Get the Solid Timber Look Without the High Cost
If you love the warmth and tactile nature of solid wood but need to keep cost realistic, these ideas will please you
Rebecca Gross
4 January 2017
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design, and I study cultural history through the lens of architecture, design and visual culture. I have a Masters in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from Parsons The New School for Design, New York. My latest book is called "Ornament is not a crime: Contemporary Interiors with a postmodern twist."
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design,... More
The use of timber in architecture and construction not only has a great number of benefits for sustainable development, but also for the health of the environments we live in. Timber provides a sense of organic warmth, softness and tactility that few other materials possess, and it also provides for positive health benefits, similar to those created by spending time in nature.
Solid timber, however, isn’t always the most budget-friendly option, so it might pay to investigate what else is on offer. These five alternatives can offer the look and feel of timber while helping to keep the bank balance in check.
Solid timber, however, isn’t always the most budget-friendly option, so it might pay to investigate what else is on offer. These five alternatives can offer the look and feel of timber while helping to keep the bank balance in check.
Engineered timber
Engineered timber is an increasingly popular alternative to solid timber as it’s cheaper, quicker to install and easier to maintain, yet it still gives the look of genuine timber.
Engineered timber is comprised of multiple layers of thinly cut hardwood and softwood timbers that are placed and glued in multiple directions to reinforce a solid-timber top layer. It is predominantly used for flooring, but it can also be used to clad walls and joinery for a fluid and cohesive look.
Get the Low-Down on Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered timber is an increasingly popular alternative to solid timber as it’s cheaper, quicker to install and easier to maintain, yet it still gives the look of genuine timber.
Engineered timber is comprised of multiple layers of thinly cut hardwood and softwood timbers that are placed and glued in multiple directions to reinforce a solid-timber top layer. It is predominantly used for flooring, but it can also be used to clad walls and joinery for a fluid and cohesive look.
Get the Low-Down on Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered timber is suitable for a variety of applications, and in this bathroom has been applied to the walls to create a warm and organic wood-lined space.
Plywood
Plywood was once a very utilitarian product but has become a minimalist material used to create warmth and tactility in a space.
Plywood is made of thin layers of wood veneer bonded together in alternating directions for a strong and stable board. It comes in different thicknesses and is available with face veneers made from different hardwoods that offer the various appearances of solid timbers.
Plywood was once a very utilitarian product but has become a minimalist material used to create warmth and tactility in a space.
Plywood is made of thin layers of wood veneer bonded together in alternating directions for a strong and stable board. It comes in different thicknesses and is available with face veneers made from different hardwoods that offer the various appearances of solid timbers.
Plywood is a robust material that is suitable for a range of interior and exterior applications. This playroom’s walls and ceiling have been lined with plywood for reasons that extend beyond its good looks – it requires little maintenance and will withstand the knocks of energetic growing children.
The Power of Ply: 10 Stylish Uses for Plywood From Floors to Furniture
The Power of Ply: 10 Stylish Uses for Plywood From Floors to Furniture
Plywood was used for two applications in this kitchen: the facade of the kitchen drawers and the sliding panel that conceals the pantry, laundry and oven. “We needed a durable material and it had to be the same for both applications for a seamless corner transition,” says Wesley Spencer of Rara Architecture. “Plywood could do just that while also bringing the softness of timber into a brick and concrete space.”
Spencer used poplar ply, a renewable resource from Italian forests. It is manufactured at a very high volume in Europe, which makes it significantly cheaper than locally grown ply. Several coats of an Indian Tea stain were applied to the timber to reveal its grain and to help disguise any future marks.
Spencer used poplar ply, a renewable resource from Italian forests. It is manufactured at a very high volume in Europe, which makes it significantly cheaper than locally grown ply. Several coats of an Indian Tea stain were applied to the timber to reveal its grain and to help disguise any future marks.
Structural Insulated Panels
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) offer a quick, efficient and sustainable material for construction of internal and external walls.
SIPs were first developed as part of a 1930s research program investigating methods of conserving forestry in the United States, and were quickly adopted by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright. Each panel contains two outer engineered timber skins and a central polystyrene foam insulation core.
