With the theme of this issue being pinned at “Modern Craft” with an emphasis on wood and its sustainable, decorative use in our homes, this wordsmith’s mind went playing in the word park. Delicious words presented themselves: timber and timbre, resonance, texture, depth, gravitas, unique, knotty and shinrin-yoku (forest bathing).

What is striking, is the gut impact of seeing wood in a forest, but also experiencing its splendour in a home. It is more than just the visual sense, it is the sensation of connectedness. Sawubona. I see you. We are fellow creations in which the timbre of timber resonates.

Timber in the home brings warmth and realness. In this century of artificiality and fake everything, at least we can be grounded in nature’s solid offerings. There is a primal bond between living organisms that speaks very loudly right now.

Dr Sally Augustin pointed out in Psychology Today that “seeing wood grain (responsibly harvested, of course) in our homes and offices boosts our mental well-being and performance... The wood grain pattern itself seems to be the root of the positive implications of using wood. Therefore, artificial wood can lead to the same sorts of psychological benefits as real wood – as long as those artificial wood patterns truly look like real wood. A particular knot that appears in a stretch of artificial wood flooring should only be visible once in the expanse of wood, as would be the case if real, natural wood was used. To reap the benefits of wood grain, that grain has to be visible; ebony finishes don’t have the same psychological power as oak finishes.”

HF #231 | Christine Stoman

In a paper titled The Nature of Wood, the authors at Terrapin Bright Green remark, “Humans seem to have an innate affinity for nature – a phenomenon known as biophilia. This connection has become the subject of many research initiatives exploring how different experiences of nature affect humans both physiologically and psychologically, leading to the recognition that designing elements of nature into the built environment can have health benefits including stress reduction, improved cognitive performance, enhanced moods, and increased preference for spaces.”

Researcher David Fell of the University of British Columbia showed that, in a room with white walls, the addition of wood surfaces has shown to lower stress more effectively than the addition of a few plants. In other research, rooms with about 45% wooden surfaces apparently boosted perceptions of comfort and lowered blood pressure, even among study participants who expressed a dislike for the wood. Our sense of touch and smell are also suggested to induce biophilic responses to wood.

Fact is, wood grain is formed over decades. Use it and your space will breathe, for it has a heart – therein lies the power of wood. Unlike mass-produced furniture, each piece is unique.