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Is pine having a renaissance?
It's almost miraculous how our perception of an object, material or colour can change overnight; from faux pas to ‘must have’, interior design ick to interior designer favourite. In the clothing world, ballet pumps were firmly out following a brief resurgence in the mid-Noughties, but the last year has seen the French staple return to our wanted lists. In interiors, who would have thought that green, country-chic kitchens would become so fashionable, after decades of endless white and stainless steel?
Pine is a prime example of such reputation resuscitation. From Victorian cottage-style furniture, to the shiny orange iterations of the mid to late 20th century, pine's durability, affordability and sustainability have meant it's always been a popular furniture option in the UK. The yellow-stained aesthetic is synonymous with the material, which is thanks to the lacquer popular in the period. The slightly sticky-under-finger furniture has a kind of homogenous ‘homeliness’ that fell firmly out of favour by the end of the 20th century. But popularity has shot up for the material, with online vintage furniture vendor Vinterior reporting a 95% increase in searches for ‘pine’ last year.
Orange-hued bed frames, ‘farmhouse’ style dressers and bobble-knobbed chests of drawers are not what we're talking about when we refer to the ‘pine renaissance’, with too many of us having negative associations from parents' and grandparents' houses. Instead, we're pining after the laidback Californian panelled homes characteristic of 1970s California, where bohemia meets rock-n-roll. Also entering our radar are the more ‘reclaimed’ looking pieces and floorboards, used by designers like Retrouvius to add texture and retro charm to interior projects. “Pine generally fell out of favour as it was everywhere, particularly identified to the mid-1980s look, and a little po-faced,” Adam Hill, co founder of Retrouvius, tells us, “but it's been 40 years since pine was everywhere and the snobbery around it is forgotten.” Adam also notes that its resurgence is “probably based on ecological factors within the broader conversation of timbers and their use. Whilst hardwoods are overtly durable, they are heavy visually and expensive.” Pine, on the other hand, is “more readily available and very workable as a softwood.”
Kings of California-cool, Commune Design frequently use pine in their schemes. Their renovation of the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, for example, transformed a 1950s Howard Johnson’s motor lodge into a desert haven, inspired by 'national parks, desert road movies from the ’70s and the TV series M.A.S.H'.' Sarah of Sarah Delaney Design has used pine throughout several projects in the UK and US, from a Beverley Hills bungalow to a super-luxe trailer in the celeb-studded Paradise Cove Mobile Home Park. “It’s comforting,” she says, “with a warm solidity, but also a retro glamour.” She also notes that it's an affordable and sustainable option, particularly when using reclaimed wood. Pine is also a very versatile material: “It can be used on floors, but also on walls and ceilings; it will bring you texture and pattern, as well as colour.” It's also very diverse, with several types including “pitch pine, yellow pine and white pine, which offers up a soft and tactile touch and is pleasant to walk on,” says Adam.
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Free-standing pine furniture can bring a vintage charm to a scheme, and the lacquer can be removed to achieve a more subtle and silvery-hued look that seems miles from the yellow-stained previous iteration. The popularity of the ‘Japandi’ style - a merge of Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics - has also brought with it a return to pine. Traditional Scandinavian pine furniture originates from the late 18th century, and has a much softer, greyish finish than its tanned cousin. One of the main trends at the legendary Stockholm Furniture Fair this year was the use of pine; designers reportedly using ‘heat-treated pine for outdoor furniture, creating lighting from pine veneer and reevaluating waterlogged pine,' according to Dezeen.
Here we explore some of the best examples of pine done well, to convince you of its thoroughly renewed reputation.
The Ingalls1/15Pine in the home
Legendary American interior designer Kelly Wearstler restored the soul to this 1950s Malibu surf shack, taking inspiration from the history of the project - which is in the Rudolph Schindler modernist style - and the beachside location. Both elements led her to “delve deeper into rustic, earthy materials such as wood, rattan and woven fabrics. I used wood panelling throughout the space to add a subtle and effortless texture, creating visual interest with the sleek geometric lines of the wood while introducing an element of contrast with rustic soft furnishings. I also used this project as an opportunity to explore the soulful, laid-back style of the 50s and 70s, particularly from California and the surrounding area - fully leaning into the organic shapes and mid-century design which are so central to that era of design.”
Christoper Horwood2/15Lucy Williams' reclaimed pine floorboards in her open-plan kitchen are light and fresh, worlds away from the shiny stereotype we once associated with pine.
Michael Sinclair3/15Maria Speake of Retrouvius uses limed-pine floorboards in this Hampstead house, which provides a neutral but still interesting through-line in a house which blends modern and vintage aesthetics.
4/15This lime-washed Victorian pine panelling creates a dynamic and striking contrast to the modern Bulthaup kitchen.
Dean Hearne5/15When Nicola Mardas bought this seaside home in Deal, despite its early 19th-century architecture, “it felt very 1970s." She leans into this former incarnation with the wood-clad walls in the bedroom and the matchboard ceiling in the first-floor sitting room.
Esther Bellepoque6/15The pine panelling of this idiosyncratic London flat is both neutral and characterful, the perfect canvas for a collection of vintage treasures and handmade pieces. The 1970s feel also adds to the eclectic vernacular.
7/15Rae Morris and Fryars' former house in Primrose Hill is an ode to architectural legend, Eames. The panelling, along with the mid-century furniture, gave the two musicians a slice of Laurel Canyon in London.
8/15Commune Design loves using pine panelling in their projects. West Marin Retreat was the perfect place for it as it creates a cosy, cabin-like feel. The warm soft furnishings pick up the oranges and brown tones in the characteristically knotty wood.
Paul Massey9/15Brushed pine (laid horizontally as is traditional, but 'brushed' for a textural, more modern look) and slate set the tone in the bathroom of interior designer Tino Zervudachi's Gstaad chalet.
Christoper Horwood10/15This vintage wall light in Lucy Williams' house ties in with her mid-century modern aesthetic.
11/15Where better to use panels of warm-toned pine that in this Santa Anita Cabin, designed by Commune Design in 2019, and inspired by ‘Swedish and French chalets’ and ‘Japanese and Shaker design details.'
12/15Pine furniture
This Leif Wikner pine dressing table and stool originates from 1970s Sweden, and is available from BÉTON BRUT. The simple shapes highlight the rudimentary perceptions of pine - drawing attention to the almost school-like nature of the material. BÉTON BRUT notes that the carved pegs in the mirror lend it ‘satisfying heft.’
13/15This set of five dining chairs in pine was made in Denmark in the 1970s by Rainer Daumiller for Hirtshals Sawmill. 1stDibs describes the set as ‘beautiful, organic and natural’ with a ‘simplistic design’ that underlines the ‘expression and grain of the wood.’
14/15‘With extreme proportions and explicit ergonomics, this uncompromising outdoor chair by design by Faye Toogood is pine furniture at its most constructive’ say Toogood of their Toogood x Vaarnii Peace Outdoor Lounge Chair. The design nods to the classic Adirondack chairs that originate from early 20th-century New York.
15/15Vaarnii ion a mission to ‘revive the use of pine wood within furniture construction.’ This Hans pendant is made from a combination of solid pine wood and pine veneer. The makers note that any tarnishing or marks that appear on the wood should be ‘celebrated,' as it's very common and natural with pine.