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) offer a quick, efficient and sustainable material for construction of internal and external walls.
SIPs were first developed as part of a 1930s research program investigating methods of conserving forestry in the United States, and were quickly adopted by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright. Each panel contains two outer engineered timber skins and a central polystyrene foam insulation core.
SIPs can be used for fully load-bearing or simple partition walls, as well as ceilings. They reduce material costs and site labour time, and the panel technology is ideal for creating airtight and energy-efficient buildings.
This extension to the rear of this federation home is constructed from SIPs and is a prototype for a relatively low-cost and sustainable type of contemporary home addition.
16 Up-To-Date Ideas for Wood Panelled Walls
This extension to the rear of this federation home is constructed from SIPs and is a prototype for a relatively low-cost and sustainable type of contemporary home addition.
16 Up-To-Date Ideas for Wood Panelled Walls
Reclaimed timber
Reclaimed or recycled timber is one way to use solid timber without making as big a hole in the budget. Reclaimed timber has a past life and with that comes imperfections and wear that add to the character of a space.
Reclaimed or recycled timber is one way to use solid timber without making as big a hole in the budget. Reclaimed timber has a past life and with that comes imperfections and wear that add to the character of a space.
Reclaimed timber is a sustainable alternative to deforestation, making use of materials already in circulation. It may come from a previous home or building, a fence or pier, and is even used to create reclaimed engineered timber boards.
Reclaimed wood can be used for wall panelling, flooring, kitchen countertops and joinery. Here it has been salvaged from the renovation of the home, reducing the cost of purchasing new materials and making the most of what’s already there.
What You Need to Know About Hardwood Flooring
Reclaimed wood can be used for wall panelling, flooring, kitchen countertops and joinery. Here it has been salvaged from the renovation of the home, reducing the cost of purchasing new materials and making the most of what’s already there.
What You Need to Know About Hardwood Flooring
Timber veneer
Timber veneer has the warm look of solid timber but without the cost. It is composed of a thin slice of timber that is pressed on MDF or a particle substrate board.
Browse more kitchen design ideas
Timber veneer has the warm look of solid timber but without the cost. It is composed of a thin slice of timber that is pressed on MDF or a particle substrate board.
Browse more kitchen design ideas
Timber veneers are available in a wide range of species and grains and can be stained to match existing furniture or fixtures. They are also more flexible than solid timber and can be moulded to architectural curves.
“I used the cheapest timber veneer on the market and butted the boards up against each other,” says Dominic Bagnato of Bagnato Architects of this living room. “I then put a thin strap of the same material but in a solid timber and used a stain called ‘Black Bean’.” This crafty effect created a deep, rich timber-panelled wall.
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Have you used a timber alternative at your house? Share your your experiences in the Comments below.
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“I used the cheapest timber veneer on the market and butted the boards up against each other,” says Dominic Bagnato of Bagnato Architects of this living room. “I then put a thin strap of the same material but in a solid timber and used a stain called ‘Black Bean’.” This crafty effect created a deep, rich timber-panelled wall.
TELL US
Have you used a timber alternative at your house? Share your your experiences in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse stories about renovations
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That Amanda Ayers designed room with the reclaimed timber, not sure if it is partially because of the way the photo has been taken but the scale is all wrong, that fireplace is too large and too heavy, it would have been much better in a darker colour and not as deep or as high. I would have to start again with that fireplace. The timber wall is nice though.
One day I would love to build a Boyd or Eichler midcentury-style house, and some of the timber panels you have shown would look lovely in it.
Thank you for including us in your feature, Rebecca!
All great pieces of information. Just to add also that the advantage of using materials such as our European oak Engineered timber boards, is that they are more stable then traditional solid boards.
This stability means that you are have more flexibility around methods of installation and more variety of areas for application as seen by the vertical cladding treatment in a bathroom using our Graupa Boards.
Just remember that there is even more available in the world of engineered timber and you will not only find the strip layer boards with softer timber backings but also the All Oak structure in a cross-ply lamination such as our boards.
Great piece Rebecca!