When it comes to designing an interior, no matter what we put into a room, be it the color of walls, the upholstery, the chic window panes or even the most modern lighting, the element that really brings all of these together is the furniture. From classic, modern to visually-appealing futuristic pieces – a good piece of walnut furniture can make or break the beauty of a room, enter, “walnut color”.
The variety of walnut wood available in the market for the consumer to choose from can be quite confusing at times, yet the most bankable wood is the kind that has been tried and tested for centuries to make sturdy furniture.
One such example is walnut wood. The common walnut and the black walnut and its allies, are important for their attractive timber, which is hard, dense, tight-grained and polishes to a very smooth finish. Due to its color, hardness and grain, it is used for prized furniture and wood carving.
A preferred option across generations and now being adapted to suit contemporary homes.
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Variations of Walnut Color Heartwood
This naturally gorgeous wood comes with rich tones, a striking natural pattern, is strong and has the ability to be made into very thin sheets, due to which it attracts both- furniture makers and manufacturers of finished materials.
The color of walnut can vary dramatically, from an extremely light-pale “honey” tone to a very dark deep mahogany, thereby leaving the consumer much room to play around with. Walnut wood when used for modern interior decoration can transform almost any room – starting from classic to a cutting edge one.
With different finishes, this versatile walnut wood can be transformed to make intricately carved and curvilinear walnut furniture that exude a sophisticated appeal, bound to last a lifetime – it is highly durable and dependable.
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Its natural pattern is so attractive and unique that designers often use simple and concise forms in the manufacturing of walnut furniture.
When we design our home, we need to keep in mind a few factors that would go with the favored theme of each room, such as- interior décor, the colors that complement each other, the upholstery, and the tapestry, which would look appealing and harmonious when combined with walnut tones.
Living room
A bright and spacious living room is perfect for applying dark, deep shades of walnut color. It would particularly be more advantageous against a bright background of flooring, white walls and sunlight flooding through the panoramic windows.
Honey walnut shades blend perfectly with the natural walnut furniture and wall trim hues – orange, light green, yellow-ochre, mustard colors will create a truly comfortable, relaxing and pleasant atmosphere, which will be pleasing for everyone. Modern motifs in the upholstery used for walnut seating harmoniously take natural heat when used smartly.
In case the living room has a large area that includes high ceilings, panoramic windows filling the room with natural light – the use of walnut wood panels for the walls and at times the ceiling, can become a highlight of the interior. As far as the flooring goes, if made of natural walnut-it is not only eco-friendly, beautiful and safe for people, but can also be quite expensive.
But the good news is- there are plenty of variations of different walnut laminate shades available in the market for buyers, which bring warmth into an interior of a living room.
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One can also purchase walnut color polish and use it on basic wood to give it a grainy and satiny glow. The heartwood has stunning dark tones that it’s often used as a veneer on furniture and paneling. This means that walnut is sliced thin (1/28th of an inch!) and then glued on top of less expensive woods. The practice allows more people to be able to afford the sophisticated look of walnut.
Even in a large room it is better not to use the entire surface with walnut color. Leave at least one, accent, in this case, a wall with a light finish.
For small spaces, walnut color stools and side tables can be accommodated to make a distinct impact. The trick is to avoid combining them with similar toned flooring or walls, as in that case the room will look smaller than its actual size. A neatly crafted- smartly placed walnut color accent brings character to a small interior space instantly.
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Kitchen
Another way to use walnut color is in the kitchen space, where it is recommended to use- wood countertops with a combination of light monochromatic facades of the kitchen cabinets.
The amalgamation of various materials used for tabletops and flooring, make a kitchen space look – pleasing and complete.
Most commonly, the kitchen façades that are made of walnut wood (or are walnut toned) are given a very soft form or are not surrounded by very heavy furniture. This is done, so that the attention doesn’t get diverted to other elements in the kitchen. Hence, while choosing kitchen furniture, unadorned countertops look best.
Not every kitchen space can pleasantly represent a whole ensemble of furniture made of walnut color; hence, it is best to combine the beautiful natural pattern of the walnut wood with light colors –making it serve as a contrasting dark accent in that case.
Dining Area
Walnut wood is an excellent choice for building traditional breakfast or dining tables and chairs with cabriole legs because of its distinctive grain and color tonality.
A dining table made of walnut wood or polished in a similar tone, appears luxurious and also a bit vintage. A striking piece of furniture like that, takes main stage in the room, around which all other contemporary furnishes can be designed or arranged in a completely different fashion. Once the interior
décor of the room takes complete shape, the composition looks aesthetic.
The color also gels really well with metals like gold, silver, bronze and even materials like glass and stone (with minimal veins or shimmer), thereby enhancing the finish of the walnut wood. The dining space looks elegant with modern built-in-light fittings such as chandeliers or focus lights and sconces, glass surface side- boards and metal finished appliances, all a great contrast with walnut tones.
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Walnut color (stained) lumber looks very chic on its own and also when combined with wood tones of a different tint. A two-toned table will always be a focal point in any room- be it the main dining table in the room, side boards or the console tables, a dual tone will be distinctive and visually appealing.
