Best of the Week: 24 Innovative and Stylish Designs Using Plywood
The budget-friendly alternative to solid wood is enjoying a revival in these creatively designed homes
An innovation itself when it first came out as a building material in the 1800s, plywood was never considered for use as an attractive finish or design feature. Made of several layers of wood veneer glued onto each other, its most common use is as the frame (or carcass, as professionals say) for a cabinet, countertop or built-in furniture that would then be covered with a cladding material or laminate. Then in the mid-1900s, when the modernist designers were exploring futuristic forms, plywood became a favourite for its ability to be bent yet retain its shape and strength: the iconic Cherner chair and Butterfly stool are prime examples of this.
In interiors, however, plywood is still considered unconventional as part of the decor. So these houses are unique in their use of bare-faced ply to make a style statement.
Remember, you can find more details about a project and see more of a professional’s work by clicking on the photo.
In interiors, however, plywood is still considered unconventional as part of the decor. So these houses are unique in their use of bare-faced ply to make a style statement.
Remember, you can find more details about a project and see more of a professional’s work by clicking on the photo.
2. Location: Singapore
Designer: Produce
Plywood highlight: The pegboard walls and shelves are made of birch plywood in this home office.
Read more about this house
Designer: Produce
Plywood highlight: The pegboard walls and shelves are made of birch plywood in this home office.
Read more about this house
3. Location: Sydney, Australia
Designer: Baxter & Jacobson Architects
Plywood highlight: Plywood evokes the warmth of wood, and yet is flexible enough to seamlessly clad a curved ceiling.
Designer: Baxter & Jacobson Architects
Plywood highlight: Plywood evokes the warmth of wood, and yet is flexible enough to seamlessly clad a curved ceiling.
4. Location: Ireland
Designer: NOJI Architects
Plywood highlight: Triangular ‘coffers’ rise from the floor to the ceiling of this house, made of false beams and plywood surfaces.
Designer: NOJI Architects
Plywood highlight: Triangular ‘coffers’ rise from the floor to the ceiling of this house, made of false beams and plywood surfaces.
5. Location: Melbourne, Australia
Designer: Bagnato Architecture & Interiors
Plywood highlight: One of the oldest and most common uses for plywood is to clad ceilings; this converted church takes it to a higher level with contrasting colour on the trusses.
Designer: Bagnato Architecture & Interiors
Plywood highlight: One of the oldest and most common uses for plywood is to clad ceilings; this converted church takes it to a higher level with contrasting colour on the trusses.
6. Location: London, England (UK)
Designer: nimtim Architects
Plywood highlight: A plywood grid creates a coffered ceiling effect abovehead, and open shelving that doubles as a semi-transparent room divider.
Designer: nimtim Architects
Plywood highlight: A plywood grid creates a coffered ceiling effect abovehead, and open shelving that doubles as a semi-transparent room divider.
7. Location: Singapore
Designer: Atelier Here
Plywood highlight: This bespoke bookcase features angled shelf dividers for a touch of fun.
Designer: Atelier Here
Plywood highlight: This bespoke bookcase features angled shelf dividers for a touch of fun.
8. Location: Milan, Italy
Designer: studio wok
Plywood highlight: Dubbed “plywood apartment”, this flat makes use of plywood not only for shelving and cladding columns, but also to indicate a change in zones.
See more of this project
Designer: studio wok
Plywood highlight: Dubbed “plywood apartment”, this flat makes use of plywood not only for shelving and cladding columns, but also to indicate a change in zones.
See more of this project
9. Location: Melbourne, Australia
Designer: Mihaly Slocombe
Plywood highlight: Plywood covers the walls and ceiling of this playroom – the architect identifies it as a a durable material that “will age gracefully and absorb the mayhem of growing children with ease.”
Designer: Mihaly Slocombe
Plywood highlight: Plywood covers the walls and ceiling of this playroom – the architect identifies it as a a durable material that “will age gracefully and absorb the mayhem of growing children with ease.”
10. Location: Hobart, Australia
Designer: Matt Williams Architects
Plywood highlight: This hallway of plywood cabinets is both clean-lined and cosy.
Designer: Matt Williams Architects
Plywood highlight: This hallway of plywood cabinets is both clean-lined and cosy.
11. Location: Ontario, Canada
Designer: Just Basements
Plywood highlight: Plywood is what makes this basement skate park – from the ramps to the walls that are graffiti-friendly.
Designer: Just Basements
Plywood highlight: Plywood is what makes this basement skate park – from the ramps to the walls that are graffiti-friendly.
12. Location: Sydney, Australia
Designer: RUSH Design
Plywood highlight: This kitchen is seamless in its transition from plywood shelves and cupboards to curved wall.
Designer: RUSH Design
Plywood highlight: This kitchen is seamless in its transition from plywood shelves and cupboards to curved wall.
