Reclaimed wood loans a sense of warmth, history, and wisdom to any room it’s added to. The world’s top designers use reclaimed wood to accent their designs, but reclaimed wood is accessible to any designer or architect.

From ArchDaily: The interior of Michael Green’s WIDC building in Canada

Turn on HGTV and you’ll see reclaimed wood farm tables on Fixer Upper and reclaimed wood paneling added to treehouses on Treehouse Masters. Some designers are also pushing the limits by using reclaimed wood to build wooden office buildings.

Because of its aesthetic qualities and sustainability, reclaimed wood has become a staple in the designs of the some the world’s top designers. Reclaimed wood is also versatile. Many designers use it as flooring, wall paneling, outdoor siding, and to build furniture.

Here’s how the world’s top designers are using reclaimed wood.

Reclaimed Wood As Used By Michael Green

Reclaimed wood carries its history on every panel, each scratch and scar, each stain from its previous life, and the markings created through natural weathering. If only it could speak, just imagine the stories it would tell.

From dezeen: The facade of Michael Green’s T3 building.

The mountain pine beetle has devastated and killed millions of acres of pines in the northwestern United States and Canada. Luckily, these trees have found a new life in the form of a wooden skyscraper built by Michael Green.

The T3 building is a 7-story tall skyscraper built entirely of wood, mostly pine. Many designers are touting the benefit of building with wood. The production of beams uses less energy than manufacturing concrete and steel and wood naturally absorbs carbon.

Reclaimed Wood As Used By Robin Guenther

Reclaimed wood is so beautiful that it really can be used anywhere, from the floors, to the walls, to the ceilings.

Robin Guenther is a renowned architect and leading expert in sustainable healthcare design. She promotes the idea that we can design healthier, more healing buildings.

From Stanford children’s Hospital: Reclaimed redwood slats surround the elevator bay at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.

Reclaimed wood comes in many different textures and colors making it the perfect material for adding subtle color to walls. The elevator bay at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford is covered in redwood slat reclaimed from Moffett Field hangar in Mountain View. The wood was milled in the 1920s and was discovered the hangar was being demolished.

Reclaimed Wood As Used by Clodagh

Clodagh’s trademark says it all: “life-enhancing minimalism.” The designer focuses on creating blissful serenity with her designs. She adds life and texture to each space, often using reclaimed wood to add warmth to her minimalist designs.

From Clodagh: The front desk at 295 Park Avenue South

Whether she’s redesigning the entrance and lobby of an apartment building in New York or incorporating the idea of biophilia into her design for a spa space—reclaimed wood plays a natural role.

From Clodagh: Slatted reclaimed teak wood floors at the Kohler country Spa

Reclaimed wood retains its strength and beauty even with age. Some designers even argue that its age makes it more beautiful. Reclaimed teak flooring and paneling is a sustainable and aesthetically pleasing material to use for any custom design.

Reclaimed wood not only looks gorgeous, it’s also more sustainable and eco-friendly than using new wood. Now that you’re inspired by the designs of these top designers, how will you incorporate reclaimed wood into your next project?

Sometimes, contemporary design can suffer from appearing cold and clinical. If you’ve ever visited an intensely minimalist place, it may have rubbed you the wrong way, and that’s something psychologists are studying. But this problem is easily solved by adding some vibrancy, and one great way to add vibrancy to a space is to use rustic wood paneling for walls. Here are 12 remarkable examples of rustic wood paneling in use.

1. Rustic wood paneling brings complementary warmth to this pizza restaurant.

When you think about pizza, you probably think of warmth, whether that’s the warmth of the pizza itself or even the colors. The pizza restaurant pictured above has done a great job of imbuing that warmth into the atmosphere, using rustic wood paneling around the pizza ovens. The darker paneling also complements the lighter wooden tabletops and the exposed lighting for a rural yet modern setting. While the rustic wood paneling is a focal point, it isn’t distracting. Instead, it balances the space by offering contrast and color.

2. Exposed brick and rustic wood paneling provide a one-two visual punch to this restaurant.

While exposed brick has surged in popularity recently, it’s a timeless style that’s been around for ages. Sometimes, exposed brickwork can make a space feel more like a warehouse, which isn’t always desirable. Here’s one solution to that problem. This restaurant pairs brick and rustic wood paneling to create a brilliant form of contrast that keeps the space cozy.

3. In this store, rustic wood paneling serves the space.

Rustic wood paneling is great, but it can tend to dominate a space if there’s a lot of it. This store uses rustic wood to frame the store and create a noticeable entrance to another part of the building. The “Fit Studio” sign integrated into the wood is a nice eye-catching touch.

4. This coffee shop strikes a balance of rustic and contemporary design.

You’ve probably seen a thousand coffee shops that look something like this and for good reason––this industrial look makes for a great design. But what makes it so great? It’s all in the way the reclaimed, naturally distressed wood and the bright ambiance go hand in hand. The various shades of the rustic wood add even more visual interest.

5. This restaurant’s rustic wood paneling is simple and trendy.

Here’s a great example of a more minimalist approach to rustic wood paneling for walls. The focal point of this space is the bright red and white tile, and the rustic wood is used sparingly so it doesn’t look out of place. The takeaway: A little bit of rustic wood goes nicely with retro design.

