Designed to Last: The Return of Real Wood

4 min read

Designed to Last: The Return of Real Wood

WLLW explores how reconnecting with natural wood can help us design homes that feel warmer, calmer and more alive.

WORDS Elissa Rose

Design Materials update_needed Wellness

There’s a particular feeling that only wood can bring into a room. A sense of quiet warmth, of grounding. You feel it in the weight of a well-crafted chair, the grain of a table lit by morning sun, the hand-sanded softness of a crib built to cradle generations.

Once, that feeling was everywhere. Wood wasn’t just a material, it was the foundation of how we lived. We built with it, furnished with it and passed it on. It was lasting, familiar and full of life. But somewhere along the way, we drifted. As mass production surged and modern design trends favored efficiency and gloss, solid wood slowly disappeared from everyday use. In its place came formaldehyde-filled particleboard, plastic laminates and flat-pack convenience. We didn’t just trade materials – we traded health for poorer indoor air quality, and texture for uniformity.

Kauai Terrace House designed by Catherine Kwong Design, architecture by Zak Architecture. Photo courtesy of William Jess Laird

Morning light at the Kauai Terrace House designed by Catherine Kwong Design. Photo courtesy of William Jess Laird

A Trade for Convenience

In the US, wooden household furniture consumption has fallen by nearly 45 percent since 2005. A telling shift, reflected not only in statistics but in the feel and longevity of what we bring into our homes. Furniture is affordable but short-lived. And though the spaces may look put together, they often feel impersonal. This shift wasn’t purely aesthetic, it was structural. As fast furniture grew, solid wood became too slow, too costly and too inconvenient. Traditional joinery was replaced with hidden screws and adhesives. Natural timber was substituted with MDF and veneer, engineered to mimic the look of wood without its integrity. What once took weeks to craft could now be boxed, shipped and then assembled in under an hour. And yet, something vital was lost in the process; our connection to the things we live with.

"What once took weeks to craft could now be boxed, shipped and then assembled in under an hour. And yet, something vital was lost in the process; our connection to the things we live with."

The Sensory Case for Wood

More than almost any material, wood has the ability to calm, center and comfort. It holds temperature and softens noise. It smells faintly of earth and forests. Its imperfections – knots, rings, grain – remind us that nature is never static. At WLLW, we’ve long believed that good design begins with how something feels. Wood, when it’s used with care, supports that feeling of home in a deeply human way.

Studies have shown that natural materials can reduce cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, and support emotional wellbeing. Designers are increasingly leaning into this biophilic wisdom – not to mimic nature, but to bring us back into relationship with it. Kalon Studios, for instance, has redefined what early childhood design can look like. Their Caravan Crib, crafted from solid wood and free from toxins or finishes, is built not just to be safe, but to feel safe. Warm, tactile and heirloom-worthy, it’s designed to evolve with a growing child while honoring the calm that wood naturally brings to a space.

Kalon Studios Caravan Crib. Photo courtesy of Kalon Studios

A Return to Craft

We’re seeing a quiet shift in how wood is being reintroduced, not just as a material, but as a value system. Reclaimed timber, locally sourced hardwoods, and small-scale craftsmanship are gaining traction in response to fast furniture fatigue.

Sawyer Made in Vermont, for example, revives the age-old art of Windsor chairmaking with contemporary reverence. Their pieces are turned by hand, built from sustainably harvested timber, and designed to outlast trends. Each chair carries the memory of the tree it came from, the hands that shaped it, and the time it took to make. In Bosnia, Zanat offers another kind of slowness. Their carved furniture – produced using UNESCO-protected hand-carving techniques – feels both modern and ancient.

What Wood Means Now

Today, the return of wood isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about need. As our lives grow more digital, our homes crave the grounding of the physical. As our furniture cycles shorten, we long for objects that endure. And as wellness becomes less about what we do and more about how we live, the materials we surround ourselves with matter more than ever. Choosing wood products again – real wood, responsibly sourced and patiently made – is a way to bring life back into our spaces. To shift from consuming to caring. To fill our homes not just with things, but with stories and sensations that support how we want to feel.

Sawyer Made’s Continuous Armchair. Photo courtesy of Sawyer Made

George Nakashima Woodworkers based in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy of George Nakashima Woodworkers

Leg detail of the Neron Table designed by Monica Förster for Zanat. Photo courtesy of Zanat

Custom bench by Sawyer Made. Photo courtesy of Sawyer Made

In the workshop with Zanat. Photo courtesy of Zanat

Feature Image: Designed by Emma Shone-Sanders of Design and That Studio.
Photo courtesy of Ellen Christina Hancock

Photography: William Jess Laird, Kalon Studios, Sawyer Made, George Nakashima Woodworkers, Zanat

Further Info

Rooted in Reverence: Japan’s Enduring Bond With Trees Uses and Desirable Properties of Wood in the 21st Century Composite Wood Products