For Decoration
The versatile color can be creatively used for decorative elements such as frames for painting, photo frames, built- in- shelves or even open shelves used for books or decorative pieces.
To deck up a feature in a room such as a mantle or an accent wall- with walnut color-wood, one needs to play around with contrasting light colors. The wooden feature being of a dark tone stands out brilliantly against a white wall it is placed on. Not only does it brings about balance in the space, the elegant deep color and pattern of the wood – gels everything together, making the setting look intimate and cozy.
Lighting Fixtures
Possessing excellent machining characteristics- walnut is generally straight grained with a coarse texture. It is a dense wood, but it machines, turns, sands, nails and glues without difficulty.
This makes it a great option for high-end lighting fixtures, enhancing a traditional or contemporary space. A deep toned walnut wood is a fine contrast to yellow or white lights, depending on the mood that one wants to set for the room environment – looking resplendent in its own way.
Bedroom
The richness of dark chocolate walnut color in the sleeping room, preludes warm notes, giving the room a comfy look- which is all one needs after a hard day at work, when it’s time to unwind and relax.
If the color is used liberally in a small bedroom, for its main wooden furniture such as – the bed or for the smaller furniture as well –it will make the room appear heavy and claustrophobic, as the dark tones play heavy in a small space. However, it’s okay to confine the color to only local insertions in a not-so-large room, as the other features can be kept light hued.
Hence, it is wise to limit the same for only the main piece, in this case the bed and its night stands.
In a house where a bedroom needs to be visually expanded, including increasing the visual height of the ceiling of the room- the same can be achieved by applying a dark, deep shade of walnut thereby displaying low furniture (such as chests of drawers, dressing table, low seating arrangement, and other important furniture elements), as well as the flooring, in combination with a light wall finish and the execution of a snow-white ceiling.
Bedrooms that are bright and spacious – with high ceilings and large windows, look splendidly exceptional with dark shaded furniture on a background of bright finishes (and even flooring), as it works to their advantage.
A clever play of dark chocolate toned walnut color with pastels or whites cultivates a comfortable and tranquil environment in the sleeping room.
Restroom or Powder room
A few important factors to be kept in mind before designing furniture for the powder room or restroom, involve – the wooden elements must be designed in a way that they can be kept dry, as they are built in an area that gets wet.
Also, they should be skillfully crafted according to the space available in the bathroom, for having optimum storage for the resident. The wooden counters should be too large or small for the space assigned, as the bathroom can look imbalanced.
Any sort of dampness on wood can cause fungal growth on the surface, causing apprehension for the resident. Therefore, the wooden feature should be easy to wipe/ clean. Some of the areas where walnut wood can be used are bathroom cabinets, mirror-picture frames, magazine pocket, towel holders, a stool or a small bench, lighting, flooring, and doors and window panes.
Though walnut color looks fantastic when used in any interior design, be it even in a bathroom, but when walnut wood it being considered for a wet area like that, it needs to be protected by adopting special moisture protecting formulations. This would protect the expensive wood from moisture and keep the resident worry free.
Deep tones such as honey/ yellowish-brown or dark chocolate depict relaxation and calmness in the bathroom environment. Natural colors constitute to soothing a person and relieving stress, they heal in clearing the mind, while one cleanses the body.
When different shades of brown are used- not only for the walnut furniture but also for decorating the room, it creates a distinctive ambiance. Walnut adds an eye-catching contrast to white, and when combined on a two-tone vanity or a dresser, the cumulative effect is beautiful.
Walnut Color for Home-Office
Apart from adding a rich appeal to your home- office, the color adds exuberance to work! However, the designer needs to keep in mind that the right lighting plays a crucial role here. A single bright light, would take away from the beauty of the place, not doing justice to the warm toned wooden elements.
Focus lights can be used for a dressed accent wall with walnut colored shelves that displays a person’s achievements- such as certificates, degrees or press coverage’s. Spotlights should be placed in areas with different finishes and textures, used in the home-office, such as glass, stone mantles, the display of metals if any, so that it brings about a balance of energy and enhances the proliferation of the space.
To achieve an English-looking home-office, which appears primarily traditional, it’s best suited to use rich tones of blue, emerald green, wine or plum, bottle-green paints. The warm temperatures of the walnut furniture will even out the cool toned finishes, resulting in a pleasant work area design.
To give a contemporary touch, one can opt for art deco light fixtures such as reading lights or wall sconces.
Whether one chooses to apply walnut color in the form of polish or use it as an original (walnut wood) in an interior space, the theme of the room should be well planned before the execution of design, to avoid wastage or the final composition going wrong.
Conclusion
Bring the color to your walls, your flooring or walnut furniture and let it spell sophistication. Just ensure that you use the right kind of light fittings, as light plays a key role in defining space! Place your stunning walnut furniture strategically and let its rich aura and lovely look and feel give your house a majestic magnificence.
Let it speak for itself!
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