From visual and auditory aesthetics to its many, many green qualities, wood offers countless architecture and design benefits. Certainly, nothing beats the presence and force of nature’s beauty on the walls of a living or working space. Shall we count the ways?
1. A Color for Every Occasion
Rich wood hues, whether in dark or light shades, can fill any space, no matter how plain, with grandeur. Want to make an executive lobby look more decadent? The dark tones of bold, earthy fire cherry can offer upscale sophistication and polish. Need to play up a small room? Gold birch with silvery undertones highlight the most unassuming spaces. Looking to bring airy vivacity to a common area in a beachside home? White birch that’s beautiful in its imperfections is the epitome of country chic.
2. Wood Wall Finishes Offer Superior Acoustics
For starters, wood prevents echoes from bouncing around a room by absorbing sound waves. It can also help to insulate sound between different rooms. The way it naturally dampens sound is why wood is used in famous concert halls around the world, creating perfect tones within those spaces.
3. Nature Makes Us Happier
According to American biologist and naturalist Edward O. Wilson, all humans have biophilia, in which we possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. This is why being surrounded by nature even when indoors helps humans feel healthier and has even been shown to improve morale and productivity among individuals who work in spaces decorated with natural elements.
4. The Best Defense
On a living tree, bark serves several purposes. It conserves water and acts as a protective skin, warding the tree’s essential living systems from environmental and situational dangers including extreme weather, temperature fluctuations, and invasive pests like animals, insects, and disease. Adorning an architectural structure, wood wall finishes are a natural armor, doing much the same! Barks such as poplar are even fire‑resistant.
5. A Star Insulator and Energy Saver
Did you know inorganic building materials like steel expand when heated and can actually weaken a structure? On the other hand, wood dries and becomes harder, preventing energy leakage from the space it’s enclosing. Compare how much faster the following materials conduct heat than wood:
Aluminum: 7,000 times faster
Steel: 1,650 times faster
Marble: 90 times faster
Glass: 23 times faster
So if you’re looking to insulate a home or office, wood will both keep indoor temperatures within more consistent and, as a result, help you tremendously on heating bills.
6. Go Green With Wood Wall Finishes
Natural wood wall finishes created through regenerative processes, such as those produced by Bark House, have a high green factor because of the ways they incorporate the harvesting, installation, and disposal of wood‑based products. Plus, wood can be used to replace other more carbon intensive materials such as concrete or steel.
Compare this with the following hazardous materials commonly found in construction:
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Found in common household and office products like paint, cleaning materials, and furniture. They adversely affect indoor air quality and cause side effects in humans including headaches, nausea, and liver and kidney damage.
- Petroleum: Found in paraffin wax, Teflon, nail polish, and various plastics. Petroleum vapors can cause nervous system effects (including headache, nausea, and dizziness) and respiratory irritation. With very high exposure, they can cause coma and even death.
Our products have been used in various stunning projects that go beyond sustainable architecture, and if you’re intrigued by the idea of using wood wall finishes for your next project, Bark House offers sample kits that you can request here.