13. Location: Lyon, France
Designer: TMD JOINERY
Plywood highlight: Barefaced surfaces, such as the plywood reading nook, add an industrial edginess to this Scandi-style apartment.
Designer: TMD JOINERY
Plywood highlight: Barefaced surfaces, such as the plywood reading nook, add an industrial edginess to this Scandi-style apartment.
14. Location: Mumbai, India
Designer: SML Architects
Plywood highlight: The use of birch plywood is anything but basic in this home, where even the smallest details, like the table legs and the cabinet pulls are beautifully crafted from the same material.
Designer: SML Architects
Plywood highlight: The use of birch plywood is anything but basic in this home, where even the smallest details, like the table legs and the cabinet pulls are beautifully crafted from the same material.
15. Location: Milan, Italy
Designer: co.arch studio
Plywood highlight: Plywood is used to create a new non-structural wall in this space. Left bare, it contrasts dramatically with the more luxurious finishes. Like the flooring, it also indicates a change in zone from the living to the dining area.
Designer: co.arch studio
Plywood highlight: Plywood is used to create a new non-structural wall in this space. Left bare, it contrasts dramatically with the more luxurious finishes. Like the flooring, it also indicates a change in zone from the living to the dining area.
16. Location: Milan, Italy
Designer: PLUS ULTRA studio
Plywood highlight: A ‘separate’ room is created within this 30-square-metre studio apartment using plywood to form custom-built cabinets and a platform bed.
Designer: PLUS ULTRA studio
Plywood highlight: A ‘separate’ room is created within this 30-square-metre studio apartment using plywood to form custom-built cabinets and a platform bed.
17. Location: Japan
Designer: Kanku Building Design Co., Ltd.
Plywood highlight: One of the advantages of using plywood – apart from its durability – is that it holds screws tightly. Perfect for attaching climbing holds to create a rock wall at home!
Designer: Kanku Building Design Co., Ltd.
Plywood highlight: One of the advantages of using plywood – apart from its durability – is that it holds screws tightly. Perfect for attaching climbing holds to create a rock wall at home!
18. Location: Oakura, New Zealand
Designer: Haus of Design
Plywood highlight: This kitchen embraces the tactile look of plywood’s edges, showing off the waterfall countertop’s layered bits.
Designer: Haus of Design
Plywood highlight: This kitchen embraces the tactile look of plywood’s edges, showing off the waterfall countertop’s layered bits.
19. Location: Russia
Designer: Line Design Studio
Plywood highlight: Although topped with a laminate surface, the plywood elements in the kitchen, dining table and bench still shine through its exposed edges.
Designer: Line Design Studio
Plywood highlight: Although topped with a laminate surface, the plywood elements in the kitchen, dining table and bench still shine through its exposed edges.
20. Location: Russia
Designer: MAKEdesign
Plywood highlight: It’s not enough that the plywood platform bed is left barefaced in this room; plywood panels are even used as decorative features.
Designer: MAKEdesign
Plywood highlight: It’s not enough that the plywood platform bed is left barefaced in this room; plywood panels are even used as decorative features.
21. Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Designer: Никита Максимов
Plywood highlight: A solid blue backsplash makes for a dramatically contrasting backdrop for this kitchen’s plywood cabinetry.
Designer: Никита Максимов
Plywood highlight: A solid blue backsplash makes for a dramatically contrasting backdrop for this kitchen’s plywood cabinetry.
22. Location: London, England (UK)
Designer: Warrington & Rose
Plywood highlight: Plywood shelves are encased in the concrete frame of this charming, rustic kitchen.
Designer: Warrington & Rose
Plywood highlight: Plywood shelves are encased in the concrete frame of this charming, rustic kitchen.
23. Location: Philadelphia, USA
Designer: Swiatocha Architecture + Design
Plywood highlight: The plywood display cabinet in this house looks as polished and ‘designer’ as the Eames Moulded Plywood Coffee Table.
Designer: Swiatocha Architecture + Design
Plywood highlight: The plywood display cabinet in this house looks as polished and ‘designer’ as the Eames Moulded Plywood Coffee Table.
24. Location: New York, USA
Designer: Bates Masi Architects LLC
Plywood highlight: As an ‘engineered’ wood, plywood is already considered an eco-friendly material. This kitchen takes sustainability to a higher level by using bamboo plywood.
TELL US
Which plywood application do you like? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
Designer: Bates Masi Architects LLC
Plywood highlight: As an ‘engineered’ wood, plywood is already considered an eco-friendly material. This kitchen takes sustainability to a higher level by using bamboo plywood.
TELL US
Which plywood application do you like? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
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Designer: Join Constructions
Plywood highlight: One of the reasons plywood hasn’t gained popularity in interior use is that its exposed edges clearly show the layers of wood veneer, as in this shelf and room divider. Bolder designers, however, use this to an advantage: it adds texture and the subtlest of architectural lines.