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Faux wood graining – is the decorative art of imitating natural wood grains using various paint mediums. It is a great solution for where it may not be economically viable or practical to replace existing interiors or to install new premium woods. With the current global high demand for natural resources, the prices for premium, rare or exotic woods have become very dear which makes faux wood graining even more attractive, especially if you couldn’t tell the difference. You will find the faux wood graining I create to be very realistic looking. You can be sure that no one would ever know by looking that it wasn’t the real thing.
Please scroll down ⇓⇓ for info & pics.
Many different types, colours and styles of wood grain can be created:
- Quarter grain
- Plain grain (flat grain)
- Open or closed grain (option for quarter and plain grain technique)
- Figure or silver grain (often referred to as tiger oak)
- Burl figure (beautiful option for door inlays, furniture, columns, car interiors, etc…)
Amboyna burl ↓
Amboyna burl is one of the rarest exotic burls in the world. Because of its beauty and rarity it is one of the most expensive burls and reserved mainly for fine furniture, high end veneers and woodworking.
Scroll down ⇓ for more sample pics… *Note: samples are created on 2’x2′ masonite boards. Also, a new photo gallery will be coming soon, so pictures can be viewed in a large screen light box.
Cocobolo sample ⇑ (more sample pics to come soon…)
Cocobolo is a tropical exotic ‘endangered’ hardwood from Central America and is considered to be one of the most beautiful, precious lumbers for its outstanding multi-colour designs; with the most attractive being the oranges and reds with black/brown straight to interlocking graining. With its ‘endangered’ status in 2013, Cocobolo wood is now tightly regulated and controlled. It is generally only available in small quantities now because of its very limited supply and relatively high demand in spite of its exorbitant cost. It is commonly used for fine furniture, quality musical instruments and many other higher end speciality items. Now available as a ‘Premium’ faux wood grain finish option for many potential applications…
Some examples of what can be faux wood grained are:
- Metal doors (embossed or flat panel)
- Inexpensive plain looking wood or previously painted wood
- Interior masonite doors (with embossed wood grain or flat panel)
- Kitchen cabinets (2 tone optional)
- Trim (previously painted wood, MDF, or other engineered products)
- Furniture (table tops, cabinets, inlays, etc…)
- New or old wainscoting.
- Vehicle interiors (dashboards and/or trim)
- Columns (structural or decorative)
- Any exposed metal duct work or structural metal.
- It’s a great solution for lobbies or reception areas where metal doors, (etc…) have to be used due to fire code regulations
Pretty much any smooth surface can be faux wood grained. You will find some interesting examples in the photo gallery section.
Practical and viable – Interior designers, Architects or anyone planning a remodelling or renovation project may want to consider faux wood graining as a part of their next project because of some of the practical benefits that can be taken advantage of and the beautiful outcomes that can be achieved.
- An affordable alternative to premium, rare or exotic woods that have become very expensive.
- Results that are very convincing and as beautiful as the real thing. ‘Nobody would suspect it was painted if they didn’t know. There were times I had to use a magnet to prove it was a metal door and not the real thing.’
- Environmentally friendly by being able to create beautiful wood interiors without costly renovations and paying very dear material costs for premium woods.
- Helps create healthier environments with the warm, relaxing effect of nature. (see more on health benefits below)
- A viable green alternative to using premium, rare or endangered exotic woods.
- The option of many styles and colours to choose from.
- Virtually any smooth surface in a house, business or vehicle can be faux wood grained
- Work is sealed with long lasting organic linseed oil varnish
Faux wood grained metal doors:
The first 3 can be seen at the bottom section of Signal Hill Rd
Fridge faux wood grained (before & after pics)
Note: The camera seemed to highlight the dark and lighter spots much more than it looks in person. It actually looks more uniform, with the accent graining being more defined. Over-all, a very satisfying improvement compared to before. The possibilities are endless!
Faux Burl Wood Cupboard Door Inlay ⇓
1st pic is the back of the cupboard door which is basically how the front looked before (my before ‘front’ pics failed). 2nd pic is a subtle faux burl wood look inlay. The 3rd pic is with some added burl details.
- No need to replace your out of date or old looking cupboards with expensive new ones when you can update and transform the look of your existing kitchen cupboards with this very practical and economically viable, beautiful faux wood burl technique. The inlays can be done in many styles and colours. (more visual samples to come)
Various samples ⇓
The lobby of ‘The Tiffany Condominiums’ is a great example of the transformation that can be achieved using Faux wood graining combined with real wood (new wainscotting in this case).
Gas fire place faux wood grained ⇓
Abstract faux wood grained fence ⇓
MDF wainscotting or older painted wainscotting can be painted to look like a beautiful wood grain finish.
MDF sample ⇑
Masonite interior doors can faux wood grained, highlighting the existing grain pattern in the doors.
Interior metal doors (after) ⇓
Interior metal doors (before) ⇓
Just click on an image to open photo gallery ⇓
Water stained window sill faux wood grained ⇓
Practice sample of Tiger oak look (left), Burl look (centre), open grain – various stain colours (right) ⇑
*Note: samples are created on 2’x2′ masonite boards ⇓⇑
Various exotic grain styles ⇑
Various burl wood samples ⇑
*Burl wood is typically used for higher end furniture, such as table tops, various types of cabinets, chest of drawers, desks or door inlays, etc… You can create a new look on an old piece of furniture that is built well but may look out dated or too worn. Doors of all types can be transformed into something unique and beautiful. (more examples to come)
Various exotic graining effects ⇑
3 samples on 1″x4″ MDF trim board ⇑
“He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with his hands and head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands, his head, and his heart, is an artist.“
St.Francis of Assisi
About the benefits of using wood in relation to health and well being…
With Canadians spending 88% of their time indoors on average, we can become disconnected with the calming effects of being exposed to nature. Wood brings an element of nature inside, which helps create a warm relaxing environment. There is even a shift towards using more wood in healthcare environments because of the recognized benefits of exposure to nature which is reflected in patient over-all well being and lower recovery times. Case in point… The North Bay Regional Health Centre (Ontario) is a new model for health care in Canada by incorporating the generous use of structural and decorative wood elements to help create a healing environment, among many other firsts.
Also, out west, B.C. has created a Wood First Act, which requires the use of wood as the primary building material in publicly funded projects (particularly health care facilities) within the B.C. Building Code.
“It has been proven through evidence based design that creating connections with nature facilitates healing. Specifically, natural environments can restore a body’s balance and expedite the healing process. The use of exposed wood in a project is one of the ways that we can improve conditions for our patients. Wood conveys a sense of warmth and and comfort the supports healing environments and improves the overall patient experience. The Surrey Memorial Hospital Critical Care Tower with its unique use of wood, is a good example of a facility designed with patient care in mind.” Peter Goldthorpe, Vice President Capital Projects, Real Estate & Facilities Fraser Health – Providence Health Care – Provincial Health Services