Perhaps it is the fact that we are ever more reliant on modern technology that when it comes to our homes, and their décor we want to keep things simpler. And it doesn’t get much simpler and straight forward than raw style. In terms of decoration the concept of raw deco is related to the untreated and the ‘as found’. With all our advanced tech that none of us really understand but are nevertheless hooked on, raw is something we know about. Because it appeals to our very essence, our primal instincts, it is ideally combined with other furniture and decorative elements to work best. Here below we examine ways of introducing the raw trend into to home.
Raw upholstery
It’s a generally accepted fact that the younger generations have fallen out of love with the older Victorian era furniture, or ‘brown furniture’ as it’s sometimes called. However there are ways in which these large heavy pieces can be made more contemporary. Upholstery using raw fabrics, such as canvas and linen is one way to make an old sofa, armchair or set of dining chairs suddenly feel modern. The neutral fabrics can provide the perfect foil to the carved wood and decorative motifs. To frame the fabric metal studs can be used for the optimum effect.
Work-a-day furniture
An old timber table with an untreated surface can be a wonderful addition to a pristine kitchen. It is the very contrast between the patina of age and the machined perfection of other surfaces that can bring the whole space together. Equally a distressed vintage thrift shop piece of furniture can be sanded back to its base to uncover the original raw finish. Whether it be a side table, mantle piece or clothes chest the raw style approach can provide a centerpiece around which an entire room can be decorated, be it a living room, entrance hall or a bedroom.
Raw accessories and decorative objects
Having an entirely raw interior is a hard look to pull off, probably only achievable for picturesque country houses. However by placing natural elements, like a piece of driftwood or stones from the beach in the right place these can become accents or features in a room.
Raw finishes, walls and floors
The raw trend is not just confined to furniture and decorative objects but also can just as easily be applied to finishes. Untreated engineered timber flooring creates a more rustic ambience, while polished concrete can create a more industrial feel. The raw aesthetic includes luxurious materials like Venetian plaster for walls that mixes marble dust with plaster for a raw polished finish. Stone, brick, terracotta and other ceramic tiles are equally effective especially when framing modern pieces of furniture or art works.
Raw is a key element of wabi sabi
The Japanese interior design trend wabi sabi which is all about the search for inner peace and harmony also relies on featuring raw or untreated elements. Raw wood and plants are an integral part because the idea is to celebrate and imitate nature. The natural world is considered to be perfect, it can be imitated using raw furniture materials and other materials arranged judiciously.
Credit: @thetruehouse
