How to decorate this summer and match with your oak furniture

How to decorate this summer and match with your oak furniture

Re-decorating your home is a great way to invigorate a tired space without breaking the bank. If you fancy a change but are struggling to decide on a colour scheme, or you’re wondering which colours work best with your oak furniture, then you’ve come to the right place.

Start with a mood board

Mood boards are a crucial part of any room re-design. If the words ‘mood board’ leave you putting down your paint brush and reaching for a large gin instead, don’t worry. They’re not as intimidating as they sound.

A great way to start a mood board is by collecting together a few items you already have in your home and garden that you really like. If you like the pattern on a particular jumper, for example, or the colour of a candle, you can use those as your starting point. Arrange your chosen items on the floor or table in front of you and work out why you like them and if you think they look good together. Don’t restrict yourself to just the interior of your house. Go outside and if you see a leaf or a plant you like, include that too (if the plant isn’t in a pot or is too big to bring in the house, take a picture and print that out instead). Now you’re beginning to make a 3D mood board that you can use as inspiration. Take a picture of your items and keep it with you at all times when you’re shopping for paint and items for your room.

Pinterest is another great way to start building mood boards online. Just make a board for your room and keep pinning photos you like. You will soon build a collection of inspiring photos.

If you don’t yet have an oak beam or any oak furniture, you could use a log or a branch to get a feel for how the colours will work with natural wood.

Using oak in your home

Including natural wood in your home is a really simple way to add character. It also helps to soften a space and create a feeling of calmness.

One trend that has seen a massive resurgence in recent years is installing oak flooring. Oak’s tough, hard-wearing properties mean that it’s ideal to use on the floor – and is much easier to keep clean than carpets! If you are looking to match your oak beam to your floor, feel free to send us some photos as we will be happy to advise on the closest match.

Colours that work with oak

Our oak beams come in 9 colour finishes, so there’s a shade to go with every colour scheme.

Print out a picture of the oak shade you like on our website and add to your 3D mood board. That way, you can get an idea of what colours go with that finish.

As a rule of thumb, pick warm tones to bring out the warmth in the oak (burnt orange, for example) and cool tones to contrast with the oak. Both work equally well, it’s all down to personal taste.

With our Medium Oak, for example, you could go for a warm pinks and mustard yellows to bring out its natural warmth.

Our Light shade would look great with cooler greys and blues – but equally good with some warmer colours.

It all depends on how you want your room to feel and whether you want to contrast your colours with the wood (helping your oak beam or oak floor to stand out more) or whether you want to keep it all tonal.

Happy decorating and don’t forget to send us some pics of your mood boards – and the finished rooms, of course!