6. This office entrance is hard to miss.

Office design is serious business. This simple office entryway works like a charm in the surrounding (and more traditional) setting. A 2006 Canadian study found that wooden decor can create a positive atmosphere, and that principle is at work here. The diagonal slant of the wood paneling isn’t obvious, but it lends a unique appearance.

7. This comfy coffee shop uses the power of reclaimed rustic wood.

Reclaimed wood paneling is a category all its own. It’s often used to give a pastoral feel, and this coffee shop is a prime example. The naturally distressed wood paneling has its own personality and makes this room feel like a woodside cabin.

8. Rustic wood paneling is the focus in this seating area.

Similar to the Dallas Amazon office, this space uses raised wood paneling. This is a great idea if you want to use rustic wood paneling but don’t want the typical rustic look. This room is delightfully modern and memorable.

9. This restaurant goes for a farmhouse look with reclaimed wood from an old barn.

This room feels like both a quaint shed and a trendy restaurant. Structures like barns have become sources of inspiration for today’s design because of their simplicity. This room embodies that simplicity while adding little pops of flair like the flowers to change things up.

10. Simple rustic wood paneling brings verve to this room.

This use of paneling is straightforward and highly effective. The range in lightness makes the wall more interesting than it would be if it bore regular wood paneling. Similar to Dirty Face wood, this kind of paneling is great for spicing up a room.

11. Minimally rustic wood makes for a clean space.

Many of the types of rustic wood paneling I’ve showcased here have been very worn and character-rich. Sometimes, a less obviously rustic paneling is a better choice. This office’s paneling can be considered rustic but not noticeably so. It’s just distressed enough, and it makes the office look very neat and clean.

12. Rustic wood even works in a basketball court.

This is somewhat of an odd match, but it works extremely well. The walls of this basketball court are outfitted with a rich reddish wood paneling that mixes the urban influences of basketball with the bucolic feel of rustic wood.

Conclusion

Rustic wood paneling can take an already trendy space and step it up a notch. Restaurants, coffee shops, offices, and many more types of areas can all benefit from a little rustic wood. If you’re going for that countryside-meets-contemporary aesthetic, look no further.

Each year, the American Institute of Architects and the Committee on the Environment (COTE) choose 10 buildings to be recognized as the most sustainable design buildings. It’s just a bonus that most of these buildings are also awe-inspiring. Here are a few of my favorites from 2017’s winners.

R.W. Kern Center

From Architizer: The exterior of the R.W. Kern Center

Hampshire College’s R.W. Kern Center was named one of the Top Ten sustainable design buildings by COTE. This building is not simply sustainable design, it’s self-sustaining. This 17,000 square foot building produces its own energy, captures its own water, and processes its own waste.

From GreenBuildingAdvisor: The interior of the R.W. Kern Center

The Kern Center is designed to be a multi-purpose facility. It’s home to classrooms, a coffee shop, a gallery space, and faculty offices. All of the materials used to build the Kern Center were local, sustainable, and nontoxic. Check out those gorgeous stairs!

Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed

From Open House New York: The Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed

Who says government infrastructure can’t be sustainable buildings? The Garage and Salt Shed in New York combine sustainability, function, and design all into one building. The 1.5-acre green roof along helps to reduce the heat island effect, improve rainwater retention, and protects the roof membrane.

From National Geographic: The Salt Shed of the New York City Sanitation Department

The salt shed is designed to look like a grain of salt—but it’s more than aesthetics. It can store up to 5,000 tons of material for clearing icy streets. The cubist structure tapers at the bottom to create more space for pedestrians.

Brock Environmental Center

From SmithGroupJJR: Thousands of children visit the Brock Environmental Center each year to learn about sustainability and caring for the environment.

The Brock Environmental Center is the home for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which focuses on restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. This sustainable design building surpasses the requirements for LEED certification in CO2 emissions, zero waste, and received a Living Building Challenge certificate from the International Living Future Institute.

From ArchDaily: The Brock Environmental Center

The goal of the designers of this sustainable building was to surpass “do no harm” and create a building that has a positive and regenerative impact on the environment around it. Even the aesthetics of this building mirror the landscape around it with sweeping curves and gentle neutral tones.

Discovery Elementary School

From VMDO: A slide inside the Discovery Elementary School

Just imagine if your elementary school had a slide inside. This has to be the coolest school full of bright happy colors. In addition to its cool factor, Discovery Elementary School is also a sustainably designed building. This 98,000 square-foot building is the largest net-zero energy school in the United States.

From VMDO: One of many varied classroom setting at the Discovery Elementary School

The primary goal of the designers was to create a place where kids couldn’t wait to get to in the morning and didn’t want to leave in the evening. The secondary goal was to create a sustainable design building that made a regenerative contribution to the world around it.

From ArchDaily: The exterior of the Stanford University Central Energy Facility

The Stanford University Central Energy Facility replaces an energy center that was 100% fossil fuel based. This new system primarily uses electrical power, 65% of which comes from renewable sources. It also uses a heat recovery system, reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and water use.

From Architectural Record: A green space within the Stanford University Central Energy Facility

This sustainable design building supplies all of the water needed for the rest of the Stanford campus. The waste heat from the chilled water return is recovered to supply 93% of the hot water and heat for the rest of the campus.

As you can see, sustainability and amazing design go hand in hand. Each of these sustainable design buildings shows unique architectural characteristics as well as concern for the surrounding environment. There’s no reason for a sustainable building to be ugly. I hope you enjoyed admiring these award-winning sustainable building as much as I did. Which one was your favorite?