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The unique design of TerraMai’s grey finishes

Let’s take a walk through our grey finishes on various wood species. TerraMai image. 

Some time back we asked designers what tones and colors called to them for wood finishes. The answer was overwhelming: Shades of grey. With this knowledge in our pocket, we set out to create a dynamic line of toned finishes across the entire spectrum of greys, from the sharp Scandinavian white of Tundra to the silvery and rustic gleams of Pebble to the modern wonder of Blacksmith. 

These shades accentuate the grain structure beautifully. Because different species and milling techniques produce different grain patterns, the variation in appearance of flooring and paneling using the same color finish is fascinating. 

On Mission Oak our greys work in perfect harmony with the natural strength of the wood – a shine here, a whisper of a grain pattern there, a wonderful balance. On our 1816 Hickory, Wide Plank White Oak, and Northern Oak, the dynamic shifts in myriad ways. All make a beautiful case for modern interiors.

Left to right on Hickory: Tundra, Pebble, Blacksmith. TerraMai image. 

With Hickory, the contrast is striking – the stain pulls out stripes, loops, whorls, entire maps from the wood; a wonderful cartography of light and dark. This makes total sense for a hardwood like Hickory, leaving a lasting, memorable impression on any project. In its own unique fashion, this wood elevates the clean minimalism of the finish, making it energetic instead of subtle.

Tundra, Pebble, Blacksmith. TerraMai image. 

On Wide Plank White Oak, the grey finishes produce an aged yet timeless appearance. The flat sawn mixed grain creates ripples and eddies throughout the material. A perfect measure of minimalist rustic ideal for kitchen or bathroom interiors.

From left to right on Northern Oak: Tundra, Pebble, Blacksmith. TerraMai image. 

On Northern Oak, our grey finishes become lighter in tone and there is some similar play of light and dark as with Hickory, but it is more sophisticated and less wild. With Northern Oak the stain swirls along the natural lines of the wood, creating restful loops for bedroom designs.

From left to right on 1816 Oak: Tundra, Pebble, Blacksmith. TerraMai image.

And on 1816 Oak, our greyscale finishes become delicate, feathered patterns, reminiscent of the pearly dance of oil and water. Although mildly sparse, the patterning here transforms in bohemian ways.

Whatever your architecture or design calls for wood-wise, this distinction of how stain takes to different wood species shows how crucial it is to see the results in person. Whether you are considering the warm subtlety of 1816 Oak or the energetic striations of 1816 Hickory, our grey finishes are here to shine a spotlight on wood’s natural style and strength. 

Inspired? Follow this link to get samples for your next project.

If you want the latest in our take on wood news, upcoming products, and more, sign up for our blog here and our e-Cards here. 

Western Red Cedar: An enduring legacy in nature & design

​​​​​Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / abdallah

​​The Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest called Western Red Cedars “trees of life” or “life giver” – a cornerstone to their way of life. Groves were often seen as sacred and used as gathering places for ceremonies and the trees themselves can live for thousands of years. In fact, cedars that have fallen down will take centuries to finally succumb to rot and the elements. 

Many coastal tribes recognized the durability of the wood and used Western Red Cedars to build shelters, dugout canoes, and myriad tools, utensils, and accessories. 

This legacy of providing shelter has endured in how people use Western Red Cedar today. It’s an excellent option for exterior applications like siding, decking, and other outdoor projects due to its natural resistance to rot and insects. Wood is a living material and continues to expand and contract after it has been harvested, and Western Red Cedar does this on a much smaller scale, making this species very stable.

Haywire Building, Plano, TX

The outside facade of the Haywire building in Plano, TX. TerraMai image

A wonderful example of this flexible wood species is TerraMai’s installation at Haywire in Plano, TX, featuring beautiful Western Red Cedar wood paneling. There’s inherent natural beauty to wood known as a “tree of life” gracing the sides of a building dedicated to bringing joy to the lives of others through good food, good drinks, and good times. 

When it comes to legacy, what we can learn from Western Red Cedar is how there is strength in versatility and creating a safe haven for others.  

Get inspired for your next project here and sign up for our blog here. 

Cassie Ruud

Content Marketing Strategist

cassie@terramai.com

A tribute to biophilia: TerraMai’s newest modular panel designs

The natural benefits of wood patterns in design

The human eye constantly seeks out patterns – especially ones that occur in nature. No surprise then that biophilic design, and the ways it highlights nature in architecture and design, has skyrocketed in popularity. The physical and psychological benefits this design style creates are countless. Humanity’s love of biophilia is rooted in our attraction to the organic, and biophilic design lets us “return to nature.” When it comes to plotting the course of your next project, bringing in natural elements is a game changer. 

