Page 11 - REN July-Aug 2021

Get in the groove
Beadboard is a row of narrow wood planks lined up vertically on the wall, commonly installed in bathrooms with
soaker tubs or on kitchen ceilings for an authentic farmhouse look. The “bead” is the indentation or ridge found
between each wood plank. Horizontal molding is used to cap off the strips of vertical boards and the surface can be
easily painted. It can be purchased as a MDF or vinyl panel as well. For a quick, clean update, beadboard is a resilient
choice and ideal for hiding junior’s hockey puck target practice.

Barn bored?

Plywood, it’s come a long way, baby. Homeowners are applying it to walls in full sheets with high-gloss urethane
finish and it can double as a durable flooring option too. It can be cut horizontally to resemble planks, adding a
spartan look to a space with polished cement floors and minimalist furnishings.

For those who are drawn to all things barn board, the sustainable repurpose of “beetle kill pine” will be an attractive
option. The unique blue stain fungus that spreads from the nuisance bark beetles affects species like the Lodgepole
Pine, Douglas Fir, and Whitebark Pine trees. Beetle kill walls and floors are an eco-friendly nod to a different kind of
“beetle juice.”

Maybe you’re ready to ditch the neutral tones of wood for the energizing colour punch of tile and mosaics in your
kitchen. Why not switch out the wood panels for brick and the industrial coffee haus-feel of the German schmear
technique? Or, for a slower, less radical transition–revisit the 80s and 90s with the Memphis Design movement!..g

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