Oak wood is a very popular material. It has high strength, resistance to decay, excellent aesthetic qualities. Spectacular texture with an expressive large pattern and a wide range of shades allow you to create picturesque interiors in a variety of styles. It is not surprising that manufacturers of furniture, doors and various utensils so widely use both natural material and wood-shaving materials - MDF, chipboard with a coating that imitates the color of oak.
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Features and color characteristic
The color of the oak wood - light straw, light brown or yellow as the tree grows older becomes darker. Different processing methods make it possible to obtain a rich palette of warm and cold shades with varying degrees of saturation. There are breeds with natural dark, almost black wood. Oak can always be recognized by a well-drawn characteristic pattern.
Oak colors and shades
The range of shades is surprisingly wide. There are many options in the palette. From bleached wood, light - gray, golden, beige to dark brown - wenge and completely black. Thanks to the capabilities of modern methods of wood processing, it is possible to create even more diverse shades and textures.
Bleached or bleached oak
Natural white wood is found only in young representatives of the species. But such trees are not used in production, and over time their wood darkens. And even from a real White Oak it is impossible to make a product on the market under the name "White Oak". The wood of this tree is slightly darker. Where does the huge assortment of products come from, ash-white, pearl, snow-white, vanilla, cream, silver-white or ivory?
In order for the material to get an elegant white shade, it needs to undergo the bleaching procedure with a variety of chemical solutions. After processing, the wood is impregnated with oil, and varnish is applied on top. This technology allows you to get the so-called "bleached oak." Various methods of whitening using different types of oak allow you to get such shades as milk, milky, bleached oak, oak Atlanta, etc.
Golden oak
Natural oak wood has a light straw color. This color is the closest to a golden hue. If you lightly tint the tree or cover it with a special varnish, you can get a thick or light shade of gold.
Also, golden notes are present in the color of the oak called Rustical. This type of treatment allows you to age the surface of the wood. The natural surface relief is increased artificially, and the protruding scallops are painted in a darker color. In the natural environment, a similar effect is obtained from prolonged exposure to the sun, water and wind. The combination of honey and caramel shades with the color of burnt sugar looks very impressive, although it does not always give a golden color.
Shades of gold are in the oak sedan, which is obtained by special processing.
Dark oak
The dark color of the oak can be natural or obtained artificially.
Under natural conditions, a dark saturated color of wood is characteristic of special oak species. For example, for a variety called "Cognac", growing in European countries, not excluding the British Isles.
Wood can darken from being in the water for a long time. Oak, which has lain in water for centuries, is considered the most valuable and is called "stained".
Today, you can get a similar effect with an ordinary stain or thermal treatment, which, among other things, increases such characteristics of wood as:
- strength;
- hardness;
- durability;
- appearance.
Black oak
One of the most valuable types of black oak is considered stained wood, which spent under water for about 1000 years. The “aged” material thus changes its properties and turns into a durable, high-strength product, close in strength and hardness to iron.
The process of artificial staining also allows you to achieve black and smoky shades. That is why parquet and laminate flooring in black and gray colors are so popular, able to bring notes of age-old luxury and stylish strokes of technological modernity into the interior.
Black wood is also found in nature.For example, Wenge oak, which lives in the jungle of West Africa, has the color of dark chocolate, which looks almost black due to darker streaks.
In the video presented, you can get acquainted with a variety of materials with shades of oak.
Combinations with other colors.
Highlighted colors have become especially in demand with the advent of white interiors. The following shades also go well with bleached oak - light lilac, blue denim, dim emerald, golden, silver, violet-gray, black.
In the interior, a combination of golden oak with warm ocher colors looks favorable. It is perfect for straw, red, brown, yellow ocher and dark chocolate. All the color richness of wood will be fully revealed in combination with gold or silver details.
Dark oak products and finishes will look advantageous in the interior in combination with velvety orange, reddish-red, saturated tomato, olive, deep dark blue, gold, silver, black.
Black oak looks spectacular next to white, light gray, sky blue, beige, brown, champagne, scarlet, yellow, gray, gold and silver.
Color style
Designers recommend the use of oak furniture and finishes in country houses and summer cottages. Natural shades will organically look in them. They are perfect for rustic country style, Provence, loft. Whitened materials will perfectly fit into the Scandinavian style, minimalism. Dark representatives with equal success will occupy a worthy position in both classical and modern styles.
For small rooms, it is better to choose materials made in bright colors. They will visually increase the space. Dark colors are the best suited for spacious rooms, dining rooms or cabinets.
Shades of color oak in the interior
A variety of shades allows you to choose the best colors for each room in the house.Correctly selected materials will help to emphasize the advantages of the room, correct its shortcomings, set a specific style direction and determine the nature of the interior. Oak furniture, floors, doors, windows, varied decor and even wallpapers imitating natural oak wood will create a pleasant cozy atmosphere and fill the house with warmth.
In the living room
The choice of oak color for the living room depends on its size and style. In a small room, bleached materials will look beneficial. For example, bleached shades or sonoma oak, which has a grayish-pink hue with whitish stains, will make the room visually lighter and more airy.
Finishing and furniture in a pleasant light color will look simple and elegant. Such design elements:
- make the interior stylish;
- fit well into any color scheme;
- create a feeling of free uncluttered space;
- they will be very practical - dust and small scratches are practically invisible on them;
- become a worthy element of many interior solutions.
Dark colors - wenge, smoky, black bog oak - a good choice for spacious rooms. Floors and furniture made in similar shades will become a worthy decoration of such premises, will bring notes of luxury and presentability into them.
