Pros and Cons: Boarding in Interior Design

Many people love the warm texture of natural wood. But not everyone would dare to make walls or ceilings 'like on the dacha' in their own apartment. Let's try to find out whether boarding is suitable and appropriate for urban interior design.

Let's talk about the advantages

1. Ecological Safety
   Boarding is a natural material. It is safe for human health, contains no harmful inclusions and can be used in living spaces without any concerns.

Design: Victoria Zolina, Zi-Design Interiors

1. Affordability
   The price of boarding is quite acceptable for many. Anyone who prefers to do a budget renovation can afford to buy it.

1. Wide Range of Processing Options
   The board can be coated with varnish, oils, or paint in the desired shade. Matching the overall color scheme of the interior or creating a bold accent is not difficult at all.

Design: Nadежda Kapper

1. Easy Installation
   To decorate walls or ceiling with boarding, it is not necessary to hire a construction team. With the right tools and some experience, one can do it themselves.

1. Always in Trend
   Countryside, Provence, Swiss chalet, warm Mediterranean, Scandinavian style – natural wood will fit in if you prefer these interior design styles.

Design: Alexey Gурkin

Disadvantages

1. Installation Details
   For boarding on concrete walls in urban apartments, it must be mounted on a stud frame. You should consider possible losses in height and volume of the room – they are unavoidable.

Design: Alexey Gурkin

1. Low Water Resistance
   Wood readily absorbs moisture. Therefore, it should be used carefully in humid areas. It is also essential to protect it from excessive moisture with appropriate treatments.

Design: Alexey Gурkin

1. Fire Hazard
   Wood burns – this is an axiom. Want safety? Ensure the boards are coated with fire-retardant compositions.

1. Differences in Texture and Tones
   It is important to note that each wood species has its own unique structure and color. Pine and birch can be tinted almost into all rainbow shades. However, to give light tones to oak, ash, or cedar, one must work harder.

Design: Marina Efstigneeva

1. Difficulty in Replacement
   If someday you get bored of rural tones, note that removing boarding is not the same as changing wallpaper or repainting. Demolition and surface preparation for future finishing will be a tedious job.

Design: Anastasia Tyumenyeva, Mechta Space

Expert Opinions

When the number of drawbacks balances out with the number of benefits, it's time to ask specialists for their opinion. We asked designers Nadежda Kapper and Viktor Moyo about whether they use boarding in interiors, what drawbacks and merits they see.

Nadежda Kapper: "Boarding is affordable and can be tinted in any color"

Nadежda Kapper
expert
Lead architect-designer of "Studio 3.14", believes that the line drawn by an architect's hand can leave an indelible mark in the lives of entire generations.

When I decorated an interior in Mediterranean style, simple and natural materials were needed – boarding met these requirements exactly. We easily decorated it in various shades. In the bedroom, we coated it with oil in white color; in the living room, we painted it over primer in a vibrant turquoise; on the balcony, we used oil with brown undertones.

However, we had to strictly control the quality of boarding (absence of knots, cracks, scratches and chips). Each room required a strictly defined grade of wood. Light oil suited boarding made from linden well. But yellowish tones of pine were easy to hide under dark paint.

Design: "Studio 3.14"

Viktor Moyo: "Boarding in an apartment? Sounds outrageous!"

Viktor Moyo
expert
Designer of "Elite Housing Studio Alexander Akimenkov".

Boarding in an apartment? Sounds outrageous! I support using wooden panels or even floor coverings that can transition to walls. It looks harmonious, does not irritate the eyes and appears expensive. In my opinion, an apartment should not be associated with a dacha or else it becomes tasteless.

Design: Alexey Gурkin