Health benefits of natural patterns and materials in design

Incorporating organic elements in public and private buildings improves job performance and lower blood pressure. 

Biophilic design requires three things: Natural light, ventilation, and quality of view. Essentially, designing a space with the same qualities found in nature. It’s only natural that this connection to a biophilic environment not only increases productivity, but can also minimize illness. Using building materials like wood multiplies these benefits, creating the same perks one enjoys while out in nature.

large scale biophilic design

From Icarus Films: An excellent example of large scale biophilic design

A modular tribute to biophilia

TerraMai has introduced three new designs into our popular modular panels line up, which celebrate the benefits and patterns of biophilia: Honeycomb, Tiled, and Mini Slat. Using sustainably-harvested or reclaimed wood, these new designs add style and beauty to any space. 

These prefabricated panels are built for precision and speedy installation. In addition to our new naturally-inspired designs comes a new, crisp finish: Polar. 

Honeycomb

A cascade of hexagons create a multi-tiered honeycomb – a pattern that’s captivated the eye for ages – straddling structure and wildness. This burst of creativity creates a welcome relief from the mundane.

With four varying levels of thickness to each shape, Honeycomb interlocks in a seamless combination of order and organic. Evoking the natural patterns created by bees, these hexagonal panels are a perfect choice for biophilic-centered designs.

Tiled

Angled, diagonal slats come close but do not touch. Instead, the reveals between these angles allows for customizable patterning, drawing the eye along clean edges and corners. 

Created for beauty, speed, and quick installation, these minimalist points add dynamism to a space with clear sequence. TerraMai’s Tiled Modular Panels can be arranged in multiple ways – from classic chevron styles to blooming, diagonal petals – meeting any design tone and need.  

Mini Slat

A delicate nod to TerraMai’s additional slatted paneling, the Mini Slat Modular Panel design keeps a quiet peace between each wood strip. This airy subtlety brings a sense of breath to the panel – and the space in which it rests. Mini Slat Modular Panels make a graceful addition to any design project with its gentle, ordered arrangement. A little sister to TerraMai’s bolder Square Slat Panels, Mini Slat is ideal for spaces looking for a graceful touch.

Polar

With a touch of opalescent alabaster, TerraMai’s Polar finish opens a space with lightness and brightness. To honor the briskness of the north, Polar pairs with any Modular Panel design, drawing out wood’s natural texture and beauty. 

For more information on the benefits to occupants of patterns in wood design elements, sign up for the TerraMai course, Designing Healthier Spaces with Wood, and get AIA or IDCEC CEU credits.

Get inspired for your next project and view our classic Modular Panels here.

Sign up for our blog here. 

Cassie Ruud

Content Marketing Strategist

cassie@terramai.com

Climbing new heights with TerraMai stair treads

Stair treads take us to new levels in architecture and design.

From nosings and treads caps to risers and engineered stair treads, TerraMai’s environmentally friendly wood products will take your next project to new heights. 

Staircases hold a fascinating space in the history of architecture. Whether naturally occurring or crafted from natural materials like wood and stone, they are the great connectors in a building’s composition. 

Early staircases were a result of practicality; they were a way to escape danger or to reach resources. They took a more aesthetic turn in Ancient Egypt and in China, where they were also seen as a way to “ascend” toward sacred places. In medieval times, staircases, particularly spiral staircases, saved space in building design and aided military tactics. Over the years, the form of staircases and stairways became more flexible and nowadays seeks an experiential design that factors in how the structure is used by people.

Social Staircases – an upward design movement

The popularity of social staircases has soared over the past few years. TerraMai image.

One of many ways stairs enhance space and structure is through experiential design. This involves considering how a space will be used by its occupants, leveraging new trends in technology and social interaction to take the user experience to another level. In a commercial context, this means strategically using design elements to evoke an emotional connection and embracing new ways of working, socializing, and recharging. 

In its 2017 Experience Index, the Gensler Research Institute found “the human experience must be the driving force behind every element of a space – from the design of physical space to the qualities of interaction, expectation, and intention.” This takes many different forms, but above all, engagement and emotional connection are the foundation of experiential design. In an office setting, this could include creating spaces that facilitate workflow and optimize emotional and physical employee well-being. This shines through in the creation of the social staircase – a hybrid of a regular, functional staircase and areas for people to sit and chat. 

One of the main ingredients of a staircase, social or otherwise, is the stair step, or stair treads – and how it supports the structure’s function and artistry.    

A step-by-step look at treads

The anatomy of a stair step is made up of risers, nosing, and, of course, treads. 

A riser is the vertical distance from the top of one to the next subsequent tread. Nosing is part of the tread that hangs over the edge of the step. 

And tread is the place where a person’s foot lands when climbing or descending a staircase.   

