Many customers ask this question. Many spend weeks or months looking at wood samples and trying to track down matching furniture. The good news is that you don't always have to match wood finishes. Wood is natural. A forest is made up of many species of trees. Mixing woods can add depth and interest to an office or room. Good examples can often be found in well-designed restaurants and hotels where a mix of wood finishes and textures on floors, chairs, and tables bounces around colors and patterns to paint a pleasing and interesting combination. You'll see everything from very light to very dark finishes in the same room.

Contrasting wood finishes can also be used to define a space. One finish can be used for desks and a contrasting finish used for a conference table in order to define its space if it is located in an open office. Or the contrasting finish can be used to emphasize a certain piece of furniture.

Wood finishes can also look different depending on the lighting, time of day, and angle from which they are viewed. This means that even matching pieces can look different from each other. You can use this to your advantage because it also means that non-matching furniture pieces that are fairly close in finish are not noticeably different if they are in different rooms or the distance between them is adequate.

Your choice of woods can reflect the type of business you have. If you want a traditional look for your office, such as for a lawyer or banker, you probably want dark finishes for a serious atmosphere. You can still mix finishes, but with a smaller degree of contrast. If you have a creative business such as an advertising agency you may want to try contrasting light and dark woods to maximize visual stimulation.

Remember, there are no design rules that require the matching of wood, so feel free to select what looks good to you. Modern Office is always here to provide wood samples free of charge on request.

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