In the hall
In the hallway, in addition to finishing from oak, a sliding wardrobe, an open hanger, a shoe rack, a bench can be made. The composition will be perfectly supported by a mirror or a picture in an oak frame, lamps made of thin slats. The front door must be selected in such a way that it is combined with interior, furniture and baseboards.
Since the entrance hall is most often a small room, light shades are also appropriate here. Dark ones will look good as accents against light neutral walls. For the floor, it is better to choose a darker material with a pronounced woody pattern.It is not so noticeable scuffs and chips that will inevitably appear due to contact with hard soles and heels.
In the kitchen
The kitchen is the pride of any housewife and a cozy place in the house where not only family members, but also guests love to gather. Here, the elements made of oak are most appropriate. It can be a floor, walls, furniture, various utensils and even a chandelier. Looks great tabletop in light oak, complemented by a decorative protective panel in the same colors.
At the same time, we must not forget that in this room the furniture gets dirty much more. Greasy spots, splashes of water, fingerprints - all this forces us to turn to the least easily soiled colors. Grayish shades with whitish stains and dark veins perfectly hide any minor pollution. This is especially true in sunny rooms, where every speck or speck of dust is simply striking. On dark surfaces, hiding flaws does not work. Therefore, in well-lit kitchens it is better to use headsets in bright colors. Surprisingly, it will be even easier to care for them than for black counterparts with a matte surface.
Another thing is if the kitchen is located on the north side. In this case, dark surfaces are quite acceptable. And if the kitchen is not cooked often, such interior elements will not bring much worries.
When choosing a shade of oak trim or furniture, you need to focus on the dimensions of the catering unit. In a small kitchen, light shades will be optimal, which will give lightness to the interior and will not give a pressing effect. At a minimum, the upper tier of the headset should be made light. Then there will be a feeling of spaciousness and the room will be filled with air.
In the bedroom
The choice of oak color for the bedroom is primarily determined not even by the size of the room, but by the preferences and gender of its future owner.
For women, romantic pinkish-golden shades will be an excellent choice.They will go well with delicate textiles and accessories, emphasize the femininity of the hostess.
A men's bedroom is a combination of functionality with a certain measure of brutality. Dark tones and sharp contrasts will be appropriate here. Wenge oak combined with heavy linen fabrics is an excellent choice for a male “refuge”.
The room where the couple lives should be a compromise for two opposites. In such an interior, it is better to use light golden or gray shades, honey or smoky. The choice depends on the taste of the owners, the size of the room, on the degree of its illumination and the chosen style decision.
In the nursery
The nursery usually appears as a cute airy little world where there is no place for dark shades. And this is absolutely true if we are talking about the room for the little ones or the bedroom of the “princess”. Here reigned whitened silver, pearl, beige shades. They are complemented by airy textiles in soft or bright colors.
A child who has entered adolescence is unlikely to appreciate such an interior. Most likely he will seem to him too childish. For a teenager, catchy color accents and daring solutions are relevant. Therefore, dark and even black furniture in combination with bright posters and photographs of your favorite music groups may seem more attractive to him.
In the office
Oak furniture traditionally decorates classic cabinets. As a rule, this is a massive table, armchair, bureau or secretary made of luxurious dark wood, trimmed with genuine leather or cloth, richly decorated with carving or inlay. Furniture in such cabinets is the main character. Luxurious and noble, she speaks of the solidity of its owner and his commitment to the traditional interior design. In such an environment, it is not a shame to receive business partners, important guests. As a rule, offices in rich private houses are arranged like this.
In the offices furnished in apartments decorated in a modern style, oak furniture and decoration are just as appropriate. But for such interiors, it is better to use minimalist models - without special decorations. Any shade is suitable - it all depends on the preferences of the owner of the home office. Someone likes a strict atmosphere in dark colors, others like to work in an atmosphere of snow-white lightness and freshness, others are attracted by golden and honey shades. Someone to taste practical and unpretentious furniture in tones of oak sonoma, which helps to focus on work as well as possible. Its main advantages are that it allows you to create:
- working atmosphere;
- comfort;
- durable and non-marking interior.
Oak flooring
The oak floor will decorate any interior. Thanks to the variety of shades, it perfectly fits into a variety of styles - from traditional classics to trendy modern.
Whitened oak will bring sophistication and airiness to the interior, a golden finish will add coziness and warmth, cognac and honey tones will create an elegant and luxurious atmosphere, black wood hints at the solid financial status of the owners.
A combination of boards of various colors looks interesting. A colorful coating will perfectly decorate both light and dark interiors. They can be laid out in the form of brickwork or herringbone.
The floors made using the rustic technique look luxurious. Aged boards with a clearly visible texture bring the spirit of history into the interior. The convex scallops of the wood pattern, emphasized dark and expressive, attract the eye and make the floor even more spectacular. Such floors look especially good in country or loft. The atmosphere of Provence is perfectly emphasized by wiped boards of gray color.
There is another unusual color option for the oak floor - smoky gray.Designers very often use such coatings in styles such as modern, modern minimalism and even high-tech tech. In each of these interiors, gray floors made of natural oak, laminate or parquet will look just fine. Against the background of the wooden floor, home plants and flowers in luxurious flower pots look very picturesque. A palm tree or ficus is perfect, but plants with flowers - roses can also become a bright accent on a background of restrained and unpretentious wood.
Conclusion
The abundance of shades of oak color will allow you to choose the best option for the design of your apartment. The photo shows the ideas of designers brought to life that demonstrate how you can fit oak products or their imitation in the interior.
Light floor and light walls will expand the room, but in combination with white furniture will create a feeling of excessive sterility. To avoid this effect, add shades of warm wood in the furniture to the interior alder, walnut, beech, oak. The combination of the color of the doors and the floor is very important for a harmonious perception of space, since the theater begins with a hanger.