knots, dots, saw-cut patterns on the walls and ceiling.

Design: The Visualist

Design: Olesya Fedorenko

Design: Marina Gaskova

Preparation for finishing

It is not always advisable to veneer walls from the inside. If the inter-crown insulation is invisible, and the design is neat and tidy, then the sheathing can be abandoned and replaced with cheaper, practical paints and varnishes. However, if the caulking seams are unattractive, there are surface defects, and the texture is uneven, then only finishing will correct the situation.

It is very important to protect wood from mold and mildew, regardless of the characteristics of the materials used. Manufacturers offer effective, safe, inexpensive antiseptics especially for such purposes. Additionally, you can take fire retardants, which, as the name suggests, make the texture non-flammable.

How to choose fabrics?

The appropriate composition, degree of gloss and pattern will be determined by the chosen style. But when choosing the tone in which the upholstery of sofas and headboards, curtains, blankets and towels for the kitchen will be decided, it is worth taking into account the temperature of the prevailing shade of wood in the house.

Wood with a yellow or orange undertone is best shaded with fabrics in cold colors: blue, blue, purple, mint, shades of gray, especially graphite.

Design: Tatyana Ilyina (Sorokina)

Timber tinted in cool blue, gray and white shades will balance fabrics in sand, ocher, and honey tones.

Design: Anna Lazareva

If the color of the timber is difficult to classify as clearly defined warm or cold shades, you can complement the wood with fabrics in the same range, but a tone or two darker, lighter or brighter.

Design: FullHouseDesign

Design: Anna Lazareva

Design: Anna Garmash, Vedran Brkic

Design inside a wooden house made of timber: what to consider when thinking about lighting?

If the kitchen-living room is two-height, with very high ceilings, it is important to choose a large chandelier commensurate with this height. In classic wooden houses, massive crystal chandeliers look good; in modern styles, spherical or cylinder-shaped pendants look good.

Design: Irina and Yuri Vopshinov

Design: Ksenia Mitskevich

If the style of the house is modern, we recommend considering loft spotlights to organize the main ceiling light. Despite belonging to a specific style, such devices are universal, will fit into different modern trends and organically complement an interior with an abundance of wood.

Design: Elena Zorina

Design: Anna Petrova

Practicality of interior elements

A convenient layout and thoughtful interior of a wooden house is the key to a cozy interior space. To skillfully combine the functional elements of a house and the aesthetics of a style solution, you need to know some of the nuances of creating an interior in a house made of wood. The heating system is thought out in advance and installed before finishing begins, and the possibility of installing a fireplace is considered. Determine design options for electrical wiring in the house: it can be hidden during installation or harmoniously fit into the interior. Some architectural trends successfully use the presence of beams under the ceiling, load-bearing pillars and columns as interior elements.