Contemporary Wood Wall Designs for Living Rooms
Tired of staring at dull, blank walls in your living room? Infuse your space with natural warmth and texture by incorporating wood into your wall designs. From sleek, modern wood paneling to rustic reclaimed planks, wood walls not only enhance aesthetics but can also improve acoustics.
This comprehensive guide explores the benefits of wood walls, provides ideas for small and large living rooms, breaks down costs, and shares professional installation tips and maintenance recommendations. Let's journey into the stylish world of contemporary wood wall treatments!
Benefits of Wood Wall Designs in Living Rooms
Wood walls offer numerous advantages beyond just looking trendy. Here are some of the top reasons to add wood to your living room walls:
- Warmth - Wood radiates welcoming warmth and coziness, instantly making the room feel more inviting and comfortable for lounging.
- Texture - Natural wood grain and color variations add delightful visual texture and depth.
- Style - Wood walls fit nicely with contemporary, modern, rustic, industrial, bohemian, and other aesthetics.
- Acoustics - Strategically placed wood walls can absorb echo, reducing unwanted noise in open concept homes.
- Air quality - Unfinished wood releases compounds that improve indoor air, creating a healthier environment.
With all these wonderful benefits, it's no wonder wood wall accents remain such a hot trend in home decor and design. Let's explore exactly how to leverage wood walls for style and function.
Choosing the Best Type of Wood for Living Room Walls
With so many wood types available, deciding on materials can prove overwhelming initially. Here's an overview of some top options for living room accent walls:
Hardwoods Like Oak or Maple
Beautiful, durable domestic hardwoods such as oak, maple, ash, and hickory make outstanding wood wall choices. Their strength makes them suitable for high-traffic living rooms. Varied grain patterns and stain shades enable total customization to your style vision.
Softwoods Such as Pine or Cedar
For a relaxed, cottage-style living room, untreated softwoods offer an affordable, lightweight accent wall option. Softwoods like pine accept stain well. Light-colored cedar possesses natural resistance to insects and decay. With a smooth sanded surface, softwoods generate casual, welcoming warmth.
Reclaimed Barn Wood
Reclaimed wood salvaged from old barns, factories, and buildings brims with rich patinas, stains, nail holes, and textures, exuding rustic old-world charm. Varying weathering and imperfections add delightful character. Frequent large planks keep installations simple.
Faux Wood Panels
For cost-effective wood texture minus the maintenance, faux wood remains a practical option. Vinyl planks realistically mimic genuine wood minus susceptibility to scratches and water damage. paneling offers effortless installation. While lacking wood's warmth, faux wood resembles the real thing visually.
Wood Accent Wall Ideas for Small Living Rooms
Just because space is limited doesn't mean you can't incorporate fabulous wood walls. Clever small living room designs allow you to maximize every square foot. Here are some wood accent concepts for modest rooms:
Wood Panels Behind the TV
Anchor your furniture arrangement by installing rich wood panels as a TV backdrop. This makes the whole area feel polished and put-together. For added depth, incorporate wall-mounted shelving.
Asymmetrical Wood Slats
Make a statement with an artistic arrangement of varied-width wood slats. Mix colors and textures for extra allure. Leave negative space to keep the room feeling light and airy despite its constraints.
Geometric Wood Wall Designs
Infuse modern flair with geometric woodwork designs featuring triangles, diamonds, hexagons or overlapping rectangles. Paint or stain shapes different tones for added pop. Pair with Scandinavian-inspired furniture and decor.
Incorporating Wood into Large, Open Living Rooms
For more expansive living rooms, wood walls impart gorgeous architectural detail. Large planks and panels make spaces feel welcoming rather than cavernous. Here are some striking big living room wood wall ideas:
Dramatic Ceiling-Height Wood Paneling
Make a breathtaking design statement by installing wood paneled wainscoting or walls from floor to ceiling. Choose a rich stain hue to contrast against light walls. Add built-in shelving for functionality and intrigue.
Contrasting Two-Tone Wood Walls
Visually widen walls through the power of illusion. Clad the lower half of walls in espresso-toned wood planks. Use blond wood on the upper half. The dividing line makes spaces appear expanded. Flank windows with wood shutters in one of the wood tones.
Metal Accents Combined with Reclaimed Wood
Infuse industrial edge into rustically warm living rooms by blending salvaged wood with stainless steel or gunmetal gray metal accents. Try wrapping beams in metal or adding metallic tiles to wood paneling. The materials beautifully balance each other out.
The Cost of Various Wood Wall Treatment Options
From bargain panels to luxury wainscoting, wood walls span a spectrum of price points. Keep your budget and project complexity in mind as you evaluate options:
Tongue-and-Groove Planks
Achieve shiplap cottage styling with tongue-and-groove wood planks. Installation involves precision cutting boards to interlock tightly. Hardwoods cost more. DIY projects possible but tricky.
Salvaged Wood Planks
Reclaimed wood from old barns and buildings offer stunning patinas, textures and sustainable upcycling. Prices fluctuate widely based on wood type, source location, length and width. Installation for irreguarly sized planks challenging.
Faux Wood Wallpaper
For cost-effective wood texture on a budget, wood-look wallpaper offers enormous choice. Materials like vinyl and non-woven fabrics resemble realistic woodgrain. Peel-and-stick application allows easy DIY installation. Cost per roll ranges $25-$100.
Prefabricated Wood Panels
Minimize installation frustration with easy-mount panels made of engineered wood or veneers pressed onto MDF or plywood. The 4'x8' sheets snap together like puzzle pieces. Composite wood costs under $40 per panel. Real wood panels fall closer to $80.
DIY vs Pro Installation of Wood Living Room Walls
What level of woodworking expertise do you possess? Complex projects often benefit from seasoned pros, while simple panels offer DIY appeal. Assess your skills honestly:
Hiring Contractors for Tricky Layouts
Intricate herringbone patterns, intricate tile designs, custom shelving integration and intricate wainscoting often require professional skills for precise execution. Don't bite off more than you can chew if you're woodworking abilities are limited. Contractors charge around $35-$100 per hour.
Staining and Sealing for Do-It-Yourselfers
While complex wood joining best left to the experts, anyone can tackle wood prep work like sanding, staining, painting, polyurethane application and attaching manufactured panels to walls with construction adhesive and nails. Rental tools minimize investment in new equipment.
Caring for and Maintaining Wood Wall Finishes
Keep your wood walls looking like new with proper cleaning techniques and addressing issues promptly. Protect your investment:
Dust attracts to wood. Frequently dust surfaces with microfiber cloth to prevent buildup. Use soft nylon brush attachments when vacuuming to avoid scratches. Address spills quickly to prevent staining.