Rustic Meets Modern: Faux Bois Trend Alert
Hot New Trend, Faux Bois Makes its Mark in Interior Design
Lately, we've been seeing faux bois EVERYWHERE, like it's been spotted in more places than Where's Waldo!
Martha Stewart's got it down,
Elle Magazine is on board, and blogland is completely abuzz about this hot new
home decorating trend! You better bet your bottom dollar that
Cutting Edge Stencils is totally jumping on the bandwagon with this decorating idea. If you keep a close eye on us, you just might find we have a few tricks up our sleeve regarding this trend that'll make it a hell of a lot easier for you to create a little
DIY faux bois in your house and home! But before we reveal our dirty little secrets, let's first figure out why faux bois is so totally chic these days, and why Cutting Edge Stencils gives this trend an absolute A+!
Faux Bois; Faux What?
Faux bois is French for "false wood." The name is a literal interpretation of the look of the texture which is simply described as an imitation wood grain design. According to Martha Stewart, " [The texture] appears plucked from the forest but is actually... painted to have a woodsy look."
Faux Bois; Faux Why?
Because we said so! Even though faux bois in itself is a "super trend," we've noticed that a common home decorating element that works well anywhere is nature! Organic pieces that bring the outdoors past the welcome mat and through your front door are a great way to add whimsical flair! “Having faux bois interpreted on objects that obviously aren’t wood is a nice, playful juxtaposition to the natural elements. It’s a little bit of make-believe whimsy," said Michael Friedes, founder of Michael Friedes Design Associates. This trend seems to have naturally emerged from designers possessing a keen eye for "natural beauty." It adds a touch of rustic charm with its eye-catching pattern and often inspires the peaceful setting of being outdoors.
We also found an article on
Hubpages that helped us better understand why this craze came about! Apparently the faux wood design started in the 19th century in England and France. At that time, exotic woods were difficult and costly to import, so wood grain textures in the home were instead created using paint, stains, and glazes. Now flash forward to modern times. Certain wood species are actually endangered! Who would have thought wood would be endangered, right? Because of this, there are importation bans preventing people from purchasing certain wood types. So again, people have opted to create the wood-esk texture on their own!
Faux Bois; Faux How?
Now that you know a little history, let's figure out HOW to use this natural texture in your home properly! Since faux bois is so rustic and earthy, the texture adds a certain intrigue and dimension to your home decor! BUT, and that's a big but, do not overdo it! You've been warned! Bonney, from the blog
Design Sponge, urges us to show a little restraint when it comes to this particular trend. She suggests, "Try adding a wood grained pillow to your couch, or a faux bois pendant lamp in the kitchen or even some faux bois bedding- but be sure to keep it in check, the look is about adding modern faux textures, not recreating your neighbor’s basement from the 70s. "
Here's a few suggestions on how to properly apply this rustic look for a modern twist in your home!
Don't shy away from using faux bois on your fabric curtains, leather couches, and even your living room walls! Aside from this trend looking good ALLOVER, it screams modern in funky, bold colors! Check the photo below if you don't believe us! We're absolutely a fan of the avante-guard feel that bright colored faux bois emits!
So our general consensus? Faux bois--good, fun, rustic, but totally modern--do it!
Faux Bois: Faux How-to
Well, our lips are still sealed on our new stencil--Oops, did we just reveal that we're in the finishing stages of coming out with a Cutting Edge Stencils Faux Bois stencil pattern for your walls and home decor? No! You have no proof!
But until that day (in the very near future, like very near) that we reveal our newest stencil, get a load of how faux bois was created in the old days of faux finishing. So called, "rocker tools," which are rubber slabs with woodgrain lines, were dragged across wet layers of glaze or paint while being rocked back and forth. Some artisans, especially savvy in creating wood design, have even hand painted faux bois on surfaces! But, we understand both these techniques to be extremely tedious and difficult. Good thing we have that new stencil coming out soon, very, very soon!
For more on CEStencils and our trend alerts:
- "LIKE" us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on our upcoming stencil collection!
- Read about our latest color trend: Emerald!
- Follow us on Instagram to see our favorite customer photos!
Thanks for reading, and happy stenciling!
Melissa and the Cutting Edge Stencils Crew