At TerraMai, we use sustainably harvested wood to bring these elements to natural life by using flooring planks in the tread, nosing, and risers.

Tread nosing options include:

Angled
Angled with traction strips
Square
Square with traction strips
Bullnosing
Bullnosing with traction strips

And our tread profiles cover:

Engineered – finished four-sides
Engineered – finished two-sides
Solid Treads

Climbing new design heights with TerraMai treads

Tread brings a subtle and transformative tone to staircases and is made all the more beautiful when the materials used are wood. 

TerraMai collaborates with designers to create unique and spectacular stair tread installations. We offer the most diverse range of reclaimed and sustainably-harvested woods in the industry.

Our stair treads can be used for both interior and exterior installations and we are excited to help you make your design vision become a reality. 

Incorporating TerraMai’s tread into your next creation honors the legacy of this sophisticated building feature. You can take that first step here. 

Sign up for our blog posts here.

Cassie Ruud

Content Marketing Strategist

cassie@terramai.com

Trim at TerraMai: Framing the art of sustainable wood

Trim comes in a variety of forms, but its subtlety supports the broader design of a space. TerraMai image.

Picture this: You’re in a gallery and surrounded by wall upon wall of priceless, gorgeous paintings, hues and colors swirling and combining into scenes, faces, features, and portraits. But there’s a subtle accent complementing each and every piece of artwork – the frames holding and supporting each creation. 

Frames haven’t typically been considered “high art”, but to experts like Martin Kotler of the Smithsonian their function is an essential extension of design.

“It [is] the mother holding its child,” Kotler told Smithsonian Magazine in an interview. A frame is the small detail that elevates and encapsulates the work. 

At TerraMai, the twin to this perfect celebration of transitional beauty is in the trim and the undeniable character of wood. If a room can be considered the canvas to showcase the allure of materials that make up the walls, ceiling, and floors, then trim is the supportive framework tying everything together. Pairing that with the sustainable, charming character of wood honors those features in a perfect homage to art. 

The history of trim

Trim, occasionally used interchangeably with the term “molding” or “mouldings” dates back to the ancient Greeks who would adorn their buildings and temples with these features to draw attention to carved ceilings and the tops of columns – as shown in structures like the Parthenon. 

“While columns and statuary were the stars of the show, the simple moldings can aptly be called the humble servants,” wrote John Tschirch in an article for Period Homes Digital. “They have the critical task of framing the main features of the building.” 

This practice of creating a decorative framework on the outside of buildings was eventually inherited by the Romans who took a more exaggerated spin on the subject, going further transformation in Medieval times with towering cathedrals, which took things to an extreme – creating imposing “ribs” of trim to draw attention to decorated ceilings and effectively, to “heaven.”

During the Italian Renaissance there was a revival in Greco-Roman styles of trim, with an eye for creating harmonious balance within the framework. Eventually, this extravagant display that had originated on temples was toned down and made subtle with another transformation from the English in the 17th and 18th centuries, taking on a more craftsman-style. As long humanity’s creativity in design persists, so will the importance of trim as a transformative and transitional element within a space. 

Different functions of trim

History aside, trim comes in a plethora of forms and functions within a space, and all of it is used to complement a structure both inside and out. And here are the various styles each kind of trim takes on:

Edge Trim: Frames wall panels and/or paneling with the same wood and finish or complementary colors. Edge trim is necessary for exposed Modular Panel, Acoustic Panel, and Open Panel edges to hide panel backers, acoustic insulation, or the plies of engineered plank paneling.

Corner Trim: A seamless extension of paneling to frame corners and cover adjacent walls.

Baseboard: Complementary trim that runs along where the floor and walls connect and covers the perimeter expansion gap for hardwood flooring. 

Quarter Round: Decoratively covers larger expansion gaps not covered by the baseboard.

Transition Strip: A sophisticated transition from hardwood flooring to thinner floor covering materials.

Door & Window Trim: Beautifully framing entries and windows from the inside out and outside in. 

Whether in the form of stately baseboard, wall molding, or flooring transitions, TerraMai’s trim helps tie all of the key, natural components of working with wood into a perfect display of design intention and authenticity.     

Framing the beautiful art of reclaimed wood

Without a doubt, in all of its forms, trim brings a subtle and transformative tone to the structures it accompanies and nowhere is this more clearly shown than when the materials used are from sustainable wood. 

Trim reconstructs a room with effortless progression Incorporating TerraMai’s trim crafted from sustainably-harvested and reclaimed wood into your next creation honors the storied legacy of this sophisticated building feature. You can start that journey here. 


Sign up for our blog posts here.

Cassie Ruud

Content Marketing Strategist

cassie@terramai.com

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