Knock on fake wood

Tag : Wood Mats
aux bois is something of a lost art. It’s also everywhere. French for “false wood,” faux bois encompasses anythingthat reproduces the appearance or texture of wood. Though only ahandful of artists still produce the intricate, cement-coveredsteel pieces prized by serious collectors, the technique also isbeing applied to every home decor product imaginable. Pillows.Plates. Candles. Coasters. Scones. Sheets. You name it, someone hasslapped a woodgrain pattern on it. More often than not, that someone is Martha Stewart. “We’ve put faux bois patterns on cookies, cakes andcupcakes. We do it on towels, bath accessories and rugs,”says Kevin Sharkey, home decorating editorial director at MarthaStewart Living. “It appears in the magazine in someincarnation in almost every issue. Christmas ornaments. Easterbaskets. Valentines. There is no place we think is inappropriatefor faux bois.” Donald Tucker, a sculptor and artist in Houston, says the appeal offaux bois lies in the inherent beauty of wood’s texture. Hiscommissioned pieces – faux bois benches, tables and gardensculptures – can take months to complete. “I always loved trees and tree forms and wood,” hesays. “I was drawn into the whole woodiness of it – the idea that you can sculpt some concreteinto forms that replicate wood and that won’t decay andwon’t get attacked by termites.” With the growing environmental movement, Tucker sees a connectionbetween the popularity of faux bois and the rejection of pollutionand mass production. That doesn’t mean faux bois items aren’t being massproduced, however. CB2, Crate and Barrel’s more modernoffshoot, sells tote bags made of woodgrain-printed fabric, plasticplace-mats with a woodgrain design and white resin soap dishes andring holders resembling twigs. Pottery Barn offers a chandeliermade of intertwining iron branches with crystal leaves.Macy’s sells Martha Stewart’s line of faux bois towels,bedding, kitchen and bath accessories. And at Target, there arebrown resin vases that resemble logs and black aluminumcandleholders shaped like branches. Grace Bonney, founder and editor of DesignSponge, a Web sitededicated to home and product design, started noticing faux bois onpillows and other accessories in 2004, as tastes turned from boldcolors to patterns. More recently, she’s seen faux boispaired with orange and other 1970s colors in a kitschy way. “I think the pattern movement was very much joined by a trendor interest in natural materials, which manifested itself inimagery of botanicals, trees themselves, or woodgrain,” shesays. Jonathan Lo, who co-founded itsknotwood.blogspot.com , a blog dedicated to all things faux bois, says that faux bois isone of those “love it or hate” designs. He appreciatesit as another way to bring nature into his life. “Artists have always been inspired by nature, whether it bethe pattern, or more literally,” he says. “There’s a certain inherent ‘warmth’ andvisual comfort when you see something that is faux bois, even ifit’s made of plastic or metal or even concrete. The same canbe said of something with a woodgrain pattern.” Lo, an art director from Irvine, Calif., says faux bois also wasbig in the 1940s and ’70s, but even in the in-between decadesit remained prevalent. “Will trees ever go out of style?” he says. For those looking to incorporate faux bois in their home decor, Lorecommends moderation. “Think of it as an accent or way to add some texture,”he says. “Try a faux bois candle holder on your dinner tableor a dresser. Maybe try a bag or wallet with a woodgrain pattern.Try mixing into your decor a lamp that has a faux bois base, add awoodgrain throw pillow, or a mirror with a faux bois frame.” For crafty types, there are woodgraining painting tools that, whenrolled across a surface, create streaks that resemble wood,complete with knots. Stewart’s Web site features dozens ofDIY projects based on that painting technique, ranging from petplacemats and serving trays to wrapping paper and entire floors. Or get creative with a digital camera: snap some close-ups of treebark, print them on translucent vellum and wrap them around glasscanisters to create candle holders. An even easier approach is applying woodgrain contact paper todress up flat surfaces, says Lo. “One of our favorite things is to use it in places youwouldn’t expect, like hi-tech items. Many people are contactpapering their lap tops or cell phones with woodgrain,” hesays. Bonney also recommends paper – giftwrap, wallpaper orstationery – as a starting point. “If you like a pattern but are scared of using it, you canalways line your desk drawers with it or the inside ofcabinets,” she says. And for those so enamored with faux bois that they want to learnfrom a master, Tucker is offering what he believes is the firstever classes in ferrocement faux bois, the traditional method heuses to create his sculptures. The workshops will be held in Augustin Colorado and are sponsored by the Ferrocement EducationalNetwork. “Anyone interested in learning a very esoteric craft iswelcome to join me,” he says. “I’m anxious foranother generation of artists to continue